SAFA Skysailor Magazine

4 SKY SAILOR December-January-February | SUMMER 2025 President’s Update by Alistair Dickie The SAFA Office will be closed from: 12 noon Tuesday, 24 December 2024 through to Wednesday, 1 January 2025; and Thursday, 2 January 2025 through to Friday, 10 January 2025 During this period, we will only prioritise urgent emails that can be addressed remotely. Membership engagement has been a standout feature of 2024. Our on-time membership renewal rate has been ex- ceptional, demonstrating the strength and unity of our community. This commitment is what drives SAFA forward and ensures we can continue to invest in the admin- istrative framework that supports our members in achieving their aviation goals. Adding to this success, I am proud to highlight that there have been no incidents or accidents leading to claims on our group aviation liability insurance policy. This achievement underscores the profes- sionalism and care demonstrated by our members at every level of participation. It also reinforces the importance of risk management and the collective responsi- bility we all share in protecting the future of our sport. An important update this year involves bedding in the changes to our group aviation liability insurance policy. As of 2023, training activities are no longer covered under this policy. This change means that individual members, clubs, and instructors must ensure that adequate insurance coverage is in place for all train- ing activities. Importantly, the supervision of normal operations provided by duty pilots and safety officers is not considered training and our group insurance policy continues to cover these activities. As 2024 draws to a close, it is my privilege to reflect on what has been a great year for the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia (SAFA). This year, our community has achieved remarkable milestones, setting the bar high for the future of our sport and reinforcing the values that make sports aviation such a vibrant and rewarding pursuit.