HGFA Skysailor Magazine

20 SKY SAILOR May | June 2019 T he hang gliding competition did not start on script this year. Unfortunately, a good mate of ours, Bevan Taylor, was killed in a launch accident on the practice day. This accident was doubly tragic as many pilots were on the scene and some of them are now dealing with the trauma they have witnessed. I’d personally like to thank the President of HGAWA, Peter South, and all officers of the HGFA, particularly Iain Clarke and Brett Coupland, for all the help they gave us after this tragic event. The Merredin Police also helped out a great deal, especially during Bevan’s family visit the following day. Kaye Bell, from the Wheatbelt Agcare Community Support Service helped many pilots confront what they had seen and they will eventually be able to put the past back into the past. The wellwishes I received from many members of the hang gliding and paragliding community, local and interstate, were also extremely valuable and make you realise we are not alone. We declared the first day of the competition a ‘no fly day’. We were all pretty certain that Bevan himself would have wanted us to fly, but after WA State Hang Gliding Championships 2019 Richard Breyley launching Photo: Keith Lightbody Murray Wood taxying up for another tow Photo: Casey Wood Rolf Schatzmann in his custom ‘Church of Thermal Ascension’ glider Photo: Keith Lightbody David Longman Taking Flight Photo: Keith Lightbody by Richard Breyley