NEW ZEALAND’S PREMIER SOARING MAGAZINE
AUCKLAND SOARING COMP CENTRAL DISTRICTS WOMEN FLY TOO AS34 ME • CLUB NEWS i s s u e 5 7 M a y – J u l y 2 0 19
IMAGES THAT SOAR ABOVE THE ORDINARY
John McCaw – aviation and agricultural photographer
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contents may–july 2019 features 12 The Auckland Soaring Competition 18 Central Districts Gliding Championships 2019 22 My first competition – North Island Regionals 26 Beware Assumptions Women Fly Too 27 Extraordinary Women Pilots through the years 30 Goal Flight Tirohia – Gisborne 29-1-79 36 Flying with the World's Best – A Fraud’s Tale
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Three cheers for the electric age!
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AS 34 ME introduced at the AERO
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Interview with Uli Kremer
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Abbey & Ally’s Adventures
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David’s SZD-55
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Youth Glide Mini Camp
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Part One: Gliding – Threat and Error Management or How to Reduce Mistakes and Fly Safely
regulars 6 Log Book 52 Blast from the Past 58 GNZ Awards & Certificates 59 A Question of Safety 60 ab-initio 61 Gliding New Zealand Club News 66 Classified Advertising
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from the editor may–july 2019
Saluting Women in Aviation was the theme of this year’s Classic Fighters Air Show at Omaka. Of course, I was there. John and I are always at the Easter air shows, whether they’re in Wanaka or Omaka. John is in his element taking pictures and I try to find some new way to describe the action in my role as reporter for Kiwi Flyer magazine. It’s a ‘work trip’ but it’s not exactly a hardship. The show’s theme gave me a great place to start but I felt that the organisers had only paid lip service to the idea. Yes, there was good signage around the field about notable women in aviation, but disappointingly, Jean Batten was the only New Zealand woman mentioned. The New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation (NZAWA aka Airwomens Association) would have been delighted to have filled them in on noteworthy New Zealand pilots, for instance our women who flew with the Air Transport Auxiliary during the war. At the very last moment a fly past of NZAWA pilots was organised to precede the show each day. This wasn’t even on the programme. Pam Collings, the first New Zealander to represent the country at a Worlds Aerobatic Championship, in 1976, was on the programme; Andrew Love flying her routine while she gave a commentary. That was great and Pam did a good job at directing the crowds to come down to the ‘Airwomens’ tent and buy Silver Wings, the Association’s book, updated by Pam. I decided to do my own salute to aviation women and spent my time at the show finding the wonderful aviation women who were there, not the ones there as spectators, and there were plenty of those, but the ones who were there with a job to do. There were the obvious ones, the Air New Zealand Ambassadors, both pilots in their flash uniforms and an engineer in lilac overalls, the Airforce personnel, both in flight suits and dress uniforms, covering many roles, but I also found some of the women quietly getting on with their roles as display pilots, ground staff and the owners/pilots of some of the aircraft on display. Aviation women has therefore been my focus for several weeks as I’ve written up these stories. Serendipitously, as I was pulling together material for this magazine, I was sent Diane Edwards’ piece reminding us that in gliding, women fly too. I am not at all sorry that the theme ran away with me. I decided to put together a piece on notable New Zealand women glider
CENTRAL DISTRICTS WOMEN FLY TOO AS34 ME • CLUB NEWS i s s u e 5 7 M a y – J u l y 2 0 19
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pilots. I got hold of several people for more information and Roger Brown from Vintage Kiwi sent me a copy of Ann Johnson’s original report on her amazing 1979 goal flight to Gisborne. This had originally appeared in the Gliding Kiwi and SoaringNZ had also run it back in issue 30. It’s a good story and I decided to run it again. Then, when checking details of the story, I spoke with Ann’s sons (both of whom had been good friends of mine back in the ‘80s, but that’s a whole lot of other stories), Tiger sent me a copy of his Dad’s column about what happened on the way to retrieve Ann from Gisborne. He added a few missing pieces of the tale. The whole saga happened 40 years ago but it could easily be contemporary. It’s all good reading and it’s all gone in. Ruth Pryde, passed away this week. Ruth was a lady who was a side line feature of New Zealand gliding for many years, crewing, working radios and start and finish lines in spite of not
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NEW ZEALAND’S PREMIER SOARING MAGAZINE
AUCKLAND SOARING COMP
Tia Warwick wearing Pam’s Adidas track suit, Andrew Love in her flying suit and Pam wearing her New Zealand blazer
Peter Taylor flies his electric Shark over Lake Coleridge. Photo John McCaw.
Next Issue: National Awards and AGM coverage Feature Club Kaikohe
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flying herself, and continuing long after her husband Ian died. She did it because she enjoyed it and she wanted to. Thinking about Ruth is a reminder not to forget the many wives and girlfriends who have put a great deal of time into the sport over the years for little recognition. Ruth was an aviation woman through and through. Our current women pilots feature in several stories too: the reports on the Central Districts contest and the Youth Glide Easter Mini-Camp are predominantly written by women pilots. Diane Edwards has also written about her experiences flying with Sebastian Kawa, and Abbey Delore shares her delight in taking gliding icon Peter Lyon’s granddaughter Ally to gliding events. It’s a pleasure to showcase all these women. The future of the sport is in very good hands. Stay safe Jill McCaw
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logbook may–july 2019 NEW TAKE OFF CHECKS
Contributions to Logbook are welcome from all of our readers within New Zealand and internationally. Email your news snippets to: soaringnz@mccawmedia.co.nz. Please put "logbook" in the subject line.
HISTORIC NEWSPAPER CUTTING
GLIDING NEW ZEALAND INC. Manual of Approved Procedures Part 2 –1 March 2019 Effective Immediately – closing of canopy now last. Also introduced pre-boarding checks. COCKPIT CHECK LISTS 8.1 Pre-Boarding Checks A = Airworthy If already flown today this could be a brief walkaround check. Before first flight of the day check maintenance release and DI signed. Seat cushions adequate and not compressible. Parachutes (if used). B = Ballast Glider loading is within placarded limitations and trim ballast, if required, is secure. C = Controls Check all controls, including airbrakes and flaps, for correct sense and full deflections. D = Dollies All dollies and ground handling equipment removed. E = Expectations What might be encountered in the first part of the flight? Wind speed and direction, likely turbulence or crosswind, where you want to be towed to (aerotow), or where you will fly to after release (winch). 8.2 Pre-Take-off Checks C = Controls Check flight controls (elevators, ailerons and rudder or equivalents) for full, free and correct movement. B = Ballast Ensure pilot weight(s) plus ballast are within placarded limits, and that any required ballast is fitted and secured. S = Straps Check harness(es) correctly fastened and adjusted. I = Instruments Altimeter set at QNH and other instruments and avionics (including, radio, nav systems, GPS and transponder if fitted) set and functioning. F = Flaps Check for full travel in both directions and then set for take-off. T = Trim Check for full travel in both directions and then set for take-off. B = Brakes Check fully open and even, then closed and locked. E = Eventualities Briefly review options and responsibilities for action in the event of a non-normal situation immediately after the launch commences. C = Canopy Check closed and locked.
PRYDE COMPETITION LEVIES Pryde Levies have remained at $10 since the Ian Pryde Memorial Trust Fund was formed in 1984, and the Trustees of the Gliding NZ Umbrella Trust have deemed an increase is warranted. As from 1 April 2019, the Pryde Levy for competition entries will increase from the current $10 per competitor, to $15 per competitor. Laurie Kirkham, Gliding NZ Umbrella Trust
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This newspaper clipping is from the Oamaru Mail, dated 11 Jan 1988. It was sent to Grae Harrison by one of his clients who’d noticed that Grae’s name was spelt wrong. We think this would have been the first ever Nationals held at the current Omarama airstrip (not the old town airstrip). Grae notes that seven of the fourteen people named in the story have died (three in gliding accidents).
CALENDAR
check website for details
JUNE 2019 June 8 - June 9
Gliding NZ Annual General Meeting 2019 Wellington
JULY 2019 July 28 - August 10
Junior World Gliding Championships & Szeged, Hungary Club Class & Standard Class
NOVEMBER 2019 November 3 - November 10
Central Plateau Gliding Competition 2019Taupo
November 3 - November 8
Jerry’s Course 2019 Omarama
November 9 - November 16
South Island Gliding Championships 2019 Omarama
November 9 - November 16
New Zealand Club Class Nationals In conjunction with SI Gliding Championship Omarama
November 24 - November 30
Northern Island Regional Gliding Championships 2019 Matamata
JANUARY 2020 January 4, 2020 - January 11, 2020 Auckland Soaring Championships Jan 2020 Auckland Gliding Club, Drury
FEBRUARY 2020 February 2, 2020 - February 14, 2020 National Gliding Championships 2020 TBC
logbook may–july 2019 SNOW KITING Several Kiwi glider pilots hone their weather skills snow kiting. In New Zealand it’s a fairly solitary sport but not in Norway. Participants at the start during the Red Bull Ragnarok in Hardangervidda, Norway in April.
LS8 E
DG Flugzeugbau have unveiled the FES version of their Standard Class LS8 Neo. They say, “The LS8-e with its well proven FES propulsion by LZ Design gives the best of two worlds. The glider’s outstanding performance combined with a simple and exceptionally reliable propulsion system is not only a great idea for clubs and recreational glider pilots; it is also an attractive deal for cross country and contest pilots.”
They are also offering neo winglets for a number of different models. “A great way to upgrade performance and look of your old but valuable glider and a fairly economic but distinct improvement of your ship.”
May–July 2019
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logbook may–july 2019
Multiple gold medals for USA and France at the 2019 FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championships Across the board, the level at this year’s Championships – held in Lesquin, France from 17 to 20 April – was extremely high, with amazing displays of grace, control and athleticism in all events. The graceful sport of indoor skydiving is one of the fastest growing FAI disciplines. With roots in traditional skydiving, it involves flying inside a glass-walled, vertical wind tunnel, rather than jumping out of a plane. Competitors are judged on their performance of a series of moves – either pre-determined or artistic – while balanced on a jet of fast-moving air within
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the wind tunnel. Routines last for 45 seconds, and the athletes compete either solo, with a partner, or as a team of four. Like many air sports, events are open to both female and male participants. And as the wind speed in the tunnels can be altered to account for the athlete’s weight, men and women can compete on a truly level playing field. Rafael Schwaiger of Germany climbed to the top of the Solo Freestyle (Open) podium. “The competition was great,” she said. “I had a really nice difficulty score, which put me in a good position, but I had a couple of rusty rounds too.”
logbook may–july 2019
FAI NEWS FAI News
The FAI Annual Report 2018 is out now Australia’s Amy Watson scooped gold in the Solo Freestyle (Junior) event. “I trained hard for this and it was a good competition,” Watson added. “It was really fun competing with the other Juniors.” Silver medallist Malachi DeAth of Canada said, “It’s been real fun. I love the community and how we’re all congratulating each other between rounds.” FS 4-Way (Open)
Belgium
FS 4-Way (Women)
France
FS 4-Way (Junior)
Czech Republic
FS 8-Way (Open)
USA
Solo Freestyle (Open)
Rafael Schwaiger, Germany
Solo Freestyle (Junior)
Amy Watson, Australia
Vertical Formation Skydiving USA Dynamic 4-Way
France
Dynamic 2-Way
USA
The year 2018 was a busy one for the FAI, with hundreds of exciting competitions and numerous record attempts in a range of different FAI disciplines. Competitions highlighted in the latest edition of the FAI Annual Report include the first ever FAI World Drone Racing Championships held in Shenzhen, China, the 3rd FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving, which took place in Bahrain, and the historic Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett gas balloon race. The report also contains sections on how air sports are evolving, as well as details of internal FAI business, including commercial partnerships and the Federation’s new “One FAI” strategy, designed to strengthen the ties between FAI and its Members, partners, and stakeholders. It can be found in the FAI website
logbook may–july 2019 Approval for Stemme Glass Cockpit
The European Aviation Safety Agency EASA issued a Major Change Approval to Stemme AG with regards to the installation of the Garmin G3X Avionics including the Garmin Autopilot for its latest model Stemme Grand Tourer S12-G. This paves the way for the delivery of the S12-G which has been presented at AERO Friedrichshafen in 2019. The S12-G remains the only CS22 certified motorglider equipped with a Garmin Glass Cockpit and a Garmin Autopilot. Two Garmin “G3X Touch” Integrated Flight Display units introduce advanced Primary Flight Display (PFD), Multi Function Display (MFD) and engine monitoring capability to the Stemme S12-G, improving the pilots situational awareness. The 7” touch screens come with built-in Air Data and Attitude Heading and Reference System (ADHRS), Digital Engine Monitoring, Moving Map Navigation and Autopilot control. “The certification is a great success for Stemme and a reward for the hard work throughout the last years. The S12-G has exceeded our expectations and awarded us with 30 customers waiting on their S12-G,” said David Thimm, Head of Marketing, Sales & Service. Due to the increase in demand for it, Stemme is actively focusing on accelerating the production process within its facilities in Strausberg and Pasewalk.
Who is on Facebook? Don’t forget that you can now keep up with all of your gliding buddies and share news of your flights on Facebook. GNZ and Youth Glide NZ have a page and so do the following clubs: Soaring Northland Auckland Piako Tauranga
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Taupo Taranaki Wellington Nelson Lakes Canterbury GNZ also have a YouTube Channel where you can catch up on popular videos.
Soaring Avionics, Radios and Transponders
AIR GLIDE – A new take on soaring avionics! We now have a complete system with Vario Display S and Display M coupled with an Air glide TRX 1500 Flarm / ADS-B / Mode C traffic warning system for customers to evaluate here in Masterton.
Contact the NZ Agents for more information. Now with an online shop at www.nzsoaring-solutions.myshopify.com/
NZSoaring Solutions
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M 021 073 0021 Ph 06 370 8090
GAVIN WILLS
M O U N TA IN SOARING SCHOOL Learn-to-Fly Post Solo to QGP Mountain Soaring Guest instructors: Uli Schwenk Justin Wills
ADVENTURE SOARING FLIGHTS
Inquiries and Bookings phone +64 3 438 9555 | www.glideomarama.com
May–July 2019
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The Auckland Soaring Competition JANUARY 2019 BY ROSS GADDES
THE CLUB
DRURY
The Auckland Gliding Club’s Drury competition is the biggest event on our club calendar, in terms of both competition and flying event. I think many New Zealand pilots will know about our Drury Competition by now. Initially it was mainly only club members who partook but that is changing rapidly. In the last two years we have used the fairly old concept of Enterprise flying to create something new. An Enterprise contest is a difficult thing to describe – even to the competitors. We try to encourage all competitors to maximise cross-country distance in kilometres and take advantage of a full day of soaring if the day is good. It’s not always particularly fair, and we make the rules. But this means we can also change them to suit the situation or even just for fun. Fun flying means something different to every pilot and the Enterprise competition allows for different flights to suit all levels of competitor. For my part, I like all the types of flying and competing will always push me to try harder and ultimately learn more. Let’s face it, it takes ages to learn how to soar fast and collect distance or goals. In fact, a lifetime isn’t enough, so any means that accelerates that process for me is good value.
