Tim Hardwick-Smith. 2003

Labour Day Flight. 2003

Labour Day flight in PIK GSZ by Tim Hardwick-Smith

Labour Day looked like being a good gliding day with the instability to higher altitudes we have been having combined with a moderate high of about 1020 mPa to raise the cloud bases a little. The previous day had been quite a good day being the first calm day after a strong southerly except the light southerly combined with a sea breeze front cleaned out the thermals out a little early.
I arrived early at the airfield and got the PIK ready. I was still not feeling at one with this glider being much more familiar with the lighter wing loading Blanik and PW5, so today would be a good day to do a long flight so we could get to know each other. I decided not to use the engine but just do a pure gliding flight. The engine was used to taxi it on the ground.
Ready for takeoff at midday, the clouds were looking better formed on the mountain as usual – what happens on the mountain early on will usually spread to the rest of Taranaki. From a 4500ft tow to over the bush line, thanks Jim Mackay, I cruised in under the extensive cloud and found the best thermals were nearer the bush line. I still couldn’t resist some close passes along the mountain between the TV transmission tower and Kapuni Hut before going back out to top up with height. I switched the radio over to 133.55 to hear how the vintage fly in guys at Norfolk were getting on and others from all over the North Island including someone called Lindsay getting local advice on where to go on what sounded like a long flight.
While I was playing around, sea breeze fronts were coming in from the north and the south so my area of high 6000ft cloud base was being squeezed out. Time to do something else so I flew out along the better defined southern sea breeze front and found that the cloud base in front of it actually increased in altitude until I found one thermal between Eltham and Stratford that went to 7000ft! I have never seen a thermal like that in Taranaki before. Continuing along this front took me out to Mangamingi where I got my daughter on the cell phone and yes they could see Dad up there. The lift in front of the front wasn’t so good out there so back to Stratford to see how the others were getting on.
Another seabreeze front seemed to have formed up running from Toko to Tariki and moving in a northeast direction. It was probably a combination of the north and south fronts. Anyway I flew around the Toko end and along the front of it dolphin soaring using the bendy PIK wings to bounce the thermals along to Norfolk Road where there were heaps of gliders on the ground. I did a few more runs up and down this front with Peter Williams in his K6e getting as far out as Strathmore at the other end. It’s great seeing another glider up against these vertical walls of cloud just to appreciate how big they are. All the time this front was getting further from Stratford so when a large chasm appeared I took it. It really was like flying into a cave with Stratford being covered in cold overcast.
Landed at 4oclock for a nearly 4 hour flight. I started the flight with a bit of a death grip on the stick and finished it with two fingers and small movements – good.
Peter Williams did a 2 hour flight, Peter Miller did a 1 hour flight without circling in any thermals, and Les Sharp even managed a 1 ½ hour flight in the PW5 before being duty instructor for the rest of the day.
And as usual the best part was all getting together at the end of the day and talking about it.
It was a good day.

Tim Hardwick-Smith