SAFA Skysailor Magazine

52 SKY SAILOR June-July-August | WINTER 2026 AIRS Safety Wrap-up – Winter 2026 by Iain Clarke – SAFA Safety Manager Greetings fellow pilots. Last issue I was preparing for a trip to Gaffs. That day did not go well for one of our pilots… Unfortunately, Gaffs blew out, the non- preferred outcome of a 50/50 bet. The three of us had seen a couple of our members drive into the LZ after a long drive from the NW Coast, then head to Lemon Hill once they saw the conditions up on launch: strong and gusting winds. A posse of our southern pilots had already headed to Lemon, where the weather station readings looked more favourable. Steve launched at Gaffs and landed soon after reporting it was not nice. Riley managed to get into the air, but almost immediately headed to the LZ with a similar report of ugly air. I barely managed to get my wing out of its bag before I called it and packed away again. The three of us then headed to Lemon to find one of our friends from the NW had been taken to hospital in Launceston with some serious damage to his right leg, and destroyed his harness after being dragged through rough, jagged, rocky ground, following a failed launch. Fatigue, frustration and impatience make for a dangerous combination, do not support good decision-making, and need to be recognised when evident. Ignoring these states in yourself can be perilous, as our friend found out, and belatedly acknowledged. Thankfully he’s mended well and is out ground-handling again. Another member wrote to me recently about an issue experienced with a 2015 harness. The pilot had to apply speedbar during coastal flying, when this occurred: