SAFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 27 July | August 2020 into site briefings. Care must be taken around live- stock that have a propensity to be alarmed by our operations, particularly horses. Sun glare can be a real problem for pilots, particularly when it comes to safely sharing airspace. This was the key ingredient in a mid-air collision between two paragliders at Beechmont, QLD, described in #1214. At the time, the wind was experiencing some gusts with a more north- erly component – Beechmont takes SSE-NE winds, however, when from the NE, the lift band is quite narrow and as the wind tends to NNE becomes even more so. A new PG2 pilot was travelling down the ridge in a southerly direction, while a low-hours PG3 pilot had just executed a left 180º turn at the southern end of the ridge and was heading back at a slightly higher altitude than the PG2 pilot. The PG3 pilot had the sun in their eyes and did not spot the lower PG2 until almost on top of them. The PG3’s pod harness collided with the left wingtip of the lower wing which then collapsed and was quickly recovered. The PG2 pilot landed while the PG3 pilot continued flying for some time. Both caught up in the launch area and debriefed. The big take-away from this incident is to be extremely vigilant in situations where there is reduced visibility and where several pilots are in the air and operating within a confined lift band. A limited lift band and much sink contributed to #1030. A tandem HG flight conducted at Stanwell Park ended in a water landing after an extended search for lift was unsuccessful. After launching, the pilot turned left expecting to get lift on the East face, but instead encountered sink. After a search, the decision was made to land, but the flight fell short by 1.5m and ended in knee deep water. The glider was written off due to wave impacts. A couple of heavy landings occurred up in south- ern Queensland. In #1011, a PG pilot was flying from Mt Tamborine. Quite light, the pilot carried 10kg of ballast. The day was mildly thermic, and the pilot was lining up for a spot landing in the smooth landing zone with a bit of brake on. Sink was en- countered and as a result of the amount of brake on, the flare was not authoritative. Additionally, incor- rect compensation for the ballast caused a heavy touch down. It was not until some time later that hair-line fractures in three toes were diagnosed. There are a couple of messages here: Hands up on approach and carry as much energy as possible into the landing, and if you’ve hurt yourself see a doctor. In #1021, a PG pilot launched from Beechmont and elected to land on their own property. The pilot cleared one fence, but then impacted a post of a new, second fence. This resulted in a fractured ankle. The calculation of risk versus convenience in this case was unfavourably weighted towards a painful outcome. Finally, one to send chills down your spine. AIRS #1234 relates the experience of a pilot at Bright, VIC. While setting up with new gear, and after an absence from flight operations for some time, the pilot was interrupted and missed the step of clip- ping in the leg straps. On inflation of the wing, the harness rode up their back and the pilot realised what had occurred and aborted the launch. If non- currency is an issue, or new gear is in your set-up mix, take extra time in your routine and double or triple check everything. It pays to have a mental checklist and note each step – if you miss a step or can’t remember if you’ve hit all of them, stop and start again from the beginning. An extra minute or two is nothing when you consider the alternative. That’s it for this time. As we start to see restrictions lifting and you’ve been grounded for some time, take the opportunity to get out ground handling before you take to the air. Stay safe.