Flying around Drury can be challenging. All the sites in NZ have different characteristics – mostly good – and of course, some have better conditions than others. Omarama needs no introduction. Springfield can be just as good apparently. Nelson is stunning. In the north, sites such as Taupo are excellent places to enjoy forests and mountains and of course the Piako Club has a 100 km or more of ridge to blast up and down as well as access to most of the areas we also enjoy from Drury. If there’s anything different at Drury it’s the ability, if not a need, to get moving and start fairly early. A 10 am start is not unusual, even during daylight saving, if you want to get plenty of distance under your belt. For a normal FAI type competition this is a challenge. We rarely have enough tow planes and our field is nowhere near as huge and accommodating as Taupo or Matamata. The Enterprise concept suits our location. A traditional Enterprise pilot can launch at any time he/ she feels it would be beneficial. Unfortunately, our site does not work well for a traditional launch when we have 25 plus pilots scrambling for a primo position. Coupled with a slow launch cycle due to a lack of tow planes and often fickle starting conditions, the FAI type start window would be an impediment to maxing out on kilometres – the major aim of this
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Photo Stephen Howard Photo Stephen Howard
Ross and CD checking the hook
Vivienne launch mistress
type of competition. So, this year, using the flexibility that is Enterprise we started off tow and allocated an extra 10 points for each grid row position, increasing as the position moved rearwards. It seemed to work well.
THE TEAM
Photo Emma Hintz
As the gliders and trailers started to arrive it was clear we were in for some fun. We had to hope our organisation and planning would be enough and that that the weather would hold. The weather had been on and off prior to Christmas but it was looking okay for the following week. The flying team was Rob Lyon (CD), Tim Bromhead (Task and Score), David Jensen (Weather), Russell Thorne (Safety & Airspace), Wayne Thomas (Tow Pilots) Paul Castle & Vivienne Bryner (Grid). Other hugely important jobs went to Simone Falkenhaug (Accounts), Emma Hintz (Social Media), Jason Smith and Vivienne Bryner (Radio). Chrissie Hall, Malcolm Thompson and Sally Gaddes all played a large role and there were many more as well – to those people I can only apologise as there are simply too many to mention. It’s a pleasure and a privilege that these folks, many not flying, are prepared to put such a huge effort into getting others into the air. The aim was that they would experience lots of fun as well – FUN really was a primary objective, not just in the air but also on the ground. May–July 2019
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THE AUCKLAND SOARING COMP
Simon Gault Photo Emma Hintz
Paul Scofield
Photo Emma Hintz
Rae Kerr
Andy Campbell
Pat Driessen
May–July 2019
Ross Gaddes in the Ventus 2a, Hauraki Plains
Photo Emma Hintz
Photo Emma Hintz
Murray Wardell
Hugh Warren in the AGC Duo on the Kaimais
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Simone Falkenhaug
Photo Emma Hintz
Mat Findlay
Photo Emma Hintz
Hadleigh Bognuda
Anton Lawrence
Photo David Jensen
THE AUCKLAND SOARING COMP
THE COMPETITORS This year we had a lot of interest coming from pilots with a huge range of experience. There were the loyal local pilots as well as newcomers to Drury such as David Jensen (JS1), Stephen Davies Howard (D2cT), Brett Hunter (JS3), Derek Shipley and Mark Tingey (JS1). A special VIP entry was Klaus Kalmbach from Germany - a very experienced competition pilot who was keen to see New Zealand and enjoyed competing in a relaxed environment. Compared to his previous event which was the WGP in Chile it was quite a different experience. I managed (last minute) to convince Bruce Barber to allow Klaus to use his Mini Nimbus b (KR) which proved to be a good match as seen in the results. Klaus and his partner Connie were a pleasure to host and he really showed how a top pilot can quickly understand local conditions and get the best out of any day.
THE FLYING Early birds get the worms, and this held true at this year’s event. The initially fickle starts meant getting underway immediately after launch solved many problems. The extra number of points added for being later on the grid seemed to work remarkably well. I have to admit to being sceptical about this, but we had few complaints. Maybe because the atmosphere is not meant to get too serious, these random ideas can actually work. It is impossible, however, not to get a little serious with any glider pilot and even worse when competition pilots are involved. The opening day was predominantly westerly, so the field was tasked towards the Kaimai range where a few bonus points were placed at waypoints in order to encourage, or more importantly, discourage just tramping up and down the Kaimais. After collecting a bonus turn point west of Huntly, Klaus steered KR towards the Kaimais, Tokoroa and return for a distance of 432km (OLC) and won the first day. Pat Driessen and Lindsay Stephens were close behind. It was a good start.
The scores look strange on Soaring Spot, but we rounded out the points to be out of 1000 for the winner. To show the distances I used the OLC distance score only, which along with bonuses determined the winner. Other scores were calculated to provide a winner’s total of 1000 points and the rest of the field scaled appropriately. This seemed to work and would also be acceptable if we wished to use the IGC ladder as well, for pilot ranking listings. Day two was similar if not stronger from the west. Again, we set some bonus points aimed at preventing too much use of the ridge. David Moody thought about the best way to get the kilometres and did over 430 OLC km, finally landing in Thames. What a great effort. It was also good to see David enjoying flying after a few years away from the scene. The next day, day 3, was similar again. Some incentive was again given in order to reward those working away from Kaimai ridge lift. Brett Hunter did 406 km and showed us how well his new JS3 can run. Day 4 was still similar but with even lighter wind. We put some areas out west of Huntly again to create a challenge. Pat Driessen finally got to a podium finish and it was well deserved. Pat flew southwest of Ngaruawahia then back to Drury before heading down the eastern side, well past Matamata, not venturing anywhere near the ridge. It certainly worked well for him as he achieved 433 km of distance plus seven bonus turn points. The next day was okay but it was time for a break – nearly everyone wanted a day off – so we played hooky for the day. Some fun was had when Tim filmed Brett in the JS3 (under jet power) and the very fast Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio race up the strip. The evidence is on YouTube. Search Alfa Romeo vs Jet Glider. The 5th day was at last favouring the western side of the North Island. This is a great playground for us from Drury so it’s always a bonus if conditions allow flying near our wild western coastline so we set a variety of small points May–July 2019
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Mat Findlay modelling the merchandise
Klaus Kalmbach – winner
which were picked up on the way south. Pat again won with an impressive distance of 507 km which took him adjacent to New Plymouth about 50 km west; Tiger Country. Tim and Klaus were close behind for podium finishes. The 6th day was the day of the final dinner and destined to be a big celebration. It wasn’t fantastic weather but was still quite soarable. With a large circle set around Drury to ensure pilots ventured a little bit away, the task was still a kind of open distance. Klaus flew well south of Hamilton to clear the circle and then clocked up kilometres closer to home to ensure he won the last day and got home intact for a nice evening. Pat, unfortunately, was having a bit too much fun and pushed too hard, having to ignite his JS1’s jet to avoid an out-landing. After a slow start he had been eating into Klaus’s lead and until this day had amassed 4478 points against Klaus’s 4544 points. Thousands of kilometres were flown for the six days we used for scoring – the day off was really just because we could. It wasn’t always easy and sometimes it was very hard, but there were no major accidents and only a few disappointments.
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Photo Emma Hintz
Photo Emma Hintz
Simon and Hazel - aviation blood clearly runs fast in their veins
Photo Emma Hintz
Brett Hunter
Photo Emma Hintz
Photo Stephen Howard
THE AUCKLAND SOARING COMP
The trusty AGC Pawnee
THE FINISH The end result was that Pat took second place to Klaus who won the fridge (which went to the AGC) and the holiday in the Bay of Islands – which he had no time to take advantage of. Despite this Klaus told me he really had a great time learning about the strange New Zealand weather with convergence and sea breeze effect everywhere. We enjoyed his and Connie’s company and they are welcome back anytime. Pat came runner up followed by Nigel McPhee and then David Moody. Thanks to all of the 27 pilots that took part. It’s you that this event is for - we hope you learned and had lots of fun. This type of competition is not all about the pilots. It’s also about the supporters, helpers and workers that make this entire event both fun and successful. It’s not about prizes either, but we did have some great ones. These were as good as at any competition I’ve ever been involved with and with our type of competition, I believe, they are appropriate. The main prize was a $10,000 fridge (to the winner’s club), courtesy of Smeg NZ. Another great prize was a luxury weekend for two at a highend hotel in the Bay of Islands - one of the prettiest places in
The team
Photo Anton Lawrence
AGC's "The Outside" pizza oven cooking wonderful food and the best beer served cold
Photo Emma Hintz
Photo Emma Hintz
THE AUCKLAND SOARING COMP
Gaggle at the Rotorua Road
The Firth of Thames from Anton's DG300 OZ
our country. Not just accommodation either, there was an Alfa Romeo luxury car for the lucky winner to use for the weekend as well. There were also lots of other prizes, such as other Smeg appliances, a dinner for two at the fantastic Giraffe Restaurant in the Auckland Viaduct and many prizes of Wakachangi Lager. Tee shirts and prizes abound to ensure as many as possible got some recognition for the parts they played in this great event. Many also went to the enthusiastic ground staff, who worked their butts off to ensure a fun time and a good result for everyone, including sponsors. Thanks also go to after flight entertainment guest speakers Stephen Davies Howard, Frank Parker and Malcolm Thomson for an insight into their work and flying jobs/lives. This year we enjoyed the presence of a full-time media person – Emma Hintz who worked hard from her onsite caravan to ensure the event got the coverage the sponsors need in order to justify their support. This is so important and as Simon Gault will tell you – it’s the only way forward if we want some growth and more people not only partaking in the sport but supporting the entire movement. If we do a successful job promoting
ourselves properly, all of gliding, not just this event will benefit. Simon is sure that support can be spread to other events and therefore more people will recognise soaring can be a great alternative for a sporting activity and lifestyle. The supply of good food (breakfast, lunch and dinner each day) culminating with an excellent high-quality meal on the last evening was fantastic. The chefs did a great job so thanks to Carl and Kiara from Yakity Yak Café in Pukekohe, who were so much help and a lot of fun even when under obvious stress. They did a perfect job. Finally, thanks to Simon Gault whose enthusiasm and support for gliding and our club is immeasurable and who often doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. At least we can thank him here. We can’t wait until next year – the date is set for Jan 4th – 11th 2020. Put this date into your calendar and please enter as early as you can so we can provide and plan an even better and more rewarding event. Notwithstanding the weather, Simon and I promise an even better event next time – with FUN in capitals.
May–July 2019
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CENTRAL DISTRICTS Gliding Championships 2019 COMPILED BY BRIAN SHARPE
HOOD AIRFIELD, MASTERTON Although the weather could have been kinder, the competition was a success with five task days out of a possible seven.
T
here were 21 gliders ranging from two Ka6 variants to a JS1 and an ASH31 Mi. Maria Cramp, Ian Johnson and Simon Casey all completed their first ever competition tasks and were recognised accordingly. Mike Strathern pedalled his Ka6 to a win in the Racing/Sports class while the Open class was fought out between Tony van Dyk and Pat Driessen with Tony taking the win. Wellington’s summer crew members – Lars, Andy and Diane, together with their youth participants helped out with the radio/timekeeping tasks and on the launching grid. The Wellington Club’s DG 1000s were variously crewed in the front seat by Maria Cramp, Kieran Cassidy, James Mitchell and Ian Johnson. Of these four, the first three are Youth Members. Flying backseat were Martyn Cook, Grae Harrison, Mikko Yliharsila and Andy Parish. Their reports and impressions are below.
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MARIA CRAMP
(YOUTH GLIDE WELLINGTON) I never saw the appeal of competitions until I had the chance to fly in Central Districts. Naturally, I was nervous at the start, surrounded by so many knowledgeable glider pilots. However, after the first briefing, I realised how relaxed and friendly everyone was. I'm glad I was able to fly the DG 1000 with an experienced instructor in the back as not only did he teach me a great deal that I would not have learned by myself, he also granted me a feeling of security in large gaggles that would have terrified me if I had been alone. Weather appreciation was a huge factor and so was being brave. Normally if I saw a gaping blue hole in front of a turn point I would turn around and get the heck out of there, but in this competition, I definitely learned how to push out of my comfort zone and ignore the pull to be nice and safe near the airfield. And let me just say, when you are out in the middle of nowhere and struggling to get back to the airfield, there is no better feeling than looking out over your wing and seeing another glider in the same position. Overall it was a great experience, flying wise and socially. I’m looking forward to the next one.
CENTRAL DISTRICTS
The Central Districts gliding competition was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to do it again!
JAMES MITCHELL
Photo Hamish McCaw
(YOUTH GLIDE WELLINGTON)
KIERAN CASSIDY (YOUTH GLIDE WELLINGTON)
I attended the Central Districts Gliding Competition as part of a team from the Wellington Gliding Club with two other youth pilots. On the weekend before the comp, the Club's CFI Mark Wilson presented a very helpful and interesting session on competition flying for beginners. The level of pre-event planning required to make sure the pilot and glider turn up with everything needed to fly and with nothing left back in the hangar was eye-opening. Mark also provided a great explanation of competition flight and my Dad came away very surprised at how ‘complicated' competition flying is with all its variables. Unfortunately, I was unable to fly at the competition because I was unwell – but I did attend to help out as ground crew. Even just being on the ground I learned heaps; how one wrong move on the start grid can delay launching for everyone and how the launch can be made extremely efficient. I was also surprised at the sheer variety in gliders. There was everything from a Ka6 all the way up to a JS1. I also got to take part in a late afternoon retrieval, picking up Mike Lennard in his DG101 all the way down in Pirinoa. It was nice being able to help Mike out and get him home in time for dinner!
Central Districts was an amazing experience with a completely different feel to flying your everyday club gaggle. Competition gaggles, consisting of as many as 12, tested both my situational awareness, and how good I was at flying without looking straight or at the instruments. The competition helped me learn how comfortable I could be to go to places without extra height. For instance, prior to the competition I would only go to Masterton, slowly pushing my way over on a good day if I was above or very close to 4,000 feet. In the contest I realised that with 3,000 feet it is very easy to just tootle on over there, catching a climb and then keep on going. It helped me realise cross-country flying isn’t a final glide around the whole flight or just about trying to get higher and maybe go here and there. I now feel like I can have a good flight without so much height. I’ve used what I learned in the contest since then. One day I expected there would be a thermal over the Greytown ridge and I used up my height and arrived at 1,400 feet, leaving it on the edge to get home if it didn’t work. But it did and I then climbed to 2,800 feet and continued on. I felt good that I had pushed myself and it worked; I don't think it was something I would have done without the experience of the competition. The competition has taught me more of what I can do with what. It was a positive environment with lots of people who also like to talk about planes. I will hopefully do another competition soon, most likely the next Central Districts.
IAN JOHNSON
(WELLINGTON GLIDING CLUB) Wow, what an exciting challenging and fun experience the Central Districts contest was. It was great to see the passion that all the pilots and people involved had for the sport. As a low hours glider pilot, it was a little daunting at first, but after completing the first task I was hooked. This experience has certainly helped me improve my flying abilities, from the preparation of the aircraft and myself, thermalling tighter and in gaggles, travelling cross-country under the cloud streets, navigating to and around turn points etc. The friendly atmosphere and supportive competitiveness of the gliding community were wonderful to be a part of. This has definitely been a standout experience in my flying experiences to date and I highly recommend any pilots new to gliding give competition flying a go.
