Cross Country Issue 263: February 2026

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Get out and fly

The new year arrives with a promise of new ambitions, horizons and expectations. We can put last year’s flying year to bed and look towards the next. 

For many it will be a time to regroup, re-think and re-commit. For others it will be a time to dive into a new world as they head off to Mexico, Colombia, South Africa… 

For those in the southern hemisphere the season is in full bore, the long days, long distance and big commitment of flying in Manilla or Wilderness putting all the skills to the test. Talk of dust devils and 200km flights, pushing for 300 on the best days for the best pilots, learning about flatlands, gaggle flying, dealing with overdevelopment, gliding into the sunset. In the mountains of New Zealand they’ll be plotting out triangles and vol-biv adventures, watching the weather and waiting to grab the perfect day.

On the not so perfect days, it’s a chance to try out parakiting in the strong wind at the beach, swapping big wing for small, going barefoot and dragging toes through the sand.

For those in the north it’s time to shake off the winter blues with a blast of blue sky and winter sunshine in near freezing temperatures, or an opportunity to skin up on skis and fly down, or finally do that speedriding course you’ve promised yourself. Can you really carve your way down through the snowclad mountains like a snow leopard leaping from boulder to boulder?

Yes is the answer, you can, but it will take time, effort and hard work. Like everything we do nothing comes easy, you have to put in the hours, make those goals, set out a path, clear everything else off it, and then set off down it, a step at a time. 

If you are a pilot there is no month or season when flying can not be part of your life or routine. No reason to let those skills start to rust up, or that glider gather dust. 

Wherever you are and whatever stage you are at in your flying journey, this time of year is perfect for that sort of thinking. “Where do you want to be this time next year? What do you want to have achieved with your flying?” 

Write the answer to that down and stick it to your fridge. Now get your gear ready and go out and fly! 

Ed Ewing, editor

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