Air Force flying instructor Flight Lieutenant Victor Hare had a unique introduction to flying as a young child, becoming captivated while watching his parents take hang gliding lessons.
He couldn't wait to try it too.
After meeting the minimum weight requirement at age 12, Flight Lieutenant Hare finally tried his hand at what would one day become a lifelong passion - with some of his first flights taking place at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, the iconic first-flight location of the Wright Brothers.
In 1991, Flight Lieutenant Hare joined the United States Navy as an F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer. While his passion for hang gliding was sidelined for a while, it was reinvigorated after he immigrated to Australia and joined the Royal Australian Air Force.
But after a few disappointing years of not advancing in the sport he loved, Flight Lieutenant Hare was ready to hang up his boots.
"My entire competition career has been a story of perseverance and determination," he said.
"Put simply, I have never been a natural pilot."
Following a conversation with his hang gliding coach, who pointed out to him that grit and determination set him apart from many others, Flight Lieutenant Hare decided against quitting.
This advice changed Flight Lieutenant Hare's perspective, and he ultimately qualified for the Australian Hang Gliding Team and went on to compete in world championship events.
'Students who can mentally frame setbacks for what they are - learning opportunities - [are able to] extract lessons from these and calmly move on to succeed.'
Now a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) with 79 Squadron at RAAF Base Pearce, Flight Lieutenant Hare dedicates most of his free time to participating in state, national and international hang gliding competitions.
He now applies the same philosophy of determination to his trainee pilots.
"As a long-time QFI, I've seen it time and again. Students who can mentally frame setbacks for what they are - learning opportunities - [are able to] extract lessons from these and calmly move on to succeed," he said.
Flight Lieutenant Hare recently participated in the 2025 FAI World Hang Gliding Championships in Spain, and said the Australian team was one of the strongest in the world.
"After 10 years of trying, I finally qualified for the team to compete in the 2025 championships in Ager, Spain," he said.
They secured a silver medal, with Flight Lieutenant Hare the highest-scoring Australian on the first day of competition.
"I was stoked to have contributed to my team's overall score and so proud to stand on the podium as an Aussie," he said.
In addition to his team's success at the world championships, Flight Lieutenant Hare holds several individual records. These include speed around triangular courses of 100km, the Western Australian longest flight record of 344km and distance to declared goal record of 256km.