May–July 2019
19
CENTRAL DISTRICTS
SIMON CASEY
(WELLINGTON GLIDING CLUB) Most of my flying has been within a few kilometres of the airfield so I was keen to join the CD contest. I wanted to experience competition flying and to improve my task and cross-country skills which are very light. You would think it would be important to get the skills first before venturing into a contest and I did try with Martyn's Task Week earlier this year. Sadly, the conditions on the days I could attend did not give me the confidence to set out beyond the umbilical cord gliding distance back to the airfield, even though I managed to have some great flights - some over several hours. My strategy at the contest was to find a skilled pilot and follow them as best as I could – while trying not to be annoying. So that I wouldn't feel so bad if I lucked out, I told myself that the experience was the main thing and that I did not have to complete the task. I found the perfect pilot to follow. Mike Strathern is a very experienced competition pilot and he was flying, of all things, a Ka6. He should be very easy to follow in my ASW20. Basically, he couldn't escape from me. It worked a treat. Mike had the experience to set out on a long leg from Masterton southwards with confidence and had the knack of finding thermals on the way. He knew what I was doing and gave me a few tips along the way. So successful was this strategy that I soon found out I was not the only one following Mike. In our first thermal, I
20
May–July 2019
discovered four other gliders were doing the same thing. He was like mother duck! It was very odd seeing a wooden glider lead the way for five fibreglass gliders. Completing the course successfully was a huge confidence boost and I thought, at the risk of hanging around like a bad smell, that I would do exactly the same again the next day. However, that day turned out to be a wave day. By the time I launched, some gliders were back on the ground and others were all over the place with many at 9,500 feet. You were either in huge lift or huge sink so looking for other gliders was out of the question. I just had to concentrate and ensure that I didn't get dumped. In doing so I invariably ended up on my own. I just hoped I would find other gliders on my first leg. I didn't. In fact, I didn't see any others until the final leg. But I managed to complete the task, this time on my own, which was even better. The contest was a real buzz and has definitely made me hungry for more. The socialising was great, and I got a lot of mentoring from other pilots. I feel I know my glider and my own capabilities much more and how to use modern contest aids like Top Hat. My only real regret was not understanding how the scoring operated as I could have done a lot better if I had known the rules better. In the end I came 7th out of 13. Not too bad for a first contest. I am keen now to complete the various tasks that Martyn has set and fly more cross-country. Students wishing to experience this new level of glider flight should either request to do a task
CENTRAL DISTRICTS
in a twin with an experienced instructor or ask to follow an experienced instructor in their own glider and stay in radio contact. Of the two options, I think the latter works the best as you also learn to fly in thermals with other gliders - something that is exhilarating but can be highly risky if you don't learn the correct etiquette. It is a shame we are coming into winter as the right conditions for task flying will be getting harder to find. But they will happen. As for Central Districts next year - bring it on! Champions OPEN CLASS
1 2 3
TD VZ TX
Tony van Dyk Pat Dreissen David Hirst
2,690 2,387 2,175
Mike Strathern Trace Austin Hamish McCaw
1,926 1,648 1,399
RACING/SPORTS
1 2 3
FM NM JJ
Simon Casey on right
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21
MY FIRST COMPETITION North Island Regionals BY GERARD ROBERTSON
16-23 MARCH 2019 “Competition pilot, eh?” It sounds good, but it also didn’t sound like something that could be applied to me. I’m someone who occasionally goes south over the Bombay Hills but has never consciously set out for a cross-country flight.
R
elentless encouragement from John Bayliss, who’d sold me his share in Discus b PV, and from my otherwise lovely syndicate partners, left me with little choice but to set my sights on the November 2018 Matamata Soaring Centre Regional competition. This was rained out, but I now had the memory and inspiration of my brother John (who died that month) to get out there and do stuff.
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May–July 2019
Preparation was clearly essential, but after John’s death I didn’t feel mentally up to flying until the very end of December. I got stuck into the real work of my first and only declared crosscountry flight by getting to Matamata and back on Waitangi Day. Tick that one off! I was prepared. With hindsight, a bit more effort with XCSoar and perhaps even opening the Soaring Code to find out how Assigned Area Tasks (AATs) work might have been warranted. The possibility of escape by feigning illness was removed when John Bayliss offered to crew for me – so hard to develop a chesty cough when faced with such generosity of spirit. Another out seemed possible when the weather forecast predicted a gloomy week, but forecasts and forecasters are reliably unreliable and we had only one day of rain (plus another of weak lift).
Trevor Terry, one of the old hands
The tie down grid
Practice day on 16th March saw me take second place on a flight to the north and back. I hadn’t realised that anyone else had actually done that flight but actually there were three of us. I narrowly escaped the lowest spot on the podium. Sunday 17th brought a stiff easterly (well, 10 – 15 knots) and the start line was downwind over Walton. I hadn’t thought about the fact that – since there were only two tow planes for 16 gliders – I might have to wait around for the start gate to open. That flight got me on the scoreboard: one solitary point for drifting over the start line before scooting home for a cup of tea and lie down while the real competition pilots went off to do their stuff. The cup of tea was a necessity as I’d got too low circling in sink at the start line and only just got home, all the while imagining an accident report which said, “The pilot let himself get too low and passed over or near several landable
fields before falling just short of the runway.” In other words, a bad case of get home-itis, all the while pushing on upwind into 4 – 6 knots sink, not going fast enough and knowing that I was doing something dumb. Monday dawned and I went to the briefing to learn how the real pilots had done. Fortunately, it was raining and so I had a nice day of working on the translation of the French “blue book” (their gliding bible) with lunch in Matamata. I could get to like these no contest days. I realised that I couldn’t slink away from the next day’s task when the other pilots proved to be such a nice bunch of encouraging people. Nevertheless, I wasn’t bothering with lunch, as the prospect of getting out and flying a task was having the same effect on my digestive system as university exams used to. Tuesday’s task saw me get up to Waitoa, but chicken out when I could see the conditions deteriorating to the south (where I’d never flown). I could have got some points if I’d actually crossed the Waharoa start line, but that possibility vanished when I mistakenly did an early U-turn to head north, thinking I’d crossed it. Wednesday came and we launched into the claggiest, least encouraging sky I’d ever flown in. Another pilot’s call to the Contest Director was rebuffed with the message that he should take a cement pill and harden up. I thought he was a bit rough when I called to say that cloud base was 3,200 feet but very grey. However, the AAT task was to a 12 km (radius) circle to the north at Waitoa and a 40 km circle to the south at Atiamuri, then back to Matamata. I got to Waitoa easily enough and then saw how much clearer the sky was to the south. I realised that a good part of my anxiety was the fear of landing out, as I am capable of staying in the sky. I managed to reduce this by eyeing up potential fields, not just ‘a generally landable area’ from 2,500 feet. This worked well, though I got some funny looks when I explained this technique. A vastly more experienced pilot (I’m not quoting you, Tony, so it’s ok) told me that he only looked over his canopy edge at 800 feet. Tim Bromhead had told me not to go past Putaruru when heading for Tokoroa unless at 4,500 feet. He said this in a very kindly way which put the fear of God into me. I figured that touching the outer part of the circle was enough and turned at Litchfield to head home, only to find that the sky was so milky that Mt Te Aroha was invisible. I navigated home using the
May–July 2019
23
MY FIRST COMPETITION
The author, looking like he knows what he’s doing
arrow on XCSoar and a compass heading, stopping only to mark a thermal for a low Libelle. At last, I was above someone in the sky and ahead of others on the scoring sheet (because they’d landed out). This got us to Thursday and the feeling that the week might actually end without me killing myself, breaking the glider or otherwise disgracing myself. The course was Walton, north to Kerepehi, onwards to Hotel du Vin, then back south past Matamata to Hinuera and back to Waharoa. Over Maramarua I was momentarily tempted to hop over the Bombays home to Drury, but it was such a nice day that I turned south for the next leg. So nice a day, in fact, that I wilfully ignored one J Bayliss’ advice to just touch the last circle and head home. As a consequence, I surrendered several achievable places while spending 15 minutes so low over Matamata town that I now know some of the street names. Did I sweat or what? I was so low that I shut the side vent to maximise my chances of not landing in one of the very large fields on offer. However, I had to be improving as I found myself hungry during the flight. Friday was a ‘hurry up and wait’ day and, when finally called off, I found myself a little (more than I expected) disappointed. Saturday was fantastic! At last, I could eat before scurrying off to the ablution block to do some necessary things before putting on my grown-up sized nappy. This sort of practicality has to be considered and your own solution arranged. Other pilots have other solutions, which they’re willing to talk about. Some have bladders the size of the Hindenburg zeppelin; I am not one of those. Saturday’s task was the same as that set for Friday: a 2:15 hour AAT from Waharoa northward to Kaihere, back to the south
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May–July 2019
to touch the 40 km cylinder around Ranginui airstrip and home to Matamata. I was last off the grid for the racing class (it’s a label rather than an accurate description of where I belong). John B had instructed me that today was to be my second-ever flight with water ballast, so I left with 20 kg in each wing, three in the tail and profound relief at a good take off which started with 1/3 spoiler for improved roll control at low speed. The gate opened and I bolted, running up the Cambridge Hills with a careful eye on XCSoar to keep outside the Hamilton airspace to a good thermal just past Morrinsville and another just up the road at Tahuna. With the water on board, I was ripping along at 75 – 80 knots. Out over the swamp, well into the cylinder – almost to Ngatea – before turning back to the Tahuna thermal and heading south trying to follow the cloud street as best as possible without circling. I learnt the value of being willing to deviate to thermals being marked by other gliders. Near Hobbiton I backed myself and criss-crossed the end of a wooded ridge, confident that there had to be a thermal there given the terrain, wind and sun. I was finally rewarded with a good climb that saw me scoot towards the northern end of Lake Karapiro, where another kind cloud gave me bursts of 8 – 10 knots. This was so nice that I stayed longer than I should have: another lesson, know how much height you need and leave when you’ve got it. Equally, en route, leave thermals before the top, as their strength weakens. During one of the circles I saw Neil Harker in Ventus SP heading for home. I figured that, as I was well above him, I could do the same and put the extra height to good use by hunting him down, scorching along at 95 knots. I think I just beat him to the finish circle which, by good fortune more than any active planning, saw me complete the task in 2:16.
MY FIRST COMPETITION
Everyone helps out
What did I learn? Perhaps most importantly that contest pilots are very keen to support novices and will go out of their way to offer encouragement and advice. Next, I started to get into a contest day rhythm of: getting to the airfield by about 8:30 am, driving around to the glider so you’ve got everything needed to clean, prepare and DI your glider close at hand. Sitting on the grid waiting to launch, then saying to your crew, “S*, I haven’t done the DI,” makes you look like the Muppet that you are. Post-flight, download your IGC file or give it to the CD before he shouts at you, get the battery out, tie the glider down and remember to charge your various electronic devices overnight. Should you do a comp? Yes. If you’ve got the flying skills to stay up, you’re able to put the glider where you want to on landing and you’ve done some field selections in a motor glider you can do a contest flight. You’ll need your QGP and you should do a cross-country course first, but you will gain so much from flying one day then the next and the one after that. Learning to thermal with several others is also a must (I gather the Aussie rule is 55 knots and 45º of bank). You’ll be with some of the nicest people you’ll meet and you’ll also gain an appreciation of how many other people are prepared to give up their time to make the contest work. I can’t consider myself a competition pilot yet, but an early cross-country pilot? Yes. I’m keen to do more competitions next season, so must have learnt something. Give it a go! But perhaps prepare more thoroughly than I did.
Champions OPEN
1 2 3
VZ BA TD
Patrick Driessen Tim Bromhead Tony van Dyk
4,691 4,350 3,750
YL NM SP
Dave Dennison Trace Austin Neil Harker
3,895 3,133 2,785
RACING
1 2 3
May–July 2019
25
Beware Assumptions
WOMEN FLY TOO BY DIANE EDWARDS
I have been a member of Auckland Gliding Club for nearly a year, but it appears that many members don’t seem to realise that I am a flying member. Almost every time I go out to the club, I am asked who I am with. When I say I am on my own, they ask what brought me here and if I would like a trial flight. Diane Edwards with Murray Wardell and his Arcus
N
ot one club member when I have met them for the first time has asked whether I have flown before. However, I have noticed that when others arrive in the same situation that’s the first question they’re asked. Why is it different for me? I realised that there is something about me that is different to the majority of those coming to the airfield. I am not male. And I am not there as a partner of a male. Yes, I am one of those rare women who knows her ailerons from her flaps, the difference between roll, pitch and yaw, and happens to love flying. In my day job I work at the Ports of Auckland. I was appointed as the first female Executive in the Ports’ history (when the workforce was 95% male). I do know what it is like to work in a man’s world. However, since I started working on the waterfront our demographic has changed and now 25% of the staff are female. Maybe I’ll work on improving gender diversity in gliding next. My interest in flying began when I was in primary school. I was born in a little village called Heathrow that was gobbled up by London when they built the airport. In the school playground I would watch as the planes came and went, wondering what exotic place they had come from or were heading to. I dreamt that one day I would fly. When I was eighteen, I applied for pilot training with British Airways (they had just decided to encourage women to do more than walk up and down the aisles) and I was devastated when I failed the eyesight test. At the time they expected 20/20 without corrective lenses. Instead I turned to skydiving. I did a few static line jumps, then free fall and went on to get my Cat 8 enabling me to formation jump. I started a parachuting club at London University, jumping at Pampisford, near Duxford in Cambridgeshire and used my packing licence to finance my jumps (pack 10, get 1 free jump). One holiday I decided to change tack a bit and went to Scotland to learn to hang-glide. There I met my [now ex] husband who was also learning to hang-glide, while taking a break from
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fixed wing gliding. I soon realised he was a homesick Kiwi and after we married, we moved to New Zealand, settling in his home town of Wellington. I did a bit of jumping at Paraparaumu but we both gravitated towards gliding and joined Jury Hill Gliding Club at Papawai, in the Wairarapa. At the time it was an exclusively winch site. I learned to fly off the winch, doing my first solo back in 1996. Cutting a long story short, we moved to Western Australia in 1998 and we both joined the Cunderdin Gliding Club, about 160 km inland from Perth. There I learned to launch off a tow, started to do limited cross-country and achieved my first 10,000 foot height gain off a thermal (much easier in Western Australia than New Zealand). Working in mining, we got transferred to Tanzania where there was no chance to fly. Two years there was followed by time in the US and UK and as the years slipped by, gliding went on the back burner. Fast forward to 2014 in Auckland and I decided it was time to get back into flying. I joined the aero club at Parakai, near Helensville and started learning to fly their Tecnam. There I met Murray Wardell from the Auckland Gliding Club and we decided to come back to gliding together. He too had had a break, though not nearly so long, and he had had a lot more experience than me. That’s how I arrived at Drury. I made it clear that I wanted to start training right from the beginning, as I was so out of practice. I was worried that I might have forgotten all the important stuff. It has felt like beginning all over again at times, though it’s reassuring that the instructors have said it is clear I’ve flown before, so perhaps not all is forgotten. My busy job means I have less time to fly now than I used to, but I am slowly going through the training and hope to go solo again this year. In the meantime, I’m also getting a fair bit of time in the back seat of GUS, Murray’s Arcus. So, if you see me on an airfield, say hello, wish me luck and be careful about making assumption about why I’m there!
WOMEN FLY TOO
Extraordinary Women Pilots through the years BY JILL MCCAW
Helen Georgeson
As Diane Edwards points out, women fly too. Women not only fly, they fly well and Diane’s article reminded me of some of the amazing women pilots we have had in New Zealand over the years. A great deal of the information for this article comes from the New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation’s book ‘Silver Wings’ compiled by Shirley Laine and updated by Pam Collings with further information from Roger Brown and Peter Layne.
