SAFA Skysailor Magazine

12 SKY SAILOR January | February 2022 Since flying into the then Hang Gliding Federation of Australia in 1981, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Rick Williams, has been instrumental in the training, safety and funding of the sport he has loved for decades. Rick was recently honoured with the SAFA Lifetime Achievement Award for his contri- butions to sports aviation. Having qualified with the Apollo Aviation School in Victoria an incredible 40 years ago, Rick became a member of SAFA where he enjoyed his own time hang gliding but wanted to do something more for the sport. Only a few years later, Rick formed the Swinburne Hang Gliding Club and began training many new pilots with the assistance of Wes Hill, many of whom are still flying today. When asked what he enjoyed most about hang gliding, his response was: “To be able to fly – fully immersed in the medium in which we fly, using only our skill to harness the ebb and flow of the air around us – is what initially attracted me to the sport. But it’s the camaraderie with other pilots, the almost meditative state of mind whilst flying, bringing joy to others through sharing the fan- tastic experience through our organisation, clubs and social groups that has kept me flying.” While he got his start in Victoria, it was Western Australia that Rick would call home and where he made a real impact on the sports aviation community. Rick moved west to begin his career as an engineer after graduating in the late 1980s and joined the Hang Gliding Association of WA High flying pilot, Rick Williams, recognised for lifetime achievement in sports aviation