Safety

Emergency and Safety Information

 

  • You can call search and rescue direct on 0508 ACCIDENT (0508 222433).  In the vast majority of cases, this is your fastest way to get help.
  • As in an any emergency you can always dial 111 to get help.  Unless you are in an urban setting where you have a street address ask for police to activate search and rescue.  
  • You will not be charged for emergency call outs for rescue or medical treatment for any injuries from an accident. It’s covered by ACC 

For more information, read this document Emergency – who to call 

  • Check weather forecasts. Our conditions change fast.
  • New Zealand has many remote areas that are not serviced by roads or cell phone networks. Carry an emergency beacon or satellite tracker.
  • Make sure you have good maps or download offline maps to your phone.
  • Know how to give your location to rescuers.

 

Reporting Accidents and Incidents

There is no shame or blame in having an accident, near miss or incident.

Accidents, incidents and near misses should be reported through the NZHGPA Accident and Incident Reporting System (AIRS). You can fill out an AIRS report by clicking the red button below.

Pilots are required to fill in an AIRS report within 10 days of an accident and 14 days of an incident. If you are unsure what to do, ask your Club Safety Officer for guidance. See below for our list of Club Safety Officers.

AIRS reports are covered by Just Culture, a legal framework designed to protect pilots who submit reports. Just Culture means the information provided cannot be used for investigation or disciplinary action unless the pilot has deliberately falsified information in the report or has unnecessarily endangered other people or propertyInstead, the information collected in the AIRS is used for statistical analysis and to inform the NZHGPA’s safety policies. You can read more about your protections under Just Culture here.

AIRS reports will be stored on NZHGPA and CAA databases. Anonymised versions are publicly available to be read here, in the interests of transparency and learning.

If you would like to provide information on an incident or accident you witnessed, please fill out the Witness Report by clicking the orange button below. These reports are stored in an NZHGPA database and are not publicly available.

For all you data nerds who want to do a deep dive into our accident and incident statistics, check out the interactive real-time live AIRS Hub (Accident & Incident Database) by clicking the blue button below.

If you need support

After an accident or incident, it can be a difficult time for those directly affected, a family member, a witness to an event, the first person on the scene and so on. The following organisations are here to help, offering free practical and emotional support to anyone that feels affected and or unable to talk it through with family, friends or fellow pilots;

Victim Support  specialise in helping with trauma (pdf),  flashbacks (pdf) and grief . Call 24/7 on 0800 842 846.

Skylight  specialises in helping people going through grief, loss and trauma. Their number is 0800 299 100 or 04 939 6767.

Safety Notices

Paragliding and hang gliding are incredibly thrilling and safety is paramount to the success of these sports in New Zealand.  Here, you will find links to official  safety notices released by equipment manufacturers and DHV.

NZHGPA also now have an Equipment Defect form.  This is for reporting defects such as incorrectly fitted safety equipment, unrated or damaged hardware,  or unacceptable repairs.  This information will go to the NZHGPA Safety team for follow up.

 Safety Officers

NZHGPA National Safety Officer:

Nina Harrap

Phone: 027 844 3904

Affiliated Club Safety Officers:

Northland:

HG : Herman Ahrens – 09 432 9333

PG: Wolfgang Harder – 09 403 7594

Auckland:

HG: John Burton – 09 528 3362

PG: Elliot Revell-Nash – 021 0615 119

Wellington:

HG: Grant Tatham – 027 636 3491

PG: Irwin Imhoff – 022 087 2173

Aorangi:

HG : Tom Knewstubb – 027 289 6103

PG: Alex Tups – 021 172 0848

Waikato:

HG: Rick Hawkeswood – 021 682 766

PG:  Peter Jones 027 273 8375

Tasman:

HG: Mark Patton – 021 619 279

PG: Steve O’Shaughnessy

Marlborough:

HG: John Urlich – 03 577 8886

PG: Hamish Reid – 027 451 1550

Canterbury & West Coast:

HG: Warren Simonsen – 021 183 2126

PG: Simon Harris – 027 435 6754

West Coast: Nick Bain – 021 473 565

Bay of Plenty:

PG/HG: Phill Southward – 027 274 3689

Hawkes Bay:

HG: Ross MacKay – 027 285 4195

Taranaki HG: Dave Austin – 021 0283 6797

PG: Shane Davies – 027 870 6000

Taranaki PG: John H. Morgan – 06 759 4262

Southern:

HG: Pete Helliwell – 021 0284 5170

PG: Bradley Franks027 2307 219

 

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