H Ann Johnson
elen Georgeson set several New Zealand firsts in the 1950s. Helen was the wife of Dick Georgeson, the wellknown world record setter who pioneered wave flight in New Zealand. Prior to their wedding Dick had introduced Helen to gliding and in September 1953 she became the first woman in the country to solo in a glider. Just over a year later, in December 1954, she became the first person, male or female to gain the FAI Silver (C) badge, something which the men were not very happy about. She said she did not expect accolades, but she would have appreciated gracious acceptance. Helen was quite good at proving that women pilots were as good as men. She took a break from flying while her children were young but in April 1961 set an absolute altitude record of 18,000 feet in a Skylark 3. Later in the year, attempting to better this she climbed to 22,000 feet over Mt Cook in severe turbulence but on landing discovered that someone had forgotten to start the barograph. She and Dick went on to set several out and return world records in their Janus. Their daughter Anna was also involved in some record attempts with her father and with Taisia Missevitch in the Canterbury Gliding Club's Janus. Ann Johnson from the Piako Gliding Club was active in the late ‘60s along with her husband Noel. Gliding took a back seat for the couple while their children were young, but both came back to it in the late ‘70s. Ann was the first woman in New Zealand to gain a diamond height award but she is best remembered for her epic 1979 flight to Gisborne. See Ann’s account of that flight on page 30. The Gatland family of Auckland had several women pilots, mother Ann and daughters Margaret and Rosemary. Rosemary gained her instructor’s rating in 1967 and also took up power flying, later becoming a tow pilot. Rosemary and Margaret set a NZ Women’s multi-seat gain of height record of 7,600 feet, flying a Ka7 to 10,000 feet in easterly wave over Matamata. In 1968 Rosemary set further women’s records for out-and-return, straight-distance flight and distance-to-a-declared-goal. At
Frank and Ann Gatland May–July 2019
27
WOMEN FLY TOO
Rosemary Gatland
Helen just before she soared around Mt Cook
Christmas camp at Matamata in 1969 she gained her gold and diamond heights in the Kaimai wave, climbing to 25,000 feet and setting new women’s single-seat gain of height and absolute altitude records. She could have gone higher, but she’d achieved her goal and came home. Rosemary set a few more records and gained her third diamond in 1987, the second New Zealand woman to do a 500 kilometre flight. Ann Gatland also established a multi-seat record for speed
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around a 200 km triangle, flying with her husband Frank. In December 1983 Trudy Morris set a record speed over an out-and-return course of 200 km with a speed of 94.99 kph, flying from Paraparaumu in a Nimbus 2. I have been unable to find out any more about her, so if you know of Trudy, please get in touch. Sue Ritchie, previously of the Canterbury Gliding Club was the first New Zealand woman to achieve all three diamonds and set three New Zealand records, flying in Australia. Fellow Canterbury pilot Yvonne Loader had an extraordinary aviation career. We ran a feature on Yvonne in Issue 35 after she was awarded the Angus Rosebowl in 2012. Yvonne came to gliding as a successful aerobatic and competition pilot, forced landings was her speciality. Her skill easily transferred to soaring. She soon gained her gold and diamonds, became a tow pilot and instructor and proved formidable behind the scenes of competitions, committees and latterly, Youth Glide. In 1981 she broke Rosemary’s Gatland’s absolute height record with a flight of 29,650 feet and in January 1988 established a world gain of height record of 33,506 feet and a New Zealand absolute height record of 37,114 feet. Yvonne also set three multi-seat records. She was the only female tow pilot during the ’95 Worlds at Omarama and continued towing, instructing and inspiring new pilots for many years. Yvonne has only recently stepped down from flying and committee positions as she cares for her husband who has deteriorating health. She was awarded an FAI Tissandier Diploma in 2013 in recognition of her services to gliding. One of the women Yvonne influenced is Canterbury pilot Jenny Wilkinson. Jenny was a power pilot who met Yvonne at an “Airwomens” rally in 1987. She came to give gliding a go
WOMEN FLY TOO
Yvonne Loader
and stayed. Like Yvonne she progressed rapidly. Jenny joined Yvonne in the world record stakes in 2009 with a 500 kilometre out-and-return flight at a speed of 157.97 kph. Jenny was the first woman in New Zealand, and only the fifth or sixth in the world to complete a 1000 kilometre diploma flight. For many years Jenny owned a Ventus 2b with the personalised registration QT (cutie). She is currently on the Canterbury Gliding Club’s instructor’s roster and enjoys sharing her skills and enthusiasm for gliding with budding cross-country pilots. Youth Glide is inspiring a new generation of amazing women pilots and the first Youth Soaring Development Easter Camp, held at Matamata in 2013 saw Abbey Delore and Enya McPherson take one of Tauranga’s Janus onto the Kaimais to set a record speed over an out-and-return 100 kilometre course of 131.99 kph. They actually felt they could have done better and were set to ‘smash’ their own record the next day, but the weather didn’t play ball. More recently, at the 2018 Multi-Class Nationals at Matamata, 15 year old Ali Thompson, flying a Duo Discus with 22 year old Campbell McIvor, became the youngest person ever to get their name on the National Racing Class trophy as the Youth Glide pair gave the stalwarts a shake-up. Not only a great pilot, Ali has been a driving force behind establishing and organising the first Youth Glide Mini Camps. The gliding movement is lucky to have her. With growing numbers of girls joining Youth Glide and older women coming back to the sport as their children have grown there will be more feminine records set or broken and I see no reason why we can’t see women’s names on some of the open records as well.
Photo Jill McCaw
Yvonne Loader
Abbey Delore and Enya McPherson just before they broke the Woman's 100km speed record.
Ally and Campbell with the Racing Class trophy
May–July 2019
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WOMEN FLY TOO
GOAL FLIGHT Tirohia – Gisborne 29-1-79
BY ANN JOHNSON, INTRODUCED BY ROGER BROWN
It is fascinating to look back at some of the incredible flights and distances that were flown years ago; flights that if flown today by someone in a modern aircraft would still be considered a major achievement. One of the lesser known extra-ordinary flights was Ann Johnson’s goal flight: Tirohia to Gisborne. Roger Brown of Vintage Kiwi says, “Even by today’s standards it would have been a flight to really admire and be inspired by. It was really out of 'left field ' as far as flying over that part of the country was concerned at that time. Along with Rosemary Gatland and Yvonne Loader, that era, between the late ‘60s to the mid ‘80s, was a golden time for these women who in their own way were consistently pushing the performance boundaries of a very male dominated sport.” It is interesting to note that Ann flew the entire flight over some of the North Island’s East Coast most inhospitable landmass using only an Auckland Automobile Association (AA) road map. 30
May–July 2019
The following is Ann’s write up of the flight as published in Gliding Kiwi. ANN WRITES I guess the whole idea started some many years ago when Noel was playing around with a silly Gold C distance flight Matamata – Tapu – Opotiki! At this stage, with the then NZ Local (woman’s single seat) Record under my belt, I was eyeing up Jill Walker’s efforts in the UK, where in 1959 she had set a NZ National Record (woman’s single seat) of 101 miles (162 km). To my mind this record appeared not too impossible to beat, even with our somewhat tricky North Island conditions to contend with. Then one mid winter’s day in June 1967 Noel, flying KA6cr GFD, crossed the Kaimai Ranges near Matamata, climbed in the westerly wave to 10,000 feet and landed at Whakatane, only 22 miles short of his Gold C. We played around with the idea until finally in April 1969, I took off in our KA6cr GFD, climbed to 24,000 feet and set off downwind with a declared goal of Opotiki. I arrived overhead, still on oxygen at 13,000 feet after a flight of 92 miles (148 kms). I had beaten my own records but Jill Walker’s distance of 101 miles still eluded me. Once again Noel and I looked at more maps and concluded that I could have made Gisborne. We even started to work out some final glide calculations and marked these distance rings on our maps for a possible future attempt. However, our family grew, and we discovered tramping and
WOMEN FLY TOO
skiing (both wonderful family activities) and, for a time gliding dwindled into the distance. However, both Noel and I knew that a flight to Gisborne was definitely on - sometime in the future. It was during this period that we sold ‘FD’ and purchased an ASW15 GGO. It wasn’t really Rosemary Gatland’s tremendous recordbreaking flight in November 1978 that did it, but I guess it helped me get off my chuff. Rosemary’s flight was from Ardmore to Taupo, a distance of 207.52 kilometres which knocked off Jill Walker’s long-standing record. So, the maps came out again. I still had this strong desire to beat Jill Walker’s original distance. January 30th 1979 appeared to be the day. I declared Tirohia (at the base of the Kaimai Ranges near Paeroa) to Gisborne as my goal, but I also had a secondary objective – to break my own existing gain of height record and hopefully my absolute height, set some years previously. To do this I had to get to a low point on the Kaimai Ranges of under 1,000 feet and then climb to around 30,000 feet. I had previously climbed to 28,500 feet and then, although still in lift had to abort the flight due to icing issues. On Sunday 29th January we just about ‘blew’ everything. Testing the oxygen equipment in the evening, a valve jammed and in a matter of minutes we lost most of our oxygen. Frantic telephone calls and John Borman came to the rescue. The Tauranga Gliding Club had two tanks available and we could have what ever we wanted. We did not get to bed until 11.00 o'clock that night, but we were now, at last, all ready for the big day. The morning looked interesting. From our home on the Tauranga side of the Kaimais the sky looked inviting. We could
Ann and Noel Johnson plan a flight..jpg
see the westerly wave, but it was obvious that Matamata was ‘claggy’. However, we drove ‘over the hill’ to prepare the glider. Launching overhead the Kaimai Ranges at 12.30 pm into a broken, grey overcast sky but with strong southwesterly wind, I descended to mark my low point on the ridge. Noel who was now in the retrieve car heading quickly for Tirohia told me [on the radio] that I was not low enough. Mouth dry, shaking slightly, I descended again at high speed, with the dive brakes fully extended. At 500 feet indicated I felt I was as low as I dared to go, and, ‘to hell with Noel’, I started to climb, the bush, rocks, and waterfalls dropping rapidly below me. A pleasant trot north at 2,000 feet along the ridge to Mt Te Aroha, and then out in to the valley to my remote starting point of Tirohia. I could see the car below me with Noel and the boys May–July 2019
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A final radio relay through ‘Golf Juliet’ flying on the Kaimai Ranges so many miles behind me. “Tell Noel I’m at 10,000 feet and only 30 miles from my goal.”
GO from the Kaimai lookout.
waiting for me to start so they could also begin their marathon road trip to Gisborne to retrieve me. There was an increasing amount of radio chatter indicating that Tony Timmermans and the Auckland ‘bomber squadron’ were also in the area travelling south along with German champion Ernst Peters. I turned south also getting ready for the ‘big climb’. Whilst the Auckland contingent raced past me along the Kaimais (it later transpired that Ernst Peters had declared a 1000 km task of Ardmore – Turakirae Heads – Te Araroa!), I settled down to start my climb between the railway tunnel and the high point. Watching for the gaps, I moved out into the valley looking for what we call the ‘pressure wave’. After a couple of attempts of being caught out by the cloud build up and having to descend under dive brakes I found it. Smooth silky lift, taking me above the general cloud base. Four, five, six thousand feet. I knew I was established. Seven thousand, eight thousand, and although I was still climbing at 2 knots, I was now high enough to turn down wind and head for the main westerly wave on the Tauranga side of the Kaimais. With a ground speed I guess of around 120 knots, I watched the rugged Kaimai ranges speed past beneath me. The bush, the rocks, the places where Noel and I and the boys had tramped. Ahead now at 6,000 feet lay a roll cloud. Formating alongside of it I started my climb. Noel was monitoring my progress from the ground as I passed the various thousands of feet. Under me the whole Bay of Plenty slowly fell away. Thousand by thousand I climbed. Sixteen thousand, more oxygen. Eighteen, twenty thousand until at last, 23,000 feet. I had to make a decision. Climb on slowly with my oxygen running out, or turn down wind towards Gisborne. Gisborne it was. With a strong tail wind behind me the
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ground below passed like a map. The Kaimais and Tauranga harbour disappeared. Down below me almost, on the right were the Rotorua lakes and way in the distance was the Ruapehu wave, and I wondered if I may get to explore that one day. 17,000 feet over the Whakatane River and moving inland. Noel called me up on the HF radio to indicate they had just crossed the Kaimais. Out to the left was now Opotiki, where I had landed some many years before and ahead, far below, lay the bush clad Huirau Ranges. Thirty miles north towards the East Cape I was able to see Mt. Hikurangi, the first place in the world that the sun rises upon. And so I flew on. Ranges, small streams, bush; nothing really distinguishable until out on my left there was Matawai. It had to be Matawai. I was now down to 13,000 feet and flew happily on. Gisborne was mine, although I could not yet see it. Te Karaka 9,000 feet below and smooth lift. Another wave system and the opportunity to climb and fly even further south, Waipukarau or even Masterton, but perhaps another time. A final radio relay through ‘Golf Juliet’ flying on the Kaimai Ranges so many miles behind me. “Tell Noel I’m at 10,000 feet and only 30 miles from my goal.” Ahead must be Gisborne. It had to be. The inhospitable bush clad ridges soon became level farmland and vineyards. Young Nicks Head out to the right. Why did I picture Poverty Bay as a large bay? Back on the radio and a quick explanation to the airport controller that I was a glider pilot inexperienced in the ways of controlled airports, and suddenly, with a slight bump, at 5.16 pm I landed (245.85km) and had at last beaten Jill Walker’s distance by a further 83kms.
