SAFA Skysailor Magazine

28 SKY SAILOR September-October-November | SPRING 2026 SHODLOF is an annual mid-winter local flying tradition held at Widgee in SE Queensland to make the most of winter’s short days and light conditions. It was fantastic to see so many pilots having such great flights in 2026. This year introduced a bird-based handicap system, similar to Manilla’s scoring, to give developing pilots a better shot at troubling the usual winners: Wedgie (PG5) received no multiplier, Magpie (PG3/4) received 1.5 times the points, and Bin Chicken (PG2) received triple points. The weekend forecast was for light winds under blue skies, and the morning trace showed no significant inversions. While the sun worked hard to release the first strong thermals, no one seemed to be in a hurry to test them. Before too long, Bin Chicken Squad member Brodie ‘Brooding Chook’ Thies- field took on the challenge of launching first – and landing first. Every epic XC starts with a safe launch and ends with a safe landing and it was great to see the enthusi- astic Bin Chooks nailing both. SHODLOF – Shortest Day, Longest Flight by Hammed Malik