SAFA Skysailor Magazine

31 January | February 2024 SKY SAILOR Rainbow Beach, QLD Photo: Molly McEwin What happens if you have been pinged for flying without the authorisation, and you’ve been offered a pathway to compliance, but have decided to ignore or refuse that? That’s where the Enforcement and Disciplinary Procedures Manual will be opened on the desk of the Operations Manager, and the processes contained therein will commence. Under our pre-Part 149 Qualifications and Training Manual, there seemed to be a bit of uncertainty as to when the Speed Wing Endorsement was required. There was a wing weight-loading limit and various terms used to define when the endorsement was required. In the Part 149 Qualifications Manual , the definition is explicit: “This endorsement applies to all wings including freestyle, mini wings, speed wings, parakite, acrobatic or similar (however named) wings, that involve operating at a wing loading over 5kg per square metre (flat area) or is defined or described by the manu- facturer as a freestyle, mini, speed, parakite, acrobatic wing or similar.” That’s it. If you’re flying one of those wings, you need to be trained, informed, competent, and authorised to do so by holding the Speed Wing Endorsement. It’s not difficult, it just takes time. Time you should use to maximum effect by learning the core skills required before you consider strap- ping yourself into one of these machines. Gaffs, TAS Photo: Iain Clarke