SAFA Skysailor Magazine

37 November | December 2022 SKY SAILOR Pilots are advised to: 1. Maintain good clearance from terrain, more so over cleared areas especially, and 2. If low airtime/out of practice, consider carefully whether to launch once thermic activity has strengthened (maybe wait until later in the day when conditions settle). Now to this edition’s learnings, and we’ll head out west first… #1520 – PG at Quinns Beach, WA PIC was flying their EN-A paraglider at Quinns Rocks, a northern coastal suburb of Perth (WA). Live readings of wind conditions indicated the wind gusting 10-22kt throughout the day, but settling down later in the af- ternoon – winter frontal flying conditions. The pilot was hit by a gust front, blown over the back of the dune, and over the road behind. PIC landed in a tree and then fell, impacting, and damaging a garage door on the property. Significant injuries resulted – five fractured vertebrae, soft tissue bruising and oedema, thankfully with no long-lasting damage. The pilot is extremely experienced, having started hang gliding in the 1970s and currently holding PG4 qualifications. This occurred during one of the unusually violent fronts that hit the west coast last year (2021). Pilots had not been getting much flying and social media had plenty of chatter about how keen everyone was for a fly. In some ways, the PIC was unlucky, as others flew that day without incident. However, it is pretty clear Human Factors Air (the environment) -Man (I’m safe) -Ship (the aircraft) I’M SAFE Illness? Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness or disorder? Medication and other drugs? Have I been taking or mixing prescription, over-the-counter or recreational drugs? Stress? Am I under psychological pressure from my job or personal circumstances? Am I worried about financial matters, health problems or family matter? Alcohol? Have I been consuming alcohol within the previous eight hours? Is my blood alcohol level less than 0.02? Would my average alcohol consumption be greater than ‘very low risk’? Fatigue? Am I tired or inadequately rested? Eating and Drinking? Am I adequately nourished and hydrated?