Welcome to an exciting new season of summer flying!

HGFA Membership

Due to a lower than expected NSW HGFA membership renewals, all club executives and Site Safety Officers are encouraged to check that pilots at their respective flying sites are financial members. Pilots are requested to carry their HGFA membership card at all times. Remember, your support in this matter directly contributes to the longevity of our sport, the financial support and clinic subsidies the NSWHPA can continue to provide and the number of sites we can secure through landowner agreements resulting in pilots flying for free at Club sites throughout NSW. 

Competition Pilot Support

NSWHPA provides financial support to elite NSW pilots competing outside of Australia. The limits of our funding across an impressive number of world competitions means this support will only be available to NSW pilots nominated by the HGFA Competition Committee as an Australian representative team member.

Exciting XC Clinics over Summer

The HGFA generously provided funds for the NSWHPA to support various clubs organising five XC clinics this season. The program was launched by a successful XC Development Clinic run at Forbes over the October long weekend that attracted 12 NSW pilots  (& one from the ACT) who flew 2 days out of the 4 available days. Their achievements included completing an FAI triangle, two XC tasks plus studying theory on their non-fly days. Stand-by for the announcement of more XC clinics being planned over this summer.

Pilot Safety

Due to the inherent risks associated with the air sports we love, the threat of injury is a very real possibility. Further training in emergency procedures can assist with harm minimisation in specific circumstances. 

A great article in the May/June 2018 issue of HGFA Skysailor reviewed the effectiveness of Personal Locator Beacons in offering a last line of defence to mortal injury. Such devices can save valuable time in a Search and Rescue scenario, by promptly identifying the pilot’s location in an otherwise expansive search area, possibly reducing the severity of illness or injury to the accident victim while mitigating hazards to the rescuers and costs to the tax payer.

Helping in an emergency? 

While being the first on site can make the world of difference to an accident victim, the NSWHPA would like to remind pilots coming to the aid, and/or providing initial assistance in an emergency that they are required by law to abide by instructions given to them by emergency and rescue personnel as soon as they arrive at the scene.