SAFA Skysailor Magazine

13 WINTER 2026 | June-July-August SKY SAILOR wide, welcoming expanse of green, but as you approach it from a mile up, it looks deceptively small. The pilots must bleed off altitude in a series of calculated turns, watching the windsock to ensure they touch down into the breeze. The final flare, pulling the brakes down hard just before the feet touch the grass, is the climax of the journey. When done correctly, the pilot steps onto the earth as lightly as if they were stepping off a curb. The elation in the landing zone is con- tagious – high-fives, hugs, and the frantic folding of wings. Pilots who were strangers on Friday, by Sunday are bound together by the shared experience of the sky. As the sun sets over the valley, casting long, bruised purple shadows across the Victorian Alps, the action shifts back to the campgrounds and riverbank. Fires are relit, Safety Officers and volunteers finally sit down, their faces lined with the fatigue of a job well done. The success of the Corryong Easter event is a testament to the club’s culture of safety and mentorship. To facilitate 600 flights with no serious incidents is no small feat. It requires a level of discipline that belies the laid-back image of the sport. The 14 Safety Officers, the volunteer drivers, and many others are the pillars upon which these dreams are built. As the final retrieval vehicles pull into camp and the 600th flight is logged, the mountain stands silent again. But the air above Corryong still holds the echoes of those wings. For the 90 pilots who braved Mt Elliot this Easter, the world will never look quite the same again. They have seen the curve of the earth, felt the pulse of the sun, and conquered the ‘scary thing’. As a PG4, I still get all the same feelings, however, writing about paragliding is like trying to describe a colour to someone who has only ever seen black and white. It is a sport of the senses. If you found your- self around Corryong at Easter and looked up, you would have seen the dreamers, and if you’re brave enough next year, you might just find yourself among them. Our pilots this year have learned that to truly live, sometimes you just have to run towards the edge. Photos: Bruce Agnew