SAFA SkySailor Magazine

12 SKY SAILOR March | April 2024 The Festival of Fabric Flying (FoFF) 2024 by Nick Bishop Whoever said ‘never say never again’ clearly wasn’t part of the FoFF crew. Back from a hiatus, we’re back in action with a brand-new edition of what was once XCamp, now re-branded as the ‘Festival of Flying Fabric’. And where else to kick off this airborne extravaganza but the legendary Gaffs Hill, Tasmania? Chris and Clare, the gracious property owners, kindly agreed to host the FoFF and rolled out the welcome mat as pilots started arriving on Friday morning. The FoFF Base camp sprang up in no time, thanks to ‘Clarke Kent Events’ leading the pack and setting up the infrastructure. First on the agenda: the Stripeydog – Travestie Bar (I’ll explain later) and the sur- rounding tents. A generous donation from pilot Whisky Will (Bill McHenry of McHenry’s distillery) ensured that the libations were on ice, while Iain wielded his mix master tools and a mountain of limes in preparation for the sunset shindig. Pilots trickled in through- out the day, including a visitor from sunny Queensland. Initial flights were a bit lackluster, with pilots dodging a local wedge-tail eagle who seemed to take offence to the colour blue invading his airspace. As the workday wound down, pilots landed and those of us who were stuck in zoom calls or grappling with our newfound ‘real’ jobs (Jason) packed up and headed to the Ross Hotel. The whole gang convened for a meal and some good-natured banter. Stripeydog snagged the bar raffle prize, a $30 bar tab, but graciously passed it to a couple enjoying their dinner, knowing that our flying day was far from over.