SAFA Skysailor Magazine

30 SKY SAILOR March-April-May | AUTUMN 2026 My initial impression of Stef was that she was incredibly welcoming, deeply addicted to flying, and ironic in a way I immediately liked. One of my favourite early memories was watching her launch from Mama with a broken leg, an injury she’d earned flying that site. She sat on her butt, leg in a cast, a crutch sticking out of her harness, patiently kiting the wing overhead until a cycle came through and pulled her into the air. Damn, I thought, that’s commitment! Over the years I’ve had the privilege of sharing countless flights with Stef, from coastal soaring and eagle attacks, to 200km days at Manilla and women’s tow safaris. I’ve always looked up to her. She flies her own path, isn’t afraid to speak her mind (including yelling at me to stop yapping on the radio), builds and maintains a strong safety culture, and can charm any stranger into giving her a retrieve from an obscure paddock. We sat down to talk about sailplanes, fear and focus, safety culture, gender expectations, and why a perfect flying day ends at sunset. Women in Flight: Stefanie Becker on safety, stewardship, and flying ’til sunset by Carol Liang If you’ve flown in Queensland in the last two decades, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Stefanie Becker. Before she was President of Queensland Sports Aviators, Secretary and SSO of Wicked Wings, or served on the SAFA Board, she was one of the first people to supervise me when I moved to Australia and started flying again. Photo: Melanie Jensen