SAFA Skysailor Magazine

64 SKY SAILOR June-July-August | WINTER 2025 The pilot’s own ‘lessons learned’ are worth repeating in full here: • When I left the thermal to return to launch, I was concentrating on other gliders, where I might find lift, etc. I was not looking at the clouds directly above or in front of me. When I encountered strong lift, I was surprised that I was suddenly at cloudbase and into the cloud. Constant 360 observations are essential. • I was really concerned about getting into the cloud and my haste to get away from it may have contributed to the canopy being unsettled. • Do not rush into big ears, make sure you are settled and balanced before pulling down. • Perhaps my reserve throw could have been better and avoided the spinning canopy, but at the time I did not have the bandwidth to be that analytical. • Was the day too strong? No, it was a bit bumpy but safe to fly. However, being more cloud aware is essential. • When trying to pull the wing tip in, I had hold of a couple of lines. It would have been easier if I had concentrated on pulling in one line only. With thick gloves it was hard to get purchase on the lines. But that was better than trying to do it bare handed. Finally, do not delay the decision to throw the reserve, unless you have a lot of altitude to play with in attempting to resolve an undesirable aircraft state (UAS). And always be prepared to exercise a parachute landing fall (PLF). #2033 – PG eagle conflict, NSW PIC was flying their EN-C paraglider at 4700ft (1430m) AMSL, near Baan Baa (NSW), on a flight originating from Mt Borah. They were set upon by a pair of wedge-tailed eagles, and the upper surface of their new wing sustained significant AIRS Safety Wrap-up