SAFA Skysailor Magazine

73 AUTUMN 2026 | March-April-May SKY SAILOR for a safe landing. If in doubt, do not fly towards terrain where lift may be lost. #2178 – PG tree landing, NSW A low hours PG2 pilot launched on their second flight of the morning from North Brother (NSW). Soon after, some cloud arrived from the east. Their supervisor advised them to use big ears to avoid entering the cloud, which they did, but still entered and rapidly lost visibility. The supervisor advised them to continue using big ears to exit the cloud, which they did, then found they were low and some distance from the LZ. The pilot diverted towards an alternate landing area, but their wing snagged a tree which led to a smooth landing suspended in the tree. Arborists were on hand and PIC was safely extracted from the tree an hour later without injury. Some damage to the wing was sustained. Clouds can develop quite rapidly and need to be avoided. Always maintain awareness of where your LZ is and head to it. Have an alternate LZ planned should the cloud block your path to your primary LZ. Maintain separation from the cloud and be ready to use big ears to stay beneath it. If a tree landing eventuates, secure yourself in place and await extraction; do not attempt to climb down yourself without assistance. #2179 – Emergency PG land- ing, NSW PIC was flying their paraglider for an hour in smooth thermic air at Bald Hill, Stanwell Park (NSW). They encountered strong sink near the southern end of Stanwell Tops and headed immediately to the LZ. The magnitude of the sink encountered, however, meant the official LZ could not be reached and PIC made a safe landing on a grass strip near the LZ. There was no damage or injury. Strong sink should be anticipated at any site and pilots should have a well formulated Plan B ready to implement. Strong sink may indicate a change in wind conditions or be associated with the prevailing conditions interacting with the immediate topography of the terrain. Avoid known areas of sink in the prevailing conditions. That’s it for this issue folks. Fly safe.