SAFA Skysailor Magazine

73 SPRING 2025 | September-October-November SKY SAILOR water. PIC quickly exited their harness and then extracted the badly damaged wing. The ANSG https://siteguide.org.au/ Sites/Details/Warriewood entry for this coastal cliff site clearly states, ‘North-east. Does not tolerate too much deviation from straight on at launch before flying characteristics change.’ Pilots are advised to consult local pilots as well as the ANSG before flying sites in adverse conditions. #2111 – PG small tree landing, Qld/S The PIC was launching a tandem paraglider at Kings Beach on the Sunshine Coast (Qld/S), a south facing launch, with wind speed at approx. 13 to 15kt. The pilot launched the wing using the cobra method, with trimmers half open. On inflation, the wing wanted to fly forward, and the pilot was unable to stop the launch. Whilst airborne, the passenger pulled the trimmers in at PIC’s request to obtain better lift. PIC turned to the left to land to the east of launch on the small sand area. On turning to the west, the pilot found themselves being pushed sideways and backwards, and this resulted in landing in a tree. Pilot and passenger were unharmed and there was no damage to glider or harnesses. The glider was re- trieved from tree, and SSO and club were contacted to report the incident. The decision to fly is non-trivial, especially when taking a passenger. Check the conditions: wind strength and direction. If unsure, fly the site with a solo glider to assess suitability for tandem operations. Never fly when fatigued; this affects decisionmaking, reaction times, etc. When setting up the glider, double check everything – reserve, lines, harness, etc. In this instance, the pilot launched the wing with trimmers half open. This causes the glider to accelerate which can make it want to overshoot the pilot, it reduces its lift characteristics, and reduces the ability for the pilot to assess the strength and penetration when the glider is overhead. In this case, the wing accelerated forward, and PIC was unable to stop the launch with their brakes resulting in reduced lift. On such a small site, this can be problematic since the pilot must concentrate on controlling the glider, and has no time to pull trimmers in. That’s it for this issue folks. Fly safe.