March 2010

Newsletter & Roster

March 2010

             Date               Tow-pilot             Instructor       Instructor           Duty Pilot
             March 6         Gibson                  Hdw-Smith                                 Walker
                        8         McKay                  Hdw-Smith                                 Finer
                      13         Sharp                   Williams           Cook                   Hopkirk
                      14         Sharp                   Tullett              Cook                   Arden
                      20                                      Micro Light Fly In
                      21                                      Micro Light Fly In
                      27          McKay                 Williams                                      Engelbrecht
                      28          McKay                 Tullett                                         van der Elst
             April    3         Drummond           Hdw-Smith                                 Walker

Monday the 8th: New Member orientation from 1030hrs.

The month that was:
It has been one of the better ones with some good local flying and pilots keen to mix it with any thermal that happened. Feb. 6th started a bit low key but by the end of the day six gliders with nine occupants were soaring a cloud street swinging off the mountain. By the time we all landed there were some hastily amended “I’m leaving now dear” phone calls by pilots who should have been home and ready to go out for the evening. Peter Cook in his Libelle thought he was at Taupo. The Tullett K7, DN also having a good day. The next day was just as good with Richard Arden nearly nailing two hours in WZ. RWS was at Taupo for the Nationals for a fortnight. The first week was a washout so no towing for Jim McKay. Les Sharp had better fortune, doing nearly forty tows and having an hour in the Taupo Twin. JTA filled the gap on the 21st. Tim in the Discus did over three hours. Jim McKay re-soloed in JB. Les brought RWS back on the morning of the 27th and the day got better and better. Will Hopkirk landing just short of three hours but achieved the best height of the day of 5000ft. Nearly a silver gain of height too. The Discus covered 57km in one glide then 46km in another. Okay, okay there were some corners but See-you allowed it, so I’m happy with that. Two ASW 15’s from Norfolk came over to join in the flying and were picketed down outside the hangar for the night. Kevin Koch got his radio fixed and Clinton Steele covered a fair bit of territory. Also there, was Jamie Sheehan who is learning to fly and had a good flight in WZ with Peter Cook. Jim McKay just missed two hours in JB but was delighted with the experience. Way to go, Jim! Ivan Smith, whose trial flight had its origins in Nigeria, thoroughly enjoyed his flight with Tim in WZ. Iain Finer re-soloed in JB. Nice work Iain. A bit over two hours for Tim in the Discus, Steve Barham gave Debra a forty-minute flight in WZ and later, Peter Williams had an airline pilot (Brian Shaw) for company in WZ.
Good work all round, people.

Stats:
                   Aircraft                    Time                  Flights

                   WZ                          11hrs 55m         (19)
                   JB                           12hrs 24m         (25)
                   TE                             7hrs 45m         (11)
                  DN                                     32m            (2)
                  GH                              1hr 45m            (1)
                  XC                           11hrs 35m           (8)
                  IA                             2hrs 45m            (2)
                  KB                                     52m            (1)
                 JTA                              1hr 46m          (13)
                 RWS                            7hrs 3m           (56)
About 45 hours for the gliders during February. RWS did more time at Taupo.

KD and GN, picketed for the evening, were launched on the 28th and landed at Norfolk.

Micro-Lite Fly-in:

No flying at Stratford on the 20th/21st. The airfield will be packed and we are lending a hand on the day.
Flying Fees:

These are payable at the end of the day’s flying. A flight log sheet is available to help extricate the tow and glider fees to your name. Bank transfer is an option that can be arranged.. What we don’t want is fiscal drag.

You never can tell:

Brian Shaw who went for a flight in WZ with Peter Williams is a civilian instrument flying instructor at Ohakea. Has about 8000 hours and flies multi engine aircraft around Australia. Impressed with the Twin’s glide back to Stratford. And, at the end of the flight, he allowed he’d not worked so hard in a long time.

Te Kupenga Symposium 2010:

A very successful event this year and Andrea Connor was one of a dozen or more sculptors toiling away in the heat and sunshine. She produced two fine pieces which I understand, sold well. Nice one, Andrea.

New member Orientation:

We will try to organise a new member orientation day during which the background of the Taranaki Gliding Club will be related, how we do things, a talk about airfield/aircraft etiquette and no doubt a talk about gliding itself and the mysterious but gentle art of soaring. (See notice above)

Clean those wings:

As well as a pre-flight DI of the aircraft, the aircraft must be washed prior to taking to the launch point. As well as presentation, glider airfoils and particularly the fibreglass ones are very sensitive to dust and splattered bits of insects on the leading edge. There are buckets, sponge blocks and chamois cloths plus water available. Use them. The glider canopies however, demand particular care. Don’t use a dirty cloth and don’t use a scrubbing action. Clean soapy water and a gentle fore to aft action to avoid scratches. TE and WZ are probably overdue for a good wax and polish of wings and fuselage. And not to forget RWS. Cleaning the propeller regularly would be a canny move.

25 years back:
Four new members – Arthur Linney, Roger Fawcett, Varina Way and Charles Pickar (USA).
Auster having flooding problems with a faulty carburettor and a blown exhaust gasket on another occasion.
25 ATC cadets given gliding experience.
Louis Trichard and Bob Struthers at Benalla. Five hours and a Silver height in the first flight then a 300km Gold Distance and Diamond Goal the next day. Arrived back over the airfield at 7000ft! Bob missed out on his 500km Distance, the weather being not so good that particular day.

At photo centre, the Twin heads back to the airfield.


A Taranaki turn point. Dotted around our area are several well heads and occasionally, an active well site has a gas flare as a thermal source. Flying the Standard Astir NG out of German Hill nearly twenty years ago now, John Spence was the first to actively use a gas flare. The glider registration quite appropriate.

Norfolk visitor Kevin Koch ponders his chances of getting away. He did and got 52 minutes.


Tim in the Discus launching for the Raglan coast. Bernard Eckey running the wing. Makes a change from the rest of us peasants. Read the story in the latest issue of Soaring NZ. A stirring tale.



A Pawnee pow wow.  Aucland, Piako, Taranaki and Manawatu Pawnees tied down for the night at Taupo.

The PW5 Queue:

There has been over the past two or three years, a friendly rivalry as to who, out of two pilots, would get to fly the PW5. Many comments about “My PW5” or “Have you washed and D.I’d it yet?” Recently though, a third individual has launched in that aircraft and sequestered to himself, any thermal within useful range. Two recent solo pilots now have that aircraft in their sights and there are another couple not far behind. Not only that, we have some ab-initio pilots who will, post solo, also look to the PW5 as a legitimate reward for their endeavours. So, all of a sudden we have an increasing queue of PW5 hopefuls. This is a good thing, but one can imagine the consternation amongst those who had thought the PW5 was theirs and theirs alone. Our cartoonist has visualised a Hursthouse Road evening nightmare for one of the occupants of the dwelling high on the hill there.

Papa Mike.