December 2009

  Date      Tow pilot       Instructor      Instructor        Duty pilot
Dec. 13   Drummon      Tullett                                      Arden
        19   Sharp             Tullett                                     Skene
        20   Sharp             Tullett                                     Skene
        27   McKay            Williams                                  Mclaughlan
Jan.   2    McKay            Tullett                                     Walker
          3   McKay            Tullett                                      Walker
          9   Drummond     Hdw-Smith                              Arden
       10   Drummond      Hdw-Smith                              Arden
       16   Sharp              Tullett                                      Skene
       17   Sharp              Tullett                                      Barham
       23   Gibson             Williams                                   Hopkirk
       24   McKay             Williams                                   Hopkirk
       30   Gibson             Williams                                   Jackson
       31   McKay             Williams                                   Barham

The above roster takes us right through until end of January 2110 with provision to cover either or both days of the weekend. Please note these on your calendar. Arrange your replacement if you cannot be there. It may well be that we can fly mid-week at times.

The month that was:

It has been a bit variable with a few days being blown out but quite good at times. I think I made at least one wrong call but “them’s the breaks”. The highlights for club members would be those who went to the instructor’s course at Matamata followed by the cross-country course there a bit later and the epic coastal dash. (Tim’s story in this newsletter). And the FRTO course at the NP Aero Club led by Daniel Phillips. Two from Norfolk Aviation Sports and eight from TGC took part.
The instructor’s panel met recently and discussed the report of the Matamata course and things we might need to address. Steve Barham has been invited to join the instructor panel and Richard Arden to sit in on proceedings.

New members:

Welcome to Kieran McLaughlan and Andre van der Elst who have joined our ranks. The PW5 “rights preservation society” may have some challengers!

Rhonadler K7 GDN:

It may have been mentioned before, but John Tullett has purchased this aircraft and it is now rigged and in the hangar. We had thought it could have been sold to a buyer from the States but the trailer’s cylindrical shape might well have been mistaken for an ICBM and not allowed into the country. The Americans not into Trojan horses very much these days.

Distance record:

2501 kilometres around three turn-points on Sunday 13th December by Terry Delore and Jon Kokshoorn in Terry’s ASH 25 quite rightly got the attention it deserved. A splendid exploit by a soaring master. The account of a near disaster some time previously when the glider ailerons froze up also highlighted his expertise in handling an untoward event.

Michael Dekker:

We were shocked to learn of the death of Michael Dekker in a gliding accident as he began a 1000km distance flight from Omaka airfield. Michael had only recently taken on the role of GNZ National Operations Officer. We have lost a fine person just as he began to contribute his talents to the gliding movement throughout the country.

Taranaki Flight Tech:

Chris Wishnowsky has sold his interest in the firm to Gareth Semmenoff with Dave Boyd coming into the firm as Business Manager. Chris remains with the firm as Chief Engineer and Paul Muller contracts to the company for ARA compliance matters and also glider inspections.

We have paid the remainder of the account for work on RWS last August with member loans and monies on hand. The airframe corrosion repair which Paul had undertaken to make good at that time remains un-addressed.

Flight Radio Telephony Operator Course:

FRTO to you. The course concluded, the exam sat and all have passed. Congratulations to all of us. Six from TGC and two from Norfolk Aviation Sports. Many thanks to Daniel Phillips for looking after us. There remain two to sit the exam at a later date.

Christmas Party:

Thanks to Sue and Tim Hardwick-Smith for hosting this. By all accounts, it went off very well, and after a useful day’s flying too.



2009 Matamata Cross-Country Course:

This was attended by Tim and Steve and was of great value to them both. Tim’s account of the low-level thrash up the coast from Raglan to Muriwai and return well describes this epic event. Though I wonder if it should be described as a cross-water O&R.

Tim's Story:

Steve and I booked ourselves in for the two cross country courses – Steve the basic and me the advanced. I took the Discus (thanks Peter) and Steve the PW5.
There were 9 of us on our course. Steve Wallace from Whenuapai organised our course and set the tasks each day. Bernard Eckey (book writer, Australian national gliding coach and also Australasian agent for Schleicher gliders) gave us lectures each morning. On our course were Tim Bromhead flying the Piako Discus, Martin Lindley from Martinborough flying his Phoebus, Bob Gray (Piako CFI) flying his DG100, Nelson Badger from Piako with his LS1f, Steve Wallace with his Mosquito, Bill Mace with his Lak and Bernard flying Brett Hunters Discus 2. Also Edward Devonoges with his PW5 who flew some days and Robin Britton who didn’t fly.





Back: Nelson,Tim Bromhead
Front: Steve, Bernard, Bob, Tim H-S. (Bill Mace on tow from Mta.)

