SAFA Skysailor Magazine

15 January | February 2022 SKY SAILOR HG Comps Secretary, Phil Campbell, said both events had been held for many years and provided an excellent format for pilots to make their first forays into competition flying. “Since taking on the management of both these events we have strengthened the focus on supporting pilots that want to attend flying events but are concerned about the pressure of competition flying. It’s a common misconception that hang gliding competitions are just for elite pilots, but this isn’t the case,” Phil explained. “All hang gliding events in Australia are open to pilots of all skill levels and we hope to attract more new as well as lapsed pilots who are the future of our sport.” HG Comps explains that competing in hang gliding is a great way to accelerate skill pro- gression for several reasons including: • • Multiple consecutive days of flying consoli- dating skills and muscle memory training. • • Sharing the air with many other pilots and learning from them. • • Quizzing more experience pilots as well as access to structured mentoring opportunities. • • Airtime! It’s easy to gain considerable airtime at a competition, for example, 10 hours+ at a week-long comp. • • For the fun of it! You get to hang out with a great bunch of chilled-out people, and go flying! HG Comps Inc is an Incorporated Associ- ation set up by a group of hang glider pilots and non-flyers with a passion to improve the number and inclusivity of hang gliding events in Australia. To learn more about hang gliding competitions visit hgcomps.com.au Photos: Phil Campbell, Don Rottman and Tracey Meyer