HGFA Skysailor Magazine

14 SKY SAILOR March | April 2019 S o let’s get to know Iain and gain an understanding of how his new role will best support the welfare of all Australian pilots whilst developing our safety culture to value care and diligence above all. His appointment is also a positive step for the HGFA’s Safety System that will look to improve on the accident and incident management processes. What is your background? I’m Tasmanian, based in Hobart and began paragliding while living in Turkey in 2005. After injuring myself, I studied a Bachelor of Computing, later studying honours and then commencing a PhD in 2015. I recommenced paragliding in 2014 and have been President of the THPA since mid-2017. Why has the HGFA made this appointment? My appointment directly supports one of the six pillars of the HGFA’s Strategic Plan – safety and training. Our sport can have its risks without appropriate mechanisms in place, and without a safety culture. We believe that our pilots should be able to enjoy our sport in as safe a manner and environment as possible. To achieve this, we’ll be seeking to develop the HGFA’s Safety System to improve our accident and incident management processes. My appointment is the clearest signal from the HGFA that we are totally committed to the welfare of our pilots. Secondly, the planned implementation of Part 149 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) requires a significant organisational commitment to meet the new regulations and the HGFA will be required to have a dedicated Safety Manager to achieve this. What are your key responsibilities? The list of my responsibilities includes: ➲ Administration of the HGFA Safety Management Systems program and functions, ➲ Implementation and ongoing compliance of Safety Elements defined in Part 149 of the CASR, ➲ Development, delivery, performance monitoring and propagation of the Safety Education Program, ➲ Investigation of non-fatal incidents and accidents and monitoring safety issues, In an endeavour to enhance the safety culture within the HGFA and ensure our safety programs and processes operate at best practice, President of the Tasmanian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Iain Clarke has been appointed to the newly created HGFA Safety Manager role. Introducing Iain Clarke