SAFA Skysailor Magazine

19 May | June 2022 SKY SAILOR delightful – until it was all-consuming and I felt overpowered, out of control, and fear flew in. I managed to regain a sense of stability as I moved away from the cloud and found steady air again. My heart once again joined with my body and peace washed through me. I had done it. This is what it feels like! I got ‘high’ and it felt GREAT! You always remember your first time. It’s a wild, crazy ride and you’re just floundering your way through it, doing what you think feels right. Then a wave of overpowering emotion crescendos you into a new state of being that didn’t exist before. Then you want more! Second time around, I was ready – I knew how it felt, and I wanted to ride that wild air stallion to a glorious peak in the clouds. This time I would not be afraid, this time I would stay strong, stay high and go with the flow; rough and bumpy or smooth as silk – I was determined to take it to the top. I had launched at Mt Elliott, Corryong, and my goal was Khancoban. I was not overly confident in achieving this, but in the back of my mind I thought that if the right thermic chariot appeared, I would ride as high as I could, then set my sights on the horizon and find Khancoban. The moment you leave the safety of the ridge and strike out across the valley is its own mini-delight within the flight. Taking that leap feels so satisfying. I got ‘high’, now to go ‘far’. A patchwork quilt of every varied delightful emerald shade stretched out beneath me. The snaking river guided my path towards the deep, dark dam. The road, cars and houses so small beneath me. With the blue-grey Snowy Mountains as the majestic backdrop – how breathtaking can a scene be? My soul drank in the wonder of life, colour and glorious beauty abundant beneath me. Finally, the airstrip is below. I’ve made it! I’ve arrived and it was GREAT, just like they say, better than great – it was life changing. Left: Khancoban from the air Right: Cath lands with joy Photos: Rohan Taylor