Bernard gave excellent lectures each morning on subjects ranging from how to stay relaxed on long flights to meteorological navigation. He also analysed our traces from the previous day. Bernard owns an ASH25 near Adelaide and had just flown a 1200km triangle in it.
Monday: Steve set a task to the south in doubtful weather, the first turn point being the spud patch near Hinuera and then others further south. After release I thermalled with Martin getting to 2800ft which was high enough to get a final glide into the spud patch which I started but found another good thermal over Matamata so got the spud patch turn point. Conditions weren’t looking too flash further south so I drifted back onto the ridge and did some ridge flying before heading home.
Tuesday: Task today was to go north to turn point out from the ridge just north of Paeroa. The ridge was working with thermals but thermals out on the flat died away so the 5km circle around that turn point was increased to 10km so it was only a short glide out to get it. Then back down the ridge to Tirau. By this time things were blued out so I poked out from the ridge towards Tirau and found weak wave which I took to 4500ft to the top of the airspace and then pushed forward to the next wave through the sink. It was about this time that it was becoming obvious that there was a problem with Martin who had reported being low then could not be raised on the radio. So I got Tirau and then flew straight back to Matamata. Bob Gray also used those waves and pushed onto the next turn point of Arapuni but then landed out at the spud patch on the way back. Steve caught another wave further back and climbed high getting clearance from Christchurch Control and got Tirau before zooming back to Matamata with a groundspeed of about 280km/h. It was with some relief that we learned that Martin was in hospital with a broken arm and crushed vertebrae (no nerve damage) – it could have been a lot worse. Sadly his beautiful Pheobus was written off. We speculated that he had made a bad paddock choice trying to land a paddock with humps and hollows but when Robin visited him he told her that he was in the process of recovering from a spin. He was very lucky.
Wednesday: We were feeling a little down but soon got back into it. Task today was to go north to a turn point north of the swamp. This meant using the swamp monster thermal that comes off Finns corner. I stayed high on the ridge so got out to Finns corner easily unlike the locals who zoomed off low and fast to catch a thermal over a Quarry at the end of the ridge just south of Paeroa which wasn’t working. As a result I watched Bob land out again. On the way back I went through some wave so since I could hear that the locals weren’t having much luck pushing out from the south end of the ridge I pushed out opposite Matamata to see if I could find the wave again and if I couldn’t land back at Matamata -which is what happened. We de-rigged ready to go to Raglan.
Steve had a good flight today – he found a good land out paddock beyond gliding distance of Matamata. He told me he became so fixated with it that he nearly had to land on it but managed to climb away and get home. He thought he had done better than the other PW5 flyers.
Thursday: Left the airfield at 7.30 by road to meet with five others at Raglan where we rigged and gridded for a launch. Peter Miller turned up to see how we were getting and was probably relieved to see his glider still in one piece. The towplane arrived, towing Bill Mace and the Lak. Steve briefed us and we all took 800ft launches before diving for the coast. We all set off north together – Steve, Bill, Bob, Nelson, Bernard and two Tims. Someone commented that this was actually quite fun when you stop shaking.


The grid. Steve Wallace’s Mosquito at the head.




We were flying at between a 100 and 500 ft maintaining about 70-80 knots. Six gliders as seen by Bernard Eckey in his Discus 2.


And that’s what it looked like. Ed.

The gliders were a Mosquito, an LS1f, a DG100, the LAK, two Discus b’s and a Discus 2. The Discus 2 was the only glider that stood out performance wise and Bernard used it to stay high and as safe as possible. We had to cross the Waikato and the Manakau heads and I was able to climb to about 1300 ft before crossing and arrived at about 700ft. There was no lift but the good thing was there wasn’t any sink either.
Crossing the Manukau.

On the way home.



Muriwai Gannet Colony.

We turned around at Muriwai beach 110km from Raglan. After crossing back over the Waikato we could see rain ahead so we had to wait about 25 minutes for it to clear. The radio chatter went a bit quiet here, as the Waikato sand bar wasn’t looking all that attractive for a mass land-out. A phone call from Peter was very reassuring with news that it was clearing at Raglan.
Peter also advised us that a Hercules was heading north up the coast low level so we quickly turned our transponders on and we saw it go past well out to sea.


Nelson Badger just prior to launch.

There were a few smiling faces after landing after what was an awesome flight. 220 kms, 3.5 hours and never getting higher than 1300ft.
Friday: Rigged the glider but was feeling a bit glidered out. Nearly didn’t go flying but the Kaimais started doing their thing so off I went with Tim and Steve. There were lenticulars to the south and something was obviously brewing. There were some really strong rough thermals on the ridge so after one beat up north of Te Aroha I headed back, de-rigged, said a few goodbyes and headed off. I had done 12 hours flying and 5 flights.
Met Steve at the Awakino pub for a whitebait fritter which is the only place you can get a meal around there after 8 o’clock. We must try flying the Mokau coast some time.

Tim Hardwick-Smith

25 Years Back:

Repairs to the wing of BDW taking longer than hoped. Problems with the glue. Cracked valve seats on the motor adding to the work required. Another good year for raffle sales in the raffle that the TGC was running on behalf of the NZGA.

And:

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you both here and overseas. And the weather has taken a turn for the better too!

Papa Mike.