SAFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 7 November | December 2019 New lease of life for SkyHigh Paragliding Club R ecently appointed club President, Babushka Ferenczi has always had a passion for flying and wants to continue to generate positive exposure for the sport within Australia, following in the footsteps of our Euro- pean counterparts. Babushka began flying at the age of 18 in France, and was soon hooked on the freedom and thrill paragliding provided. Through her new role in the club, she wants to assist with the growth, evolution and promotion of paragliding to ensure the sport continues to thrive for the next generation. “I love the freedom that paragliding provides, especially when you get some height, there’s really nothing like it,” she said. “You can enjoy nature at its finest, with no engine on your back, you are on your own in the sky – it’s a great way to free the mind.” At the recent AGM, Babushka and other commit- tee members found that members wanted a change in direction. This resulted in a restructure of the club committee. “As the new President, my goals are to take on our members’ feedback, as well as build a strong social group within the club, where we support each other and come together when we aren’t flying,” she said. “For the start of the flying season, we will have a social dinner where we can all come together. We’ll also hold another event at the end of the season.” Along with building cameraderie within the club, Babushka said it’s important for the club to help support future pilots in finding their wings within a safe and supportive environment. “I want our club to support our novice pilots. After they leave flying schools, they tend to be on their own. We want to be a club that assists them develop their flying skills in a safe, welcoming environ- ment. They are the future of our sport and how we will grow,” she said. “I also want to continue to support our female pilots, as well as attract more female pilots into the sport. I’ll be working with Kirsten Seeto to do this, as well as ensuring all members continue to create an environment that is inclusive, safe and welcoming for all pilots. I want to see our sport grow and educate people on what paragliding is, a lot of people get it confused with hang gliding for example. A great way to grow is through encouraging the younger generation to take flight. The sport is very big in Europe and it would be great to see the same here in Australia. The younger generation are the future of our sport. We want to continue to promote our club through social media and media outlets but also through our social events.” The sky’s the limit for the SkyHigh Paragliding Club with many exciting ideas on the horizon to grow and evolve the sport of paragliding. Proactively supporting the growth of our sport through nurturing novice pilots as well as building a strong, welcoming social network within the club, is the driving force behind the recent change in committee of the SkyHigh Paragliding Club. “I also want to continue to create an environment that is inclusive, safe and welcoming for all pilots.”