SAFA Skysailor Magazine

26 SKY SAILOR September-October-November | SPRING 2025 Shane Tighe – First Aussie to finish at the Red Bull X-Alps In June this year, Shane Tighe became the first Australian ever to complete the Red Bull X-Alps – a 1200km hike & fly race across the Alps that pushes pilots to their physical and mental limits. We spoke to Shane about the highs, lows, and hard lessons from a race that demands everything you’ve got. Since finishing, what’s the question you get most frequently? ‘How was my recovery?’ Physically, I was alright, but the lack of sleep really caught up with me. My watch said I averaged about three and a half hours a night in the first week. In slow, scratchy air I’d actually