ANN’S FLIGHT POSTSCRIPT BY NOEL JOHNSON
Ann Johnson’s husband Noel used to write a column for the Gliding Kiwi called: It’s a Long Time Ago, but I remember when… When we got in touch with Ann’s sons Paul and David to ask about reprinting her story, Paul (aka Tiger) sent us the following column. If written 21 years after Ann’s flight it must have been printed in the ‘Kiwi sometime in 2000. Paul then phoned us to fill in a few more details which we’ve added to the text. Twenty one years ago Ann flew Golf Oscar from Tirohia (near Paeroa) to land at Gisborne and set four Female Records. Using the Kaimai Wave and leaving at 24,000 feet, with a ground speed of probably 180 mph it wasn’t long before she was over Gisborne - still on oxygen - at 10,000 feet. And there the story should have ended. But it didn’t. Attaching the trailer to the company (NZI) Cortina (trailers were not allowed behind NZI cars), David, then 15, Paul (13) and I set off in pursuit. Reaching the Kaimai Lookout Roger Brown relayed a message that Ann was over her goal at 10,000 feet. I was quite chuffed! With about five hours driving ahead of us, the boys, not so. “OK David. Once through Tauranga you can do some of the driving” (David had recently got his licence). Paul says it was very recently, probably only a few months earlier and he hadn’t towed a trailer before. On the other side of Tauranga we stopped and David moved into the driver’s seat. “Paul, sit in the front with David,” and I moved into the back seat. Through Te Puke and onwards until we were on the Pukehina straight. Paul’s interjection here. The road was quite raised above the surrounding countryside. A car ahead. “What do I do Dad?” “Plant foot and overtake”. It was really quite a safe manoeuvre. Once past, and back on the left-hand side, I was quite interested, from the back seat, to note the amount of sway. (Never sat in the back seat of the Cortina with the trailer on behind before) I recall that a car and caravan were approaching as I said, “Hey David, slow down a bit.” Paul says, what he should have said was, “take your foot off the accelerator”. David, of course, put his foot on the brake. Apparently, part of the oncoming problem was that the trailer wheels were too far forward, so it was lifting the back of the car a little, adding to the sway issue. The trailer jack knifed. It was an exciting few seconds as the trailer overtook us on the right. Not strapped in, I can still remember the tar seal and a road marker hurtling past my window as I wedged myself across the back seat as we rolled. Hurtle burtle, we went at around 50 mph over a 12 foot bank on the left and into the blackberry. The car and trailer went over the bank, jack knifed and tow bar first. The car ended up with its right side wheels on top of the trailer. “Get out” I probably yelled, and three Johnsons bailed out upwards through the right hand doors, the trailer on its side pointing the wrong way, below us. “David, you’d better go back and turn the keys off”. “Did that before we went over”. (I had
taught him well.) “David, why the hell did you brake?” “Dad, you always taught me to use the brake to slow down”. (I had taught him well). Cars stopped, the locals turned up, one with a tractor, and the NZI car, damaged on every panel other than the roof, and trailer were hauled out of the blackberry and onto the road. A friendly local drove me back to the Pongakawa Service Station from where I phoned the Gisborne Control Tower. “Where are you?” asked Ann, still bubbling over her flight. “Pongakawa?” “Thought you’d be further than that?” “Sort of a problem. We’ve gone over a bank”. “Are the boys okay? Let me speak to them”. “They’re okay. They’re back down the road helping. We can drive. We’ll go home. Phone me in two hours at home”. Two hours later the phone rang in Levers Road. David answered. “Are you okay? Let me speak to dad”. “We’re okay. Dad’s with the doctor. He may have broken his shoulder”. (As it turned out I hadn’t.) Although Paul had serious bruising on his chest, possibly from being stood on by his brother in the sideways car as David wrestled to get the driver’s door open. Ann flew back into Tauranga the next morning by Air NZ (or was it still National Airways) dressed in the clothes she had left Tauranga in the day before and clutching the barograph. She had been able to de-rig and store the glider overnight in a hangar owned by Helicopters (NZ) - who left their chopper outside - and had scored a friendly bed for the night. The next two days were spent at the Pongakawa Service Station with Dick Hastings, who designed the Piako winch, getting the trailer road worthy and then it was off to Gisborne again with the family car - the poor NZI company Cortina was well and truly with the fix-it man. A long drive there, put the glider in trailer, and headed for home. We had electrical problems as we approached Te Puke at around 9.30 pm; a new battery at a local service station and we were home, I guess, around eleven. Next day we drove the Kaimais to start flying in the National Gliding Champs. When lodging the insurance claim I’m not too sure that NZI were overly chuffed with the entire affair, especially as it was a company car and it was not meant to tow a trailer and certainly not one 35 feet long. (It’s hard to be sure but we suspect that the combined cost of the whole operation, including insurance costs, airfare etc was around $7000 - but we did end up with four framed Record Certificates on the wall!)
“David, why the hell did you brake?” “Dad, you always taught me to use the brake to slow down”. (I had taught him well).
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Andrew Fletcher in the Ka6 over Warkworth/ Matakana area, taken by Graham Lake in his ASW 28 Photo Graham Lake
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May–July 2019
35
Flying with the World's Best
A FRAUD’S TALE BY DIANE EDWARDS (FRAUDSTER OF THE YEAR)
In the last issue we ran three stories from people who had flown with the world champion Sebastian Kawa on his visit to the Club Class Nationals in Taupo. The feedback was that people wanted more! Diane Edwards from the Auckland Gliding Club is happy to oblige.
I
was easily the least experienced, and possibly the only non-current pilot to have the chance to fly at the MSC Championships with Sebastian Kawa. I felt like a fraud telling my friends what I was about to do. I was going to be flying with five times World Champion and the current world number one, not mentioning the world records (oops I just did). It must have been the biggest mismatch of skills in competition history. It was with trepidation, bordering on terror, that I awoke on the day of the flight. Not usually one to feel daunted by the opportunity to learn new things, the growing sense of
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unworthiness was something I was unable to shake. Still, staying calm in a crisis is something I am known for (in a previous life as a skydiver I’ve coped with two high speed parachute malfunctions, and I deal with two or three ‘crises’ at work every day) so I drove to the airfield hopefully looking calmer than I was actually feeling. Sebastian and I discussed what I wanted to do. Given my lack of experience I wanted to let him do the flying and talk me through the decisions he made. As it was my first competition, I wanted to know the basic nuts and bolts: how to gauge the right moment to cross the start line, picking and navigating the route when the sky is not cooperating, how to read the intentions of other competitors, and how to shake them if you think they are trying to follow. Even simpler, I wanted some basic cross-country coaching: reading the sky, determining how long to work a thermal, or when to ignore one, determining when to take that final glide, etc. So, it was agreed, he’d fly and provide commentary. I’d assist with navigation and lookout and learn from the master (my words not his). Of course, it was never going to be that easy. Firstly,
A FRAUD'S TALE
I also noticed how little he turns, backing himself to find lift where none is visible, exploiting every tiny wisp and energy line. briefing over and course plotted, we waited… and waited… and waited… Finally, at 1330 as the front approached, it was confirmed that although there would be no trouble setting off it was almost certain that we’d never get back. Competition flying for the day was cancelled. All that frustrated nervous energy wasted! Overnight the front went through and there was optimism that the resulting unsettled air would provide great flying conditions. Another briefing, another wait, and it was clear that the optimal conditions were not going to appear, but it would be flyable, if somewhat challenging. I assisted with the DI, positioned the Discus on the grid, did all the preparations I could, including locating a parachute I could borrow - thanks to everyone who helped with that and especially Hugh de Lautour who lent me his - and again we waited. Finally, it was time to take off and I discovered there was one little detail I had forgotten to do. That was to remind Sebastian what I wanted from the flight. We were barely in the air before I heard the words “You Have Controls” (he always used the plural). The undercarriage was up and suddenly I was flying the World Champion from the back seat. Talk about intimidating! There was a quick discussion along the lines of: “I thought that you were doing the flying.” “There’s no point in that.” “But I want to learn from watching you.” “You can only learn by doing and there’s no harm because we haven’t started the race yet.” We had a bit of time before the race began, so I did some flying, but when the call came that the start line was open I handed over control and watched Sebastian as he hung back waiting for others to set their course. He watched carefully where his competitors were heading while chatting to me about the cloud formations ahead and the reasons why he was taking a slightly different route to the one most people had said they would follow. That decision probably explained why, although we met others along the way, we didn’t see as many gliders as I was expecting, given the dual competition and number of pilots in the air. We joined a few thermals where other pilots were already circling, but I noticed Sebastian often left the thermal before others, always striking his own flight path. I noticed lots of other things too, like his remarkable knack for spotting lift. He flies towards a cloud and instinctively knows how to position under it to get the maximum lift. He’d see the type of wispy cloud that I’ve never seen others take any notice of, and instinctively know whether it was worth targeting, squeezing every bit of lift out of no more than two or three turns before hopping to the next, or maybe just flying under it to preserve height in weak lift. I also noticed how little he turns, backing himself to find lift where none is visible, exploiting every tiny wisp and energy line. He anticipates the building of cloud streets before they have even formed, knowing the lift will be there by the time we reach the chosen coordinates. It was sometimes difficult to believe he was not that familiar with the local area.
I also got lots of cross-country coaching – especially when I had control. “Don’t turn unless you are in lift”. “Fly faster when there is no lift so you can get to the next lift quicker” (not to mention the higher average speed when it comes to competition). “Be decisive and determine which part of the cloud is working so you can start turning into the thermal (fractionally) before you reach it, so you’re fully into the lift as you complete the turn”. He said most pilots wait until they feel the lift, or hear the vario, and by then it’s too late to turn at the optimal place. He had a [not so] subtle way of forcing me to fly during the competition, even though I had said I wouldn’t. It went something like this. “I want to take some pictures. You Have Controls.” He did that quite often and I was so conscious of needing to be ready to fly at any moment at short notice, I forgot to take any pictures of my own. That’s why I decided I’d write this, so the memory isn’t lost. Of course, Sebastian/we didn’t get it right every time. Perhaps my most nervous moment was when all I could see ahead was blue sky, we were below 3,000 feet and he said, “I can see where we need to get to and we don’t have enough height to get there, so fly faster.” Rather redundantly I said, “That won’t help if we can’t find any lift,” to which he replied, “I know, it’s looking bad but we don’t have any other choice do we, so go for it!” Fortunately, while I was scanning for suitable landout options, he was scanning for those aforementioned wisps, and took control every time he could see I was about to miss an ‘obvious’ opportunity. After an anxious wiggly (to pass under the wisps) glide of more than fifteen minutes we finally made it to the start of a cloud street with lift which, though weak, was enough to get us out of the impending threat of an out landing. The other tricky part of the day was when we realised we were too high, at 4,800 feet. An airspace restriction over the area we were flying, which had been lifted for the competition, was about to be re-imposed. We had only five minutes to exit the area, but we needed to retain height for the next leg and didn’t want to bleed off too much. So, again I was implored to go faster, FASTER! I think we might have not have quite cleared the area by 1630 when the restriction came back on, but I think it might have only been for a minute or so, and not for want of trying. When we finally landed, I was mentally exhausted. It was one continuous learning experience. Sebastian was disarmingly polite, “Don’t worry, you just need practice.” The art of understatement is alive and well! I am a low hour pilot who is not yet current after a long break out of the sport. If there was ever an incentive to commit once more to gliding, it must be the opportunity to fly with the best pilot in the world. Thanks to everyone at MSC who made it possible for me to live a dream and tick off a bucket list item. Oh, and just for the record, we came in 2nd on the day and Sebastian went on to win the contest overall.
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Three cheers for the
ELECTRIC AGE! BY BERNARD ECKEY Front electric sustainer (FES)
If there was ever any doubt in our gliding scene about the arrival of the electric age, the recent AERO Trade Fair in Germany has removed it completely. This show is almost exclusively dedicated to sport aviation and is recognised as the premier event of this kind. Electrically powered gliders were predominant although most of them were of the sustainer (turbo) variety. This concept clearly points the way into the future.
I
n fact, the future is with us already – the only choice being the location of the electric motor. Some manufacturers place it right at the nose of their glider and promote the Front Electric Sustainer (FES) system while others favor a fully retractable power plant for aerodynamic, aesthetic and performance reasons. Different manufacturers offer different solutions. The FES system was on display with DG, Schempp-Hirth and LAK gliders, in which the propeller is folded back along the fuselage nose. Although it is claimed that the loss of performance is minimal, for competition flying DG promotes the removal of the propeller and fitting a different nose cone. Of course, FES equipped gliders
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are not suitable for self-launching as the propeller has insufficient ground clearance. Lange Aviation and Schleicher have opted for fully retractable electrical drive systems. Lange Aviation brought an Antares fuselage to the Trade Fair and Schleicher had a fully-assembled ASG 32 El on display. This latest variant of their 20 metre wingspan two-seater is equipped with a 25 KW air-cooled brushless motor. It gives this big glider a range of 100 km, but it is not certified for self-launching. Undoubtedly the biggest surprise was Schleicher’s latest creation, the single seat AS 34 Me, for trouble-free club use (see article 40). It is equipped with the same air-cooled EMRAX motor as the ASG 32 El, giving the AS 34 Me self-launch capabilities with an impressive climb rate of 3.7 m/s (7 knots). It gets the AS 34 Me to 2,000 feet in just three minutes. Best of all, it leaves enough juice in the batteries for a further climb to 7,400 feet – more than some 2-stroke petrol engines and more than enough to get cross-country pilots home when thermals quit their services much earlier than expected. At long last a simple and very easy to operate electrically powered glider has come on the market. With integrated wingtip wheels it allows fully independent operation – something many glider pilots have long been waiting for. Clearly, the traditional manufacturers are at the head of the pack but that doesn’t mean that others aren’t also directing their efforts towards electric propulsion systems. Allstar PZL of Poland displayed a FES-equipped glider based on the SZD-55. Well-known
Yes, the usual skepticism towards new technologies may linger for a while but the list of advantages is simply too long to be ignored. companies such as Siemens of Germany are also getting in on the act and produce DC electric motors from 70 to 260 KW. Pipistrel of Slovenia is reportedly working on a training aircraft with a 50 KW water-cooled electric power plant offering a respectable duration of 80 minutes. New battery technologies combined with the latest breed of highly efficient brushless motors leave no doubt that – at least for the recreational aviation sector – the future belongs to electric drive systems. Their simplicity combined with their low maintenance requirements and their unrivalled operator friendliness has them capturing an ever-increasing share of the market. Yes, the usual skepticism towards new technologies may linger for a while but the list of advantages is simply too long to be ignored. Who wouldn’t like to fly super quiet vibration free aircraft, very simple to operate, having no power reduction at altitude and – last but not least – having no fuel smell or exhaust fumes. No wonder glider pilots around the world are excited. Of course, the initial financial outlay remains a factor but, in the end, aircraft that are cheap to operate and require no more maintenance than a mobile phone will prevail. Just connect the charger at the end of the day and expect a fully functioning self-launching glider when next you arrive at the airfield.
Three cheers for the electric age. ASG 32 EL
AS 34 ME
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AS 34 ME introduced at the AERO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SCHLEICHER
ELECTRIC POWERED SELF-LAUNCHING STANDARD CLASS SAILPLANE “Self-Launch, simply, electrically,” were the keywords on the large display announcing our newest aircraft type, the AS 34 Me, at the AERO exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany. It promises to be an easy to fly, fun aircraft with self-launching capability at a reasonable purchase price and with low maintenance costs. Complete independence in a proven standard class sailplane, reduced to the essentials. This affordable, competition capable 15m Standard Class sailplane with all its normal quality and safety features, combined with a powerful electrical propulsion system, opens new possibilities for casual pilots and clubs – optionally also with 18m span. An uncomplicated self-launcher suitable for everyday use was created by adapting a proven standard class sailplane to the
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electrical propulsion system already used in ASG 32 EI. Thanks to the intuitive operation of the engine and the pleasant handling characteristics of the sailplane, it is a pure pleasure to fly at any time. The AS 34 Me has outstanding handling characteristics and very good flying performance. The electrical propulsion system also offers sufficient power to permit everyday powered sailplane operations. In addition to abundant performance for a powerful selflaunch (to e.g. 500 m / 1640 ft), the electric drive system also retains enough capacity for a further climb to 2,250 m / 7400 ft permitting an additional gliding range of 130 km using the saw-tooth climb/ glide method. This offers the pilot, not only the ability to self-launch at any time but also to get home safely. The low-cost engine operation provides new possibilities for club pilots. The battery capacity is sufficient for several self-launches on a single day. The AS 34 Me origins come from the ASW 28. The very slightly
The simple electric self launcher – complete independence in a proven standard class sailplane, reduced to the essentials. AS 34 Me - Powered flight performance
higher wing area compared to other standard class sailplanes in that category – originally meant to compensate for the weight of a ballistic rescue system – is ideal for keeping wing loading as low as possible. The AS 34 Me offers an aircraft with significantly better gliding and powered range performance, particularly to experienced sailplane pilots who might be looking at a self-launch capable glider. In addition, the AS 34 Me provides the quality and safety standards usually found in sailplanes. With the 15 metre version of the AS 34 Me Schleicher are deliberately offering a low-cost entrance to the self-launch category. However, for more ambitious pilots there is the possibility of an 18 metre span version as well as other options. It is easy to fly, easy to operate and easy to maintain
3000 Altitude [m] 2000
1000 500
Distance [km] 0 Self-launch
Rate of climb 3,3 m/s with max. mass
Free flight
20 Climb
with 2,6 m/s
40
60
Glide 1:45
80
100
120
140
(15m span)
DESCRIPTION ›› Proven, efficient high-voltage system ›› Intuitive, coloured control unit known from ASG 32 EL ›› Air-cooled EMRAX motor with 35 kW
E=48
max. and 25 kW cont. power output
›› Wing battery with safety case ›› Wing-tip wheels for completely independent self-launch ›› State of the art safety cockpit ›› No additional drag due to completely retractable propeller ›› Large propeller, matched exactly to the power output ›› 18 metre option available
18 m AS 34 Me
G/S = 45 kg/m2
Polar Curve
TECHNICAL DATA Span Wing area Wing aspect ratio Empty mass Max. Take-off mass Max. wing loading Min. sink Best glide ratio
15 m 10.5 m² 21.4 375 kg 525 kg 50 kg/m² 0.67 m/s 45
EMRAX motor (air cooled): Max. power Max. continuous power Battery capacity
Span Wing area Wing aspect ratio Empty mass Max take-off mass Max. wing loading Min. sink Best glide ratio
18 m 11.9 m² 27.3 387 kg 575 kg 48.4 kg/m² 0.57 m/s 48
Ground roll distance 260 m Take-off distance (15 m barrier) 380 m Rate of climb (35 kW) 3.7 m/s
35 kW 25 kW 8.6 kWh
Powered flight performance (15 m / 49.2 ft span and 465 kg / 1025 lbs take-off mass):
Remaining propulsion capacity after take-off to 600 m / 1970 ft: Rate of climb (25 kW) 2.6 m/s Climbing altitude 2250 m Range 130 km
Design and construction subject to change without prior notice
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41
Interview with
Uli Kremer BY BERNARD ECKEY
Editor’s note, this article was written prior to this year’s AERO Trade Fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
(Q) What can the public expect to see on the Schleicher stand at the AERO Trade Fair this year? (A) the German manufacturers have decided on a two-yearly exhibition interval. We simply can’t present a new model every year but after two years our visitors can expect to see something new again. It must be understood that attending a trade fair swallows up a lot of time and money, which we prefer to invest in the development of new designs and product improvements. This year we will present an ASG 32 Mi featuring a number of refinements as well as the new ASK 21 B model, which will be of major interest to club representatives. Of course, the popular ASH 31 Mi will also be on display and the same applies to the electric version of the ASG 32. We will also introduce a new variant of our latest Standard
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ASG 32 EL
Class glider, which is equipped with the same electric drive system that is already powering the 20 m wingspan ASG 32 El two-seater. This drive unit gives the new AS 34 self-launch capabilities with ample battery power reserves for a lengthy self-retrieve. We strongly believe that the combination of a modern Standard Class glider and a well-proven electric propulsion system will attract an ever-increasing number of glider pilots.
(Q) The gliding world is very keen to learn more about Schleicher’s response to the Ventus 3 and the JS 3. Competitively minded pilots are especially hoping to see the AS 33 at the AERO. How far has the prototype progressed? (A) The AS 33 prototype is progressing well, but it will not be on display at the AERO. We feel that it is far more important to progress this exciting development rather than to present a half-finished aircraft. Still, we will have a detailed presentation on the new AS 33 and we will also let the cat out of the bag as far as previously kept secrets are concerned.
(Q) Can you tell us a little more about this latest development? ASG 29 pilots are still doing extremely well and continue to win many national championships. By all accounts there seems to be only a minute performance difference between the current 18 metre gliders on the market. Where did you find room for improvement and what makes you confident that the AS 33 will continue the dominance of the ASG 29 in 18 m class? (A) Well, it should first be said that for the past 12 years the ASG 29 has not only dominated 18 m but also 15 m class. Even after all these years, ASG 29 pilots are still occupying the top spots on the podium at the end of high-ranking competitions. To improve on such a successful design was a major challenge for our engineers, which involved a detailed look at the latest models of all our competitors. The main challenge was to retain the ASG 29’s legendary ability to climb well in even the weakest of thermals and with a full load of water ballast on board. This required a very careful Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) review of the entire design. Fortunately, the fuselage shape proved to be perfect in its current form but the wing design came in for a much closer scrutiny. The result is a slightly thinner wing with a reduced wing area and a 7-fold trapezoid wing plan form. In 18 m configuration, the AS 33 wing area is only 10 m 2, which increased the aspect ratio to 32.4 and the wing loading to 60
kg/m 2. In 15 m configuration it is as high as 62.5 kg/m 2. As you can imagine, this was a difficult balancing act and to ensure a trouble-free transition of CFD technology into practical application extensive wind tunnel tests were conducted. They have left us in no doubt that we are on the right track. Thanks to up-to-date CFD technology, we have also identified quite a number of other areas where relatively small design modifications can save drag. Using the ASG 29 as a benchmark provided us with accurate comparisons and allowed us to assess the gains very accurately indeed. In particular the wing-fuselage junction and the wingtip/winglet area showed further room for improvement. Although some of the minor modifications have a relatively small effect on overall performance, after adding them up the gains turned out to be bigger than first expected. Especially in the mid to high-speed range, the AS 33 will be clearly better than the ASG 29. Given that the ASG 29 is still matching it with newer 18 m gliders on the market and considering all the advances we have made, we are very confident that the AS 33 will soon regain the “pole position” in both 18 and 15 m classes.
(Q) The trend towards some sort of sustainer engine is quite evident when looking around gliding fields today. I assume the AS 33 will also become available with a “Turbo” engine. What can you tell us about that, and will Schleicher still offer the aircraft as a pure glider? (A) Yes, the AS 33 will most certainly be available as a pure glider – we owe this to the purists amongst our customers. The “Es” version of our sustainer engine was introduced almost five years ago in order to get away from starting the engine by wind-milling the propeller. To achieve this we incorporated an electric starter motor for an automatic engine start with just a single switch. This innovation has made engine management easier than ever before and has all but eliminated ‘finger trouble’. In terms of weight and range this drive unit is far ahead of jet engines or electric drive systems and it is therefore no wonder that more than 60 ASG 29 customers have already embraced our ”Es” drive system. I can also confirm that it will also be fitted to our new AS 33.
(Q) Let’s focus on the ASG 32 now. It is another popular model, which seems to have made a name for itself on the competition scene rather quickly. For many years the Arcus was the only flapped 20 metre glider and has captured the lion share of the market. However, lately more and more ASG 32s seem to populate gliding fields around the world. What is it that makes this new aircraft so attractive? (A) You are right, for the best part of a decade the Arcus was the only 20 metre flapped glider available and it has since attracted a large number of customers. Yes, we may have started a little late but please keep in mind that we had to develop a completely new aircraft for the 20 m two-seater class. This has allowed us to take advantage of the latest aerodynamic research and to integrate the new 9g crashworthiness requirements. Therefore, the ASG 32 is the only two-seater satisfying the latest very stringent CS 22 design rules. Our extraordinary development efforts are now paying dividends. Last year’s independent performance measurements May–July 2019
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INTERVIEW WITH ULI KREMER
Almost all ASG 32Els sold so far are operating in a club environment. No engine management problems have emerged and due to an automatic charging system, no battery problems have arisen either.
ASG 32 EL
by the respected German “Idaflieg” team have confirmed that the ASG 32 is the best performing 20 m glider available today. Its top placing at the recent world championship has further demonstrated the aircraft’s true potential. The word is also spreading within the broader gliding community where the aircraft’s agility and its very pleasant handling receives a lot of praise from all corners of the globe. Even strong crosswinds are of no concern to ASG 32 pilots, which further adds to its attractiveness.
(Q) But Schleicher has also introduced an electrically powered version of the ASG 32. This drive concept seems to point the way into the future. What is the initial feedback from your early customers and how do you see this technology progressing in the years ahead? (A) Please let me answer your last question first. We believe that electrical drive systems have a great future for gliding applications. Their simplicity combined with their low maintenance requirements and their unrivalled operator friendliness will see them capture an ever-increasing share of the market. We have no doubt of that at all. Now back to your first question. With the ASG 32 El we took a very conservative approach. Before we started with series production, we waited for the EASA type approval, which finally arrived in early 2018. Because operating the electric drive system is very simple the ASG 32 El makes an ideal aircraft for gliding clubs. Moving a small lever upwards extends and operates the electric motor and putting the lever down retracts the engine fully automatically as well. “Simplicity simplified,” as one of our customers has put it. Almost all ASG 32Els sold so far are operating in a club environment. No engine management problems have emerged and due to an automatic charging system, no battery problems have arisen either. The longevity of the batteries and the maintenance free drive system keep the running costs on par with conventional combustion engines. In other words, the time has come where clubs can operate
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a powered glider without fearing high maintenance expenses due to engine related issues. Therefore, we predict a great future for the ASG 32 El. Although it is not certified for selflaunching it allows users totally relaxed cross-country flying in the knowledge that a range of 100 km is always available when needed. It climbs at a rate of almost 3 knots, even at high altitude with two people on board and, best of all, without any external or internal noise to speak of.
(Q) Can we switch to the ASK 21 for a moment? This glider has been around for many years and has probably turned more pedestrians into pilots than any other composite glider. It still seems to be as popular as ever, which begs the question why Schleicher has introduced the “B” model. (A) It is most certainly true that the ASK 21 is as popular as ever. There are many reasons for this but one of them is its unique service life of 18 000 hours. Some of our competitors are quoting a ‘design life’ which must not be confused with a certified service life. In short, the longevity of the ASK 21, its low maintenance requirements and its unblemished service record makes it the most economical trainer in the medium to long term. But now back to your question on the ‘B’ model. Nothing is so good that it can’t be improved upon. Pilot comfort and occupant safety were first and foremost on our mind when we decided on the upgrade. At the same time we integrated automatic control connections, an optional spin ballast box in the fin and a host of other refinements. A number of clubs have already decided not to refurbish their aging aircraft and instead purchase the new ASK 21 B model. Due to the excellent retail value of even older ASK 21s the financial outlay is often not as dramatic as first thought.
(Q) Another well established glider is the ASH 31 Mi. It has a large number of fans although it doesn’t really fit into any competition class. How do you explain the tremendous popularity of this glider and
INTERVIEW WITH ULI KREMER
AS 33
how much does it still contribute to your workload today? (A) It is most definitely contributing greatly to our present workload. The ASH 31 Mi was the first 21 metre glider on the market and when it first arrived on the scene its performance surprised even Open Class pilots. Not too many people know that we have already produced close to 200 of these machines, which is far more than the combined number of 21/23m gliders built by all our competitors. That said, I’m quick to add that the majority of ASH 31 Mi customers are anything but competition pilots. What these customers are looking for is an uncomplicated aircraft with a reliable, smooth and powerful engine, an extra large and comfortable cockpit and very pleasant handling characteristics. The ASH 31 Mi ticks all these boxes and its undiminished popularity is therefore not at all surprising.
(Q) Does that apply to the ASH 30 Mi Open Class glider as well? (A) I’m sure you know that the ASH 30 Mi is the long-awaited successor of the very popular ASH 25. Rather than just fitting a more modern wing to an existing fuselage we opted to develop a completely new aircraft, and this has taken a very long time indeed. During this long period the 20m class took off in a big and rather unexpected way. This has greatly affected the demand for this Open Class two-seater but it doesn’t detract from the terrific feeling that comes with flying such a superb machine. The truly magnificent performance and the joy that comes with sharing this magnificent experience with a co-pilot just can’t be reflected in any brochures or product description. Just try it and you will agree!
(Q) Please allow me to ask you a few questions in relation to the company philosophy and the Schleicher plans for the future. Compared to other manufacturers new Schleicher models or product refinements tend to come on the market without much fanfare or any marketing campaigns. Still, the company seems to go along very nicely indeed
and have the support of a large number of loyal customers. How do you explain the ongoing strength of your family enterprise? (A) I must admit that we are perhaps a little slack when it comes to informing the world about our products and innovations. Our young product development team is full of bright ideas. These highly motivated aeronautical engineers have access to the latest tools of the trade, and their total dedication lets us look confidently into the future. Our tradition to rely more on the performance and the reliability of our products and less on trumped up marketing campaigns has served us well in the past. As the saying goes – the proof is in the pudding!
(Q) That’s good to know and very reassuring indeed, Uli - but what can you tell us about Schleicher’s plans for the future? What other interesting developments are in the pipeline? (A) That’s a question that I get asked on a regular basis and one that is not easy to answer. Competition pilots always tell us what they want and what we should develop next. Their requests lead to more complex and forever more difficult projects to realise. We are no longer sure whether this is what the majority of glider pilots really want. Perhaps a less complicated glider – possibly equipped with an electrical drive system for self-launching – is what a large number of glider pilots would like to see. Please ask your readers to let us know what they think!
(Q) We really appreciate your time and thank you on behalf of our readers for sharing your company philosophy and your plans for the future with us. Hopefully we can repeat our visit in the not too distant future and learn more about your exciting product range. (A) You are most welcome – thanks for visiting us. I’m looking forward to talking to you again.
May–July 2019
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ABBEY & ALLY’S ADVENTURES BY ABBEY DELORE
Flying over Rotorua on tow for Taupo
A highlight of soaring in New Zealand is the fantastic gliding clubs scattered over the country providing vastly different landscapes to explore. Cruising by road into the Tauranga Gliding Club for a fix of gliding candy and to touch some fibreglass, my seven year old companion Alessandra Gray and I found ourselves being offered the opportunity to ferry the club’s Duo Discus from Tauranga to Taupo Gliding Club. “You beauty!” we both exclaimed.
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W
ith butterflies, Abbey and Ally’s Adventures kicked off. Ally is the granddaughter of soaring New Zealand legend Peter Lyons and daughter of Philip Gray, tow pilot at Hawkes Bay Gliding Club who tragically, recently passed away. Aviation is thick in her blood. Like her father Phil, Ally was strapped into the tow plane, waving with a beaming smile as they took up slack and in the glider XT, I waved all out. We were bound for Taupo with views of Rotorua and beyond. Ally’s mother Juliet and sister Poppy got a head start with roadside views and greeted us at the airfield with many other familiar faces (including Sebastian Kawa!) at the Club Class National Competition, warmly hosted by the Taupo Gliding Club. A few weeks later Craig Stobbs, an active member at Masterton Aerodrome, knowing of my temporary residence in Hawkes Bay asked if I would like to commentate his display at the Wings Over Wairarapa Airshow, promoting Youth Glide in New Zealand. With my side-kick Ally, we added another adventure to our summer as VIP Airside pass holders and part of the Gliding Aerobatics Team. I climbed up to the mic as Craig Stobbs selflaunched in front of the packed out crowd and climbed to hold at cloud base. As we interrupted the roaring programme with the zooming sounds of silent flight, Craig wowed the crowd with an excellent display in his ASH25m glider YJ. As I was talking up all things magnificent about gliding in New Zealand and the great
Peter Lyons and Phil Gray – 2007
Ally watching the glider her grandfather flew.
Ally in her father's seat
Ally strapped in for the Tauranga to Taupo flight
introduction to aviation that YGNZ brings, Ally stood airside with Jordan Kerr, waiting to steal the show by catching Craig’s long wing as he rolled to a stop in prime position. The Airshow programme continued as the team watched on from the best seats in the house, The Pilatus Lounge. I nipped up to the mic a few more times to support the thrilling pyrotechnics of the Airborne Composites gliding display, flying Grob 109bs. We stayed at the Aerodrome ready for another day of action but unfortunately the show was rained out. The strong community of gliding was evident as we gathered in Masterton at the Central District Soaring Comp to commemorate Ally’s grandfather Peter Lyons, who died 10 years ago. Peter was a prominent figure, mentor and contributor to gliding in New Zealand. We toasted with a ‘Peters Lyons Special’, with fond words from Graham White and others while aero displays by Terry Delore and Craig Stobbs graced the club house before dinner in town. This wonderful sport of gliding has a remarkable family focused community whether active or distant. This is extremely special for the likes of Ally to allow her to connect to her roots and feel part of a larger family, all fascinated by playing in the sky. Just like her father Phil and grandfather Peter. Thanks a million to everyone involved in marking these great soaring moments. With much anticipation Ally is yet to experience her first soaring flight… watch this space. Abbey, Ally and Craig Stobbs at Wings over Wairarapa May–July 2019
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DAVID’S SZD-55 BY DAVID MOODY Takeoff – first flight
In 2013, Auckland Gliding Club member David Moody bought a wrecked Polish SZD glider from Atlanta, Georgia, USA and rebuilt it. This is a potentially cheaper way to end up with a good aircraft – if you’re willing to put in the hours.
A Salvage sale. What David bought.
SIDEBAR SZD gliders were originally built by Polish manufacturer Bielsko Biala. Allstar PZL Glider Company took over the company in 2000 and continues to service the older models as well as producing a fully aerobatic single seater, SZD 59-1 “Acro”, in 13, 15 and 17 m wing span; a standard class single seater SZD 55 “Nexus”; and the multifunctional, heavy duty fully aerobatic SZD 54-2 “Perkoz”, 17 and 20 m.
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few years ago, I started to realise that I was bringing work home and it wasn’t good for me. From there I developed an idea that if I had a project to distract me in the evenings and weekends I could leave work behind; on top of that, if I was smart I could wind up with my own glider. The first thing to do was to check that wife Marion was supportive of the idea. The next thing was to discuss it with Ross Gaddes at Sailplane Services, because obviously I would need support and cooperation, not to mention the benefit of his experience with rebuilds, as the project would likely far exceed my capabilities Ross was very supportive and directed me to a couple of websites to start looking for a suitable project. He also shared the concept that the price one should bid for a wreck is really not that important in the scheme of things; the overall cost of the project will be more dependent on shipping, repair cost and maybe refinishing. He recommended putting in fairly generous bids for any aircraft that seemed attractive. Given that suitable airframes only show up on the auction websites from time to time it’s smarter to pay a little more for a project and get going. The other challenge is that insurance companies will not divulge the amount of a successful bid, so choosing an offer price was a complete shot in the dark.
Inside Tail boom
Vertical – before
Vertical cutout with spar repair
My first bid was on a ground looped Diana 2 with an “exploded” fuselage. I didn’t win that one. A couple of months later, after looking at a string of projects, an SZD-55 came up for offer. Better still, the photographs showed an intact canopy, saving several thousand dollars on the rebuild. This time I followed Ross’s advice and bid high. Success! The next thing to learn about was shipping, and here I was fortunate that a work colleague’s brother was in the business. A couple of phone calls and everything was arranged. Through the insurance agent, I was able to get in touch with the former owner and arrange purchase of the trailer (an ‘Avionic’, a Polish product very similar to a Cobra). The owner very kindly offered to drive it the 400 miles from his house to the salvage yard at no cost. The salvage yard offered to pack the sailplane into the trailer and the trailer into the container for $500. After that the shipping company took over and delivered the container to Auckland. Things got a little challenging here, as the glider had not been cleaned after ground looping in a recently ploughed tobacco field and was full of dirt. (Once we finally got it home it also turned out to have 20+ litres of good American water in one wing.) MPI required a steam cleaning before releasing it from the port. Unfortunately, we found this out the day before the Christmas holidays, so my container was held captive for three weeks. Just another $2000 for demurrage on the container. Early in the New Year, Marion and Maurice Honey were able to shoot around to the yard and pick up my new toy. There were huge smiles when I arrived home from work to find the trailer in the drive. I couldn’t wait to open it up and have a look. Bugger! It was immediately apparent that the 1998 version had spent many summers outside, so the project was now going
to include a refinish. A few days later I invited Ross and Shane from Sailplane Services to come and have a look and comment, hoping they would see stuff that I hadn’t noticed, in places I hadn’t thought to look. Essentially the accident damage was just as described and photographed by the insurance broker, the only real difference being some quite significant damage to the vertical stabiliser and horizontal stabiliser attachment fitting. Man, that must have been some ground loop! The immediate plan became to sand back the beast prior to commencing any structural work. I tracked down a decent quality orbital sander and an industrial vacuum cleaner so I could get to work. It turns out that sanding is quite good therapy. It would need to be as I spent a fair bit of time doing it. I learnt a few things, like not to use an orbital anywhere near a leading edge, and how to avoid (mostly) running through the thin 110 g/m2 layer on the surface. Once that was complete, it was off to Sailplane Services to scheme the overall approach to repairs. I downloaded the excellent technical services manual and repair manual from the Allstar PZL website so we had acceptable technical data for most of the repairs. There were a number of little details like punctures under the fuselage nose and breaks in the vertical stabiliser spars that were within my capability to repair under close supervision from Ross. Once these were tidied up that left the three major repairs: ›› tail broken off ›› damage to top of vertical and horizontal stabiliser attachment ›› compression damage at wing root At this stage I started to communicate with the factory for guidance about some of the details, as the interaction of various parts was a bit more complex than could be figured out from the repair manual. There were some challenges getting the factory to accept that a repair organisation not approved by them, and outside the EASA jurisdiction would be allowed to carry out the repair. In the end, we received all the support we needed. Broken tail boom - not a problem. Ross and his team set up the parts in their jig and joined them together. The top of the vertical stabilizer was a bit more challenging. It took a sketch from the factory before we could figure out the construction. Once understood it was a relatively simple repair to build up a new end rib and a cantilever support for the top of the rudder. We also had to learn about bonding the alloy fitting to the horizontal stabiliser. Shane did a great job. The wing root repair also had some complexities because the damage extended rearward almost to the spar, and we needed to figure out details of how the sandwich panel interacted with the spar cap and spar web connections. It was quite complicated with some nonstructural carbon fibre in there which we are told is just to assist with the layup process. After that, the fuselage went into Sailplane Services spray booth for a first coat of finish. At this point we realised that refinishing was labour-intensive and provided another opportunity for the proud owner to participate in some ‘hands on’ work (after completing a couple of ‘moonlight’ engineering projects to pay for the professional work on the big repairs). About this time, I approached Lindsey Stevens to ask if he would work with me to complete the refinishing. Lindsey is the master; his eye must have taken years to develop. He sees and
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reworks things that I can scarcely notice. The end result is a credit to his refinishing skills and has already drawn heaps of favourable comment. Once again, this part of the job involved lots of sanding, all manual this time, with Lindsey applying the paint and he and myself sanding it off again. As the saying goes, the job was, “90% complete, only 90% to go!” For my SZD, with the battery in the tail and with 20-year-old instruments, there was a significant amount of work to do rewiring and replacing the typical bird’s nest behind the instrument panel with an acceptable system with circuit breakers, distribution buses, a transponder, and a new variometer. Fortunately, Roy Innes very kindly offered to assist me with circuit design and installation. I would have been lost without his expertise. Together we spent a bunch of weekends (interspersed with a couple of contests) figuring out the best way to route wires to come up with a logical and tidy arrangement. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, the aircraft was complete and went back to Ross at Sailplane Services for annuals and ARA prior to being presented to CAA for issue of an airworthiness certificate. The first flight was 27 April, just 35 minutes before the sea breeze deleted local lift at Drury, however that was enough for me to determine that the project was been worth it. On the first takeoff, the glider leapt into the air…the only similar experience I can relate it to was the K8 (decades ago).
‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ I couldn't have done this without the help and support of many friends, and I’m the first to acknowledge that this was far from a ‘first solo’ project. Thank you, friends. 50
May–July 2019
Over the Easter weekend, four of Youth Glide students: Blake Wilson, James Mitchell, Josh Ferguson and Laura Wagstaff from Manawatu, Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Tauranga got to spend the week at Taupo Gliding Club at the Youth Glide Mini Camp, to further their experience and knowledge. It was a good week with good weather, good instructors and good company. Special thanks from everyone at Taupo Gliding club for hosting another successful and fun camp for our junior students to learn lots and have a good time.
LAURA WAGSTAFF TAURANGA GLIDING CLUB
I’ve been to all the mini-camps Taupo have had, from the first held in Taupo in late 2016 to the most current in April. They never fall short of what they can provide to up-and-coming youth glide pilots. I’ve always walked away from Taupo with more experience and that much closer to my QGP licence. This camp I managed to do a land-out simulation with Tom Anderson, which went rather smoothly. I can safely say I can walk away feeling confident that if I’m ever put into that position in the future I could land the glider. I also was lucky enough to get a cross-country flight with Trevor Terry. It was great to get some cross-country experience, which I hadn’t really had before and broaden my knowledge even further. Thank you Trev. Taupo Gliding club, thank you again for the hospitality, the laughs and most importantly the flying and no doubt I’ll be back again.
YOUTH GLIDE MINI CAMP
Laura Wagstaff on tow with Brett Cameron in ZL-GTG
James Mitchell familarising himself with the ASW 28
Josh Ferguson with Bill Kendall
Blake Wilson
BLAKE WILSON
JAMES MITCHELL
The 2019 Easter mini-camp at Taupo was an awesome way to finish my super fun and achievement packed summer soaring season. Although conditions didn't allow for many opportunities of extended flights I did manage to pack in a couple of very memorable flights. The first was a very educational local soaring flight from the back seat with the highly knowledgeable Trev Terry in his Duo Discus. Thanks Trev. The other highlight of the camp was on our final evening together where the remaining three lads rode the last of the day’s lift on the western faces of Mount Tauhara. Flying alongside some awesome YouthGlide friends is always a highlight and having the sky going orange and the beautiful setting with a rather sizable lake made the flight so much more enjoyable. Thanks heaps to the whole team at Taupo Gliding Club. They truly have an awesome lot of members and great facilities. Also, a huge thanks to YouthGlide for once again giving us an opportunity to have some fun at a new club and fly alongside some great mates.
Taupo … a place that I had driven through many times and a place I had never flown before. Taupo’s more complex airspace, higher traffic levels and different conditions allowed me to further advance my flying and learn about how to overcome it all. The new airspace was lower, and more confined then what I am used to in the Wairarapa with our 9,500 feet LL. Taupo has a rather busy MBZ right next door, which was very helpful in becoming more confident on the radio, and using radio technique after hearing the other aircraft speak. Flying the ASW28 through convergence, something I had not had much experience in, was something I won’t forget. Being able to explore how the convergence worked in such a nice glider really was a highlight. Having the ability to test out techniques you’ve heard from others, or just float around and explore what’s happening was something I don’t think I will experience in the same way anywhere else. Having Mt Tauhara to fall back on was a bonus, its northern face somehow always providing a thermal. It was used many times when nothing else would work. Its ridge lift allowed for some fun, while the hikers at the trig point watched the fibreglass bird rocket past. I was busy learning new techniques on how to climb in ridge lift. Thank you to Taupo Gliding Club for having us and allowing us such a cool experience. Hopefully we will all be back soon.
MANAWATU GLIDING CLUB
WELLINGTON GLIDING CLUB
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blast from the past PETER LAYNE HISTORIAN
Georgeson flying an out and return for a Gold C in South Island lee wave. Ralph made a diamond height and covered 200 miles in four hours. Not bad in those days in Dick Georgeson’s old Skylark 3 GAY. January 1959, and the first ever New Zealand 100 km triangle was flown by Warren Denton in the Weihe GAE. He flew from Burnt Hill to Burnham to Highbank Powerhouse and back to Burnt Hill; a total distance of 113 km. Using thermals, which topped out at 5,000 feet, he made good time until the Highbank to Burnt Hill leg. Flying into a stiff easterly he was at times down to 600 feet and at one stage nearly had to land in the middle of a cricket match on the Glentunnel Domain. There was no golf course next door then. Note that this leg took l hour 10 minutes of the total flying time of 3 hours 6 minutes. Stewart Cain
When Peter Layne and your editor first discussed a history column, we decided to name it Blast from the Past. Last month Peter remembered why that seemed so familiar. Once upon a time, the venerable Stew Cain from the Canterbury Gliding Club used to write a similar column for the Gliding Kiwi, the predecessor to SoaringNZ. Stew and Peter used to discuss the details of the tales that Stew would then write. Peter found this story in his archives. It was originally published in 1998.
ACHIEVING OR DOING IT BY STEWART CAIN
Glider achieves 50 Miles an Hour By “Aerial Surf”. So ran the headlines back in late 1957. The flight referred to was one by Aucklander Ralph Court who was visiting the Wairarapa along with a group from the Auckland Gliding Club. Flying from Masterton, they enjoyed first-hand the fast becoming famous Wairarapa wave conditions. Ralph, who was chairman of the NZ Gliding Association for many years, made an extremely good flight. All this interest in wave flying had been sparked by Dick
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Being a farmer, Warren had a good laugh when he saw a farmer drilling a paddock (sowing seed, you town twits) and steering a very crooked course whilst watching the low circling glider. Another interesting flight Warren did about then was soaring the Waimakariri River bank near the Gorge and for about a mile downstream. Flying just a couple of hundred feet above the bank, using easterly lift, he soared for quite a while, at times startling sightseers near the high gorge bridge by calling out to them as he turned above their heads. To land, a very quick turn was made into a paddock on the top of the terrace. Peter Wylie, flying Canterbury Gliding Club’s Skylark 2, used this lift as well. This type of flying was not for the faint of heart I can tell you. During the 1959 Christmas camp at Burnt Hill, Balfour Dingwall, flying the syndicate Skylark 2 GAS (the remains of which are on top of Mt St.Cuthberts, Omarama) - flew 42 miles in 3 hours 15 mins. On 7th January 1961 Len Thompson flying the Eagle two-seater GBD, with me as navigator, established the first NZ two-seater 100 km triangle using thermals in a time of 2 hours 19 mins. Thermals topped at 10,000 feet. Three days later I flew the task in reverse order, this time
solo in the Eagle, in a time of 3 hours 30 minutes. It was my first l00 km triangle, I was determined not to land out and I only had 9,000 feet thermals! All these flights allow you to see that the ground speed in most cases was at cart horse pace – a galloping horse mind you! Another headline in November 1961 trumpeted "Glider Climbed At Fighter Pace". Again, this was me in the Eagle flying from the Birch Hill strip at Mount Cook. I was climbing rapidly towards cloud at nearly 40 feet/sec. I had to open the brakes fully and dive at max rough air speed of about 85 mph and still climbed at 15 feet/sec before fortunately finding some sink. A bit scary. Fred Dunn said that the rate of climb equalled that of the early Spitfires; hence the headline. The thing in common with all these flights was that during climbs using thermals, groundspeed was nil as one had to stop and circle before carrying on with the task. Straight-line flying depending on the aircraft was usually about 60 – 70 mph otherwise one’s glide angle assumed that of a brick. Most sailplanes had very poor penetration due to their light construction and no water ballast. Gerald Westenra was flying on the top of Mt.Cook in the club’s Skylark 2 GBX during our November 1961 visit. He told us over the radio that he was flying at 100 mph but was unable to go anywhere because of the lack of penetration. He told me later that he wished he had been in the Eagle with its greater weight and better performance. At nearly half a ton all up and a 60 foot wingspan she flew into wind much more easily. Dick Georgeson, who had imported her, had done so to enable him to have a crack at the World Gain of Height record and this meant that he would be using wave lift which required the ability to fly into wind jumping from wave to wave. The Eagle was ideal, not only because of its performance, but it could also carry a bigger supply of oxygen. In those early days of pioneering oxygen use in gliders, weight and capacity were all important. Dick had two systems installed, one of low pressure with very large light-weight and low capacity bottles and also a heavier bottle more like we have today. Most of his flights would be of long
Mt.Chudleigh just north of Mt. Cook to begin his declared task Mt.Chudleigh Waikaia- Mt.Chudleigh, a 500 km out and return speed task. The start point is about 150 km from Hororata. The task begun, he flies south covering the 263 km in l hr l0 minutes, that's about 226 kph. On the return leg he encounters a cold front which brings him down to 8,000 feet and slows him down and he completes the task in 2 hrs 40 mins. The distance flown; 526.11 km at an average speed of 197.27 kph. Maximum height 20,000 feet. When he had finished his task he returned to Hororata about 30 minutes later. The total distance flown, just over 800 km for the afternoon. Terry will claim a speed record for 500 km out return for Open and 15m gliders.
Terry Delore in the ‘80s
duration and he would use the low-pressure system below about 25,000 feet and then swap to another mask on the other system which was pressure demand. Dick was unsuccessful in the Eagle but on 16 December 1960 he attained his goal using the Skylark 3f GCF which he had bought from Phillip Wills in England. The Eagle, when imported, came with completed wings and Fred Dunn built the fuselage in a building at No 5 Petrie St., Christchurch. A syndicate was formed to buy it off Dick and ten of us used it for a number of years before it was sold to a Wellington syndicate, also calling themselves ‘The Eagle Syndicate’. It later met its demise on 14 April 1963. A syndicate member was flying north of Wellington when he saw a cold front approaching. He flew ahead of it and landed in a paddock where he tied one wing to a fence post. He then lay on that wing tip as well and then the front hit. The force of the gale ripped the fence post out of the ground and when the pilot was about 15 feet in the air realised that he wasn't going to save the aircraft so he dropped to the ground, and the wonderful Eagle ended up in a ravine smashed and broken. Fred Dunn reckoned it could be rebuilt but when he arrived, he found to his horror that some Civil Aviation idiots had called to inspect this wooden aircraft for glue failure. It was built using Aero-lite 300, glue which had been developed during the 2nd World War to build de Havilland Mosquito bombers. It was incredibly strong glue - a butt joint glue
repair would never break at the glue-joint before the member broke somewhere else. Anyway, the Civil Aviation people had CUT THROUGH THE MAIN SPAR and taken sections of it away so the beautiful Eagle GBD which had given pleasure to scores of pilots was never rebuilt. All that remains of it is the stick from the rear cockpit which I was given many years ago.
Then a few days later Theo Newfield and Alistair Malcolm flew the ASH 25 from Omarama over the same task at an incredible speed of 211.5 kph. So, what has changed? Knowledge and technology. What hasn't changed? Dedication to Achieve and thousands of hours Doing It - Soaring the skies in this incredible country that we have.
And so, to the present. Saturday 14th March 1998 at Hororata and a nor'wester is blowing, to most of us it’s just another nor'wester but not to all. One Terry Delore rigs and launches at 12.20 pm. After release he flies to
Theo Newfield in the ASH 25
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PART ONE:
GLIDING – THREAT AND ERROR MANAGEMENT or How to Reduce Mistakes and FLY SAFELY BY ARTHUR GATLAND
Arthur Gatland started flying in 1963 at age 13 and has accumulated 17,000+ flying hours including 2,500 hours in RAF fighters such as Harriers, Hunters, Hawks. Arthur has now retired after flying Boeing 777 for Air New Zealand as both Captain and instructor, and ten years as Manager of Training and Flight Standards. He is an A Cat glider instructor, with a Gold C and 3 Diamonds, and was a previous CFI of the Auckland Gliding Club.
This series on Threat and Error Management were originally printed in SoaringNZ issues 16, 17, and 18. That was nine years ago. There is a whole new group of pilots who will benefit from a reprint as the advice given is a relevant as it has ever been. Our gliding accident rate in recent years has not been good. The fact is that on average we have one fatality a year, with all the tragedy that this brings to families and friends, not to mention the huge cost in damaged and destroyed gliders and associated increase in insurance costs etc. Yet gliding is inherently a relatively safe sport, and historically has been second only to airline flying as one of the safest types of aviation. To my knowledge, none of our spate of accidents has been the result of structural or mechanical defects – all have resulted from pilots unnecessarily putting themselves in a situation that for various reasons have resulted in a crash. Ridges, rocks and trees do not suddenly leap out and hit gliders – yet we manage to collide with them on a regular basis. And despite the fact that gliders are safer, have better handling and performance, better airbrakes, more comfort, and better visibility than those of 30-odd years ago, our accident rate is worse. Why is this – and more importantly, what can we do about it? Already, I can see a number of pilots losing interest in this discussion – because “This doesn’t apply to me – I’m experienced / skilled / smarter / an above average pilot (delete where applicable) and I don’t make those mistakes.” If you really believe this of yourself, then you can replace those descriptions with “arrogant / overconfident / unrealistic / unaware” (delete where applicable). This series of articles applies to every glider pilot in New Zealand, regardless of experience. I believe that, like many accidents where contributing causes are often small but multiple, there has been a lowering of our
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flight standards for a number of reasons. These include: »» lower average flying hours due to less leisure time and financial constraints »» higher performance gliders that create an unrealistic expectation that we always get home from cross-country flights »» changes to national culture where people think they have the right to be more independent which leads to less discipline, reluctance to ask for on-going training, less time to talk to and listen to more experienced pilots, and unfortunately a lowering of instructing discipline and standards. We all – individually and collectively – need to look at ourselves and see where we can attack these issues and reverse the slide in our flying standards and safety. One technique we can all use to improve our flying safety is the use of Threat and Error Management, which I will describe in this and following articles. This is a simple technique of understanding the type of situation where we are more likely to make a mistake and to prevent making errors which might lead to disaster.
“TO ERR IS HUMAN” (CICERO, 50 BC). In other words, we ALL make mistakes. Accepting this is an important step to understanding when and where errors occur, and therefore how to prevent errors. Pilots who think they don’t make mistakes are (a) seriously mistaken (b) dangerously overconfident (c) have a limited life expectancy! Errors are most likely to occur when we are faced with a
exertion of pushing you are hot before you even get into the glider. You strap in and as you are doing your pre-takeoff checks, someone interrupts you to ask if you’ve remembered about the night’s barbeque. It’s a bit windy and you haven’t briefed the towpilot, so after takeoff he annoyingly takes you downwind to what he probably thinks is a good looking cloud. You don’t find lift, but you practice a few turns, then head back to the airfield, encountering unexpected sink on the way. Your circuit is lower than you would have liked and you are concerned about another glider on circuit at the same time. Your circuit is a bit rushed, and with a short finals, you don’t quite sort out the crosswind so the landing is a bit untidy. After landing the next pilot points out that the DI hasn’t been signed today. All of these variations to the Pristine Flight constitute Threats that will increase the likelihood of you making a small slip, or an error in judgement, or forgetting something – regardless of your experience. Let’s review what these Threats might include:
Don’t be rushed during your cockpit preparation and checks.
THREAT, that is, something that presents a change to what we are used to, or what we are comfortable with. To understand what constitutes a Threat, I will introduce the concept of a Pristine Flight (courtesy of Continental Airlines). In this first article, I will concentrate on a local soaring flight and discuss possible threats, and in part two and three we will expand this to cross-country flights, and competition and other specialised flights.
PRISTINE FLIGHT: This is a simple gliding flight where everything goes exactly to plan. You arrive at the airfield and the club glider you want to fly is available, already DI’d and at the launch point. Helpers are readily available to pull it out for you, and a towplane is waiting. You are current on type and an instructor is happy to authorise your local flight. There is no wind and no lift or associated sink. There are no other gliders flying and no delay to your takeoff. The weather is pleasant; not too hot. You aerotow to 2000 feet and glide gracefully back to the circuit, practising a few turns and speed control. Your well-planned circuit is uninterrupted by other gliders or crosswinds and landing is uneventful. This is a Pristine Flight – arguably a bit boring, but with no real interruptions to your simple plan. Now let’s talk about likely variations – many of them very common – that can upset your plan. You planned to be at the airfield by 11.00am but you are annoyed that you are late because your partner was late getting back from shopping. No-one has bothered to get the glider out of the hangar and it hasn’t been DI’d. You are short of time so you must hurry these processes. The only instructor is flying, and you haven’t flown for 2 months so although you think you might need authorisation, you decide it’ll be OK to go without. There is only one other person to help push the glider on to the start line, an inexperienced student who you need to brief. After the
Time pressure
Frustration
Impatience
Procedural uncertainty
Heat discomfort
Interruptions
Weather changes
Poor preparation
Unexpected sink
Outside interference
Inexperience
Lack of currency
Fatigue
Other traffic
Poor training
Poor health
Inexperienced crew
Launch delay
Turbulence
Unfamiliar airfield
ATC / airspace
Technical issue
Dehydration
Hunger
Cross-country introduces an additional list of threats which we will discuss in the next article. Note that many Threats are normal and some even desirable. For example a moderate wind might be appreciated for ridge soaring, but result in a crosswind takeoff and landing, and result in a headwind when returning to the airfield. Good thermals can also cause unwanted sink on downwind leg in the circuit. You may be aiming for your 5-hour endurance, but this will raise threats of thirst, hunger, fatigue, etc.
THREATS All threats increase your likelihood of making an error. A proficient pilot can easily recognise all threats, and implement a strategy to prevent an error resulting. Some examples might include: »» Interruptions: If someone talks to you when you are halfway through your pre-takeoff checklist, recognise that this threat is likely to result in your forgetting something, and start again from the beginning. »» Procedural uncertainty: Any time you hear that nagging voice questioning something (are we clear for take-off, did I do my checks, did I sign that DI, do I need instructor authorisation, did I remove the tail dolly) – then STOP and double-check. Observers always respect someone who acts professionally and questions some small detail, in stark contrast to someone who makes an assumption and is proven to be an idiot. »» Time pressure: Any time you feel pressure to hurry – for
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There may be other traffic in the circuit
»»
»»
whatever reason – you should be aware that this is a major cause of errors, through forgetting processes (tail dolly removed?), forgetting to take essential equipment (maps, drinks, hat etc.), ignoring procedures (takeoff checklist) etc. Other traffic: A good pilot will always join the circuit assuming there will be other gliders rejoining, and have sufficient height to give way to a lower performance glider. He/she will also know the rules regarding landing if there is a glider ahead on final approach – where to land etc. Unexpected sink: Always anticipate sink in the circuit. However if a circuit is flown using correct techniques this should be self-correcting – don’t rely on the altimeter, or ground features for turn-in points, but assess your angle to landing point. Any unexpected sink can easily be corrected by adjusting distance out and turn-in point – if a pilot is alert to the possibility of unexpected sink.
INEXPERIENCE AND INSTRUCTOR RESPONSIBILITY: Early solo pilots cannot be expected to recognise all threats existing on any particular day. This is why an instructor must authorise and brief early solo pilots. It is the instructor’s responsibility to assess all threats and brief an early solo pilot accordingly. The brief might be along the following lines (abbreviated): »» I have checked your logbook and confirmed you are current on this glider type. Your aim of today’s flight is to search for lift and practice thermalling. There are several other gliders airborne, so let’s review how you join a thermal if another glider is there first. Remember when you are concentrating on thermalling and speed control that lookout is actually more important. There is a moderate northerly wind today, so stay upwind of the airfield. Always keep the airfield in sight and have a plan on how to rejoin circuit if you don’t find lift. Be aware of the likelihood of sink in the circuit area. Where will you land if another glider has landed ahead of you? It’s hot today – have you got a sunhat and sunglasses? Now make sure you take your time getting comfortable in the cockpit and
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doing your checks – don’t let anyone rush you. Any questions – anything you have any doubts about? The main ways that new pilots can gain experience and knowledge is by instructors or experienced pilots passing on these thoughts, OR learning by making mistakes! Which method is better??!!
SOME EXAMPLES OF THREATS AND ERRORS: 1. An experienced pilot was rigging his motor-glider for a flight from a remote airfield where there were no other glider pilots around, although a number of interested spectators were watching and talking to the pilot. While rigging, he was further interrupted by a phone call, and failed to mount the tailplane correctly. After takeoff the tailplane detached and the pilot was killed.
THREATS
POSSIBLE STRATEGIES
Remote airfield, unusual environment, out of normal ‘comfort zone’.
Be aware of risk of errors because of change to normal routine. Exercise extra caution, take your time.
No other qualified glider pilots to carry out a duplicate rigging check.
Ask if anyone has flying experience and brief them on how to carry out a check for you. Alternatively go away briefly, and come back as if you were carrying out your own duplicate check with a ‘fresh look’.
Interruption during rigging.
Recognise this as a serious threat! Start again and ensure everything is checked from scratch.
Interested spectators watching and asking questions.
While we want to foster interest in gliding, and encourage pilots to talk to spectators – a pilot must separate this from operational procedures. “Let me finish rigging, then I’ll come and tell you all about it.”
Nagging doubts or uncertainty.
NEVER assume – always check.
Over-confidence
Every pilot must acknowledge that we are all human and we do all make mistakes.
2. A pilot elected to fly his new motor-glider to a family farm, where he flew a circuit, while extending the engine to
carry out an approach and motorised go-around, to ‘show off’ the glider. The engine failed to start, and while flying the circuit he got low and slow, stalling on base turn. The pilot was killed.
THREATS
POSSIBLE STRATEGIES
Remote ‘airfield’, unusual environment, out of normal ‘comfort zone’.
Be aware of risk of errors because of change to normal routine. Exercise extra caution, take your time.
Carrying out an unusual and potentially high risk manoeuvre.
Practice engine-extended circuits at home airfield before trying this on crosscountry flights or at other airfields.
Carrying out any demanding manoeuvre – risk of pre-occupation with this task and forgetting to fly the glider first.
Recognise this as a serious threat! First priority is always to fly the glider, and in this case maintain safe speed and correct circuit pattern in case the motor doesn’t start.
Interested spectators / friends watching – pressure to ‘put on a good show’ and to stick to a plan even if it’s not working.
Any ‘display’ or demonstration – official or ad hoc – should be legal and should only involve well-practiced manoeuvres and procedures. Keep it simple and safe.
PROCEDURES THAT ASSIST WITH THREAT AND ERROR MANAGEMENT (TEM): We already have a number of checks and procedures that have been developed over the years, all of which help with TEM. Some examples: Checklists – all are designed to ensure we have completed all essential actions, and/or to check the position of equipment (gear down, flaps set) or the operation of controls (airbrakes check). By completing a checklist diligently you remove any nagging doubt you may suddenly have, for example during takeoff (I can’t remember if I took off the tail dolly...???). Eventualities planning – this is a required part of pre-takeoff checks, allowing you to plan for unexpected threats or emergencies. It should also be an on-going thought process throughout the flight.
(If that glider joins the circuit ahead of me, what will I do? If this cloud has no lift, can I get back to the airfield etc.) Standard Operating Procedures – normal procedures, circuit procedures, right of way rules, ridge flying protocols, are all part of TEM. Make sure you understand WHY we do certain things – for example: »» Strap in before doing control checks »» Don’t attach towrope until fully ready to launch »» Specify nosehook or bellyhook open »» Check full operation of airbrakes on downwind »» Maintain safe speed near the ground. »» Always secure the wingtip when parking a glider All of these procedures have resulted from learnings from previous accidents!
CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS: An important part of Threat and Error Management (TEM) is to understand the consequences of possible errors, and to make doubly sure the most consequential errors do not occur. Forgetting your map on a local flight may not be important at all, but forgetting your map on a cross-country flight could lead to navigation uncertainty