SAFA Skysailor Magazine

36 SKY SAILOR March | April 2022 A pilot’s story: Girlfriends & the gaggle As members of the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia we all have a passion for flying, and reasons we continue to soar to great heights year after year, no matter what challenges are thrown our way. COVID has presented some real challenges over the last two years, and at times it has been a struggle to continue practising the sport we love. We spoke to paragliding pilot Catherine McMillan and Women With Wings (WwW) member about what has helped her overcome the obstacles she has faced since 2020 to continue her passion for flying. Like many of us, Catherine is blessed to have a friend in her life who has known all her happiness, sadness, secrets, joy, sorrow, struggles and triumphs since they were kids. Catherine attributes her determination to her ‘flying sister’ Karen Waller and the WwW group who have helped continue to challenge, support and inspire her. At the end of 2019, Catherine sold her business and signed up for her PG course, however, COVID hit soon after and Catherine became ill, which meant her flying was quickly put on hold. “I was free, cashed-up and oh so happy when I sold my business,” she explained. “Because of the aforementioned fabulous friend and a few free tandem flights, I signed up for my PG course and everything was bright, bliss- ful and full of light… but then 2020 happened.” “2020 was challenging for most of us, but for me, it was one of the worst years of my life.” Along with not being able to fly, Catherine’s health crumbled and she admits that her joy for not only flying, but for life was gone. She endured two surgeries and four blood transfusion in December 2020, but as she recovered, she could see and feel a light at the end of the tunnel. “As my health returned, so too did my energy and enthusiasm,” Catherine said. “My best friend began talking about getting me back into the air and she was insistent I come to Manilla for the State of Origin competition in April. “Trusting in her guidance, I signed up and didn’t think much more about it until a few days prior to the event when the Packing List arrived and I was shocked and horrified to see nappies and sea sickness tablets were prominent on the list,” she added. “I had no idea I was going to be flying for hours at a time cross-country in a fun competition where the whole object was to get low airtime pilots teamed up with more experienced pilots to get us up and away into long, fantastic flights!”