Editorial

from the editor may–july 2018

Being with like minded people is good for you. There’s a whole new age thing about finding your tribe, but actually it’s true. People who share your interests tend to share your mindset as well. I’m writing this at Whitianga on the Sunday of Queens Birthday Weekend. It’s pouring with rain. It’s the annual rally of the New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation, or as most people know it, the Airwomen’s Rally. The weather’s been a real shame, but we did manage to get all the flying competitions completed on Saturday before the weather really struck. We had a fantastic social dinner and catch up last night and a more formal prize giving dinner is occurring tonight. I’ve dragged John along this year. He did attend one of these things with me once; 27 years ago, if I’m counting correctly. He’s discovered that there’s quite a few aviation minded men along as well and after being worried about being a spare wheel (or wing) he’s enjoying having a lot in common with most of the people here.

It is thirty years since I attended my first ‘Airwomen’s’ in Nelson, back in 1988. I haven’t been a regular attendee through that time but have become much more involved in the last few years and a regular rally attendee for the last five years. Back in 1988 I was a glider pilot pure and simple with no interest in any other types of flying. I was however in awe of the inspiring women who did fly other things – Ann Barbarich, Sue Truman (both airline pilots but also glider pilots and other things) and others. There was something about being part of a group of people who, even if they didn’t fly what I flew, had very similar experiences with everything surrounding the flying. But the appeal of the Airwomen’s is so much more than that. Over the years I have come to delight in the joy and celebration of aviation within the group. And I’ve come to have a much greater interest in general aviation.

My interests have expanded. Now I write stories about all aspects of aviation and have regular slots in a general aviation magazine. I am an aviation journalist. I was a nurse back then. My life has completely changed, but that’s a story for my memoirs. I write about air shows and events, about air forces and their aircraft, about people in the industry, about historic aircraft and about people who restore them. I write about gliding. My stories, always, even if they appear to be about aircraft, are about people. Aviation people are good people. If I’m interviewing a jet pilot, I want to know about what that pilot feels when he flies. If I’m writing about the restoration of a WWII fighter I want to know

about the people who flew that plane and the love the restoration team feel for the aircraft. This is true for SoaringNZ too. I try to guide correspondents to tell us of the people who won the contest day, the most exciting flights, the most meritorious new comers over and above, and hopefully instead of, the blow by blow daily results.

By the time you’re reading this magazine the AGM will have come and gone and with it the vote that will decide whether or not SoaringNZ stays a print magazine. Regardless of that vote SoaringNZ is looking to the future and entering the online world. Having an online copy gives us an exciting opportunity to expand our subscriptions into the international gliding community without the drawback of exorbitant postal costs. We can expand our content to cover many more international events and happenings without worry about the cost of extra pages. It also makes us viable to overseas advertisers. I’m expecting the

online version be slightly different to the print one with most of the New Zealand specific content in the print version, but don’t worry – if you’re subscribed to the print copy you can also access the online version as part of your subscription. You’ll be getting even more value for your money.

If you want to see what an online magazine looks like, this issue of SoaringNZ and the previous one are available online at ISSUU.com. These are free for anyone to view but in the future issues will be restricted to those who have a paid subscription or those who wish to pay to read one as a stand-alone. Spread the word. Readers will be able to buy a single digital issue or sign up and pay for a year’s subscription by clicking on the latest SoaringNZ magazine at ISSUU.

A gliding magazine may seem to be about gliders, but really it is about the community of gliding people, that tribe of people both within New Zealand and around the world who share a love of soaring and know the feeling of pitting themselves against the energy in the sky. Our magazine is the place to share those stories: to celebrate successes, first solos, first cross-countries, high flights, long flights, happy flights, scary flights, contest flights; weddings, and obituaries. It’s all about staying in contact with our people, our tribe. Stay safe Jill