The Bill Moyes Flight of the Year Award

In memory of Bill Moyes, founder of Moyes Gliders, we're proud to honour the most inspiring hang gliding stories from around the world. Whether it’s a flight that left you in awe, brought a deep sense of accomplishment, or created an unforgettable moment — we want to hear your story.

Congratulations to our April winner, Tony Cross!

Tony’s flight was a memorable one—something he’d had on his bucket list for a while. Taking off from near his hometown of Adelaide, South Australia, he was able to fly over the crystal clear waters of St Vincent Gulf on a day with ideal conditions.

What made the flight a standout was a 300 km convergence line that enabled him to cover the distance using only a handful of well-placed thermals.

It was one of those rare flights where everything lined up: the weather, the air, and the opportunity. For Tony, it was a great reminder of why he flies—and a day he won’t forget any time soon.

Here is his story:

Bucket List Convergence flight

By Tony Cross

Convergence Flying South Australia

Hang gliding is one of those sports where every flight is different. For me, this particular day in South Australia turned out to be one of those magical "right place, right time" moments that I’ll never forget. It wasn't a record-breaking flight, but the day unfolded with a perfect opportunity to tick another flight off the bucket list.

It all started when the SA team gathered for a practice tow day. The goal was to fine-tune everything before the next weekend’s event at Birchip. The forecast didn’t scream "epic conditions," but I’d been checking Skysight the night before and noticed a predicted convergence line that ran North up along the Flinders Ranges toward Port Augusta and South along the Hummocks Range continuing on to the Southern end of York Peninsula. We were going to be towing at Koolunga which would be within glide of the predicted convergence at top end of the Hummocks Range. While it wasn’t as strong as some I’ve seen, I knew it was worth keeping an eye on. And when it came time to take flight, everything seemed to fall into place.

Launching into the Skies

Andrew Taylor towed up Keith Lavers first, and halfway up the strip, Keith pinged off low into a thermal that he scratched in at the start, but as usual with Keith he made the most of it and was soon out of sight. Now, it was my turn. I towed up with not a lot of lift on tow. Luckily I got a low save back at the cars. The first 2,000 feet were slow and broken—there were some really patchy areas—but once I cleared that, the climb was solid. During the climb the convergence line became obvious with a definite line of clouds running North South along the ranges. Keith had already topped out earlier and was on his way South.
I made the call to pull out at 8500’ and head toward the line of clouds forming over the ranges north of Snowtown. Once there, the convergence was strong and I found I could easily maintain height.

The Glide

The first stretch of the glide was a smooth, fast 44km flight in solid convergence.
By the time I reached South Hummocks, the convergence had started to wane. Here I took my second thermal for the flight to top up as the clouds ahead were thinning out. But the line of convergence was still visible, stretching toward the top of the gulf and down the coast. Some sections of the cloud line stretched over the water, which had me a bit concerned.

I called Andrew to voice my worries, but his response was simple: “You’ll just have to man up” he said.

Out to Sea and Back Again

The flight down the coast was still in convergence, but the lift was weaker, and I had to engage with some thermals to stay afloat. There was a section of the flight that had me circling over the ocean, but I was never far from a landing spot. Fortunately, the lift line shifted inland near Black Point putting me back over land and around a step-down point for Adelaide airspace.

I got one last thermal inland from Port Vincent, thanks to a resident eagle, which took me to about 6,500 feet. From there I had a very buoyant glide, still with a convergence influence for around 40km to the south of Yorktown making the flight 175km with the assistance of what was probably a 300km convergence line.

A Day of Serendipity

One of the highlights of the day was crossing paths with Keith Lavers, who had flown his Malibu to Port Clinton and circled down to get a meal. Unfortunately, when he walked into town, the shop was closed—classic! We both had epic flights, though we didn’t spot each other along the way.
Another highlight was getting picked up by Graham Lang who was still on a high from flying. He had gotten away later in the day in his Malibu. He had also circled down for a feed from great height. Luckily his shop was open!

It’s moments like these that remind me of the unique experiences this sport offers. Each flight is its own adventure, and no two are ever exactly the same.
Unfortunately not all of the team got a chance to get away that day.
But that’s hang gliding. It’s all about embracing the unpredictable, savouring the good times, and knowing there will always be another chance to chase that perfect day.

Huge thanks to the SA team for making the day possible and sorting out retrieves on a day when no one had really planned to fly away.

A bit about Tony Cross

My hometown is Clare, located about an hour and a half’s drive north of Adelaide.

I first got into flying in 1989 when I did a three-day course with my brother-in-law, Roger Pyrke, along with Richard, Dave, and Judy from Adelaide Airsports. After that, I didn’t fly again until a couple of years later, when Steve Blenkinsop landed in Clare. He introduced us to Kevin Cowie, who was instructing at the time. Kev taught us to fly, and I’ve been flying fairly consistently ever since, with a short break while my kids were young.

I started competing locally in the 1990s, and my first major competition was the Bogong Cup in 1998. My next big comp was at Corryong in 2011.

I’ve also had the opportunity to compete internationally, including events in New Zealand and at the European Championships at Monte Cucco in Italy.

How to Enter:

• Write about your most inspiring flight (minimum 250 words).
• Include photos or videos to bring your story to life.
• Submit via the Dropbox link below:
• https://www.dropbox.com/request/hYqCEArKJSzSjaS2qcYK
• or email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  Note: Your flight must have taken place in this calendar year.

Prizes:

• Monthly winners will receive a $200 voucher and entry into the grand final.
• The grand final winner will get a $1000 voucher and their name engraved on the Bill Moyes Flight of the Year trophy!
• The winners will be chosen by the Moyes family. The monthly winners will be announced in the first week of each month, and the grand final winner will be revealed in January.

We can’t wait to see your stories! Fly high, share your journey, and celebrate the spirit of flight with us!