The Management Committee of QSA

The people who make up the QSA Managment Committee are a diverse group of volunteers who represent the various clubs and diciplines of the Sport Aviation community of the South QLD region. We aim to improve and develop the sport for all Sports Aviation Federation of Australia (SAFA) members.

President – Stefanie Becker: I started flying sailplanes in Germany in 2001 and continued gliding here in Australia as a member of the GFA (now: GAus), flying in Southern Downs, Warwick, Western Australia and Victoria (Sportavia). I started paragliding in 2017, and now regularly fly at Wicked Wings, Sunshine Coast Free Flyers (SCFF) and Canungra sites. I’ve collected a few hats along the way: Secretary of Wicked Wings since 2020, Safety Officer for Wicked Wings since 2022 and SSO since 2024. I was invited to join the QSA management committee in 2022, and was elected Secretary of QSA in 2023, and President in 2024. I also served as Affiliate Director of S-QLD on the SAFA board for about a year and resigned in 2025, which gives me a bit more time to play with the clouds. 🙂

Secretary – Wayne Smith: Started in the sport 2017. Secretary QSA since 2024. Site maintenance enthusiast, launch comic relief, public entertainer and wind dummy. Committee member of Qld Sports Aviators Inc for 3 years, representing the Canungra Paragliding Club. Paraglider Pilot only. Fly whenever the thermals are cracking and my wonderful wife gives me a day pass 😊

Treasurer – Kent Gosden: Kent has been flying paragliders since 2010, powered paragliders (foot-launched and wheel-launched) since 2013 and weight-shift microlights since 2021. He became a committee member and then the Secretary of the Sunshine Coast Sports Aviators and subsequently the management committee of Sunshine Coast Freeflyers, and was also invited to become a member of QSA and now serves as Treasurer. Having managed his own business as a consulting engineer for 30 years, he is used to dealing with ‘paperwork’ and liaising with councils and state governments to obtain permits and approvals.

Committee Member – Peter Brindza President of Paradise Flyers Inc. Peter has been passionate about paramotoring since 2019 and currently serves as the president of Paradise Flyers Inc. With an insatiable love for flying, he’s in the air whenever the weather allows. Known for his approachable nature, Peter is always happy to answer questions about the sport and is dedicated to helping newcomers build confidence and develop their skills in the sky.

Committee Member – Terry Carroll: Started in the sport 2012. Secretary/Treasurer of Surf &Turf Flyers for 8 years. Safety Officer (PG & PPG) since 2017. Committee member of Qld Sports Aviators Inc for 4 years. Current PG4, PPG Foot Launch and Wheel-based Operations. I am in awe of the sport and fly whenever I can.

Committee Member – Matts Eliasson: Been flying PG since 2000. Has been a team pilot for 10 years. Am now retired from international competition flying. I live in Brisbane and I am a club member in CHGC and WW. I am on the QSA’s board as a SAFA representative.

Committee Member – Sonya Fardell: I’m the representative for the Wicked Wings Toowoomba and District Para/hang Gliding Club. I joined the club shortly after I started paragliding in 2007. At that time it was a very small club. We were excited if we had six people out on the hill on a good day! I became more involved with the club and was Secretary for many years. It’s so good to see how the club has grown and evolved over the years. So many members who put a lot of time and hard work into making the club a really effective group.

Committee Member – Paul Reilly: I started flying hang gliders in the early 80’s as a teenager, in Toowoomba with a great group of people in the Toowoomba Hang Gliding Club. More recently, I’ve been flying Weight Shift Microlights for close to ten years. I’ve been involved with a number of clubs as secretary (including QSA) and on their committees. I am an experienced investigator and have conducted investigations in relation to recreational aircraft incidents and have provided evidence during coronial matters. I continue to fly trikes and hang gliders and love both forms of flying.

Committee Member – Mike Zupanc: Started flying Hang Gliders in 1981. Flew and travelled intensively as a competiton pilot up to world Champiobship level, was a board member of SAFA (formerly, the HGFA) and was the chairman of the national competition committee, was the national representative to CIVL (the international governing body of HG/PG) and while there, was the chairman of the international competition committee, and also, chairman of the international rules committee. These days I do some aerotowing of hang gliders with the Dalby Hang Gliding Club and am also current with RAaus (Recreational Aviation Australia) and GAus (Gliding Australia).

In other news, the Teewah Airfield is under threat!

For those who travel along the Teewah Beach to Double Island Point, we wish to highlight that the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service intend to remove the Teewah Airfield located between Lake Cootharaba and the beach. This should raise serious concerns for everyone who lives and visits the area. The airfield is a critical asset enabling emergency evacuation for urgent medical cases, or in times of bush fire, cyclone or flood. This 79 years old grass airfield has been providing life-saving support to this isolated community for many years, and recently during the 2019 bushfires served as a staging area for the emergency services. At that time 13 fire-trucks and two helicopters utilised the airfield to come to the aid of the people at Teewah and the North Shore area. At that time, the emergency services had evacuated the population of Teewah who were standing on the beach and were terrified. This airfield also serves the same life saving purpose for visitors to the area. With such a life-saving asset it would be mad to close it, but that is the ill-considered plan of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
We ask you to please join with us and sign a petition on the Queensland Parliament website to retain the airfield using the link below, or go to Queensland Parliament E-Petitions. Thank you for your support.
https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=4260