SAFA Skysailor Magazine

26 SKY SAILOR May | June 2020 Flying etiquette – basic good behaviour Firstly let me state that I am not an expert and what I outline below are my tactics for dealing with wedgies whilst paragliding, other pilots you talk to may have other, differing ones. However, I have spent the last five years developing a relationship with my local wedgies through trial and error – it is a simple relationship based on accepting their requirements of my behaviour… and my tactics seem quite successful. I have a mental map of their territory, including the location of their four nest sites and usually know where the active nest is in any given season. I encounter them on nearly every flight – when they’re happy to fly with me they will display two unmistakable behaviours – they will fly with me not at me and, without exception, they will be silent. So, since that first attack I too have learnt to fly silent. I virtually never use the audio tones on my vario, I keep my radio volume as low as possible or use an earpiece, and when I encounter wedgies I do not talk to them or yell at them. Yes, flying without the audio cues from your vario makes flying a little bit more challenging and it does take some extra effort to get the hang of it – but flying by ‘feel’ and losing the reliance on technology is actually a pretty rewarding experience. Add a big, friendly bird on your wing-tip – and it just doesn’t get better. If you approach the airspace around an active nest site, you will normally be given the courtesy of a flyby warning – and they may cover a fair bit of ground to give it, vocalising all the way. We are considered a threat to be moved along – and as long as we promptly move along they generally give up the attack. As a rule, if they vocalise, I convey my submis- sion by silently flying away from the direction they came from, in a straight line with a bit of speed, and make small, well-timed, wing flaps using the brakes if they get too close as I flee. Changing the shape of the wing a ‘little bit’ appears to distract their intent – if only briefly, and can buy you some precious seconds as you flee. However, trying to do crazy things with the wing to outfly the birds could just get ugly – you won’t ‘outfly’ them – sane manoeuvres are safest. Yes, you may get a holed wing, but this is far better outcome than a reserve toss… or worse. Warnings become attacks as you approach the nest. If you pick a line away and the intensity of the attack increases… you’ve picked the wrong line and are getting closer to the nest, change course! At trim speed you should be out of nest airspace in about two minutes. Hanging around a defended nest site, or con- tinuing toward it, for a ‘bit of lift’ will be interpreted as threatening behaviour on your part and invites wing damage. The longer you stay in their nest’s ‘airspace’ – and even a very large thermal or ridge can be wholly within a nest’s airspace – the more they perceive you as a threat to be dispatched, and the more aggressive they will become. The problem with remaining in the thermal is that you convey mixed intentions – one minute you are flying away (which is passive and good), next you are flying back (which is aggressive and bad)! Likewise, expect trouble if you repeatedly fly over an active nest site when ridge soaring – really, you are just pissing them off, and some individual birds may even decide it is worth holding a grudge – all year round – forever! Once I determine a nest site is active, I do my best to stay away from it for the remainder of the breeding season. Yes, this is a problem if your launch is near an active nest. Simple rules – ‘Wedgie 4S’ I have a mostly harmonious existence with my local wedgies and have had some truly amazing flying experiences with them – especially inquisitive, juvenile birds – I simply accept that whilst I am in their skies they are the Dominants (Doms) and I their Submissive (Sub) – and there is no ‘safe word’. My Doms are apex predators and they tolerate me when I’m a well behaved Sub. My vario has ‘Wedgie4S’ written on it – to remind me of the behaviour they require of me when I fly in their territory. It is just another bit of pre-flight prepara- tion, and so far I have not had to deploy my reserve during an attack, and my wing remains hole-free. My Dom/Sub flying rules are easy to remember – all four start with the letter ‘S’: 1. Silence – when they are around set all devices to mute and don’t talk to, or yell at, the birds; 2. Submission – heed their warnings, yield the lift, and quickly fly away in a straight line; Not in nest airspace but close enough to get a ‘flyby’ warning! Photo: Todd Dennis Forms and Documents SAFA Documents are now available in the Member Zone of the SAFA website [safa.asn.au] . To access them select and then select ‘Documents’ in the left-hand menu. These documents are constantly being updated, so download them as you need them. DO NOT save them for later use. The office will not accept outdated forms. Documents available to the general public are accessible on the website under: ‘Pilot Tools’  ‘Forms & Docs’ Visiting Pilot Membership Those pilots requiring a Visiting Pilot Membership please go to [safa.asn.au] and select: SAFA Office Manager Doms in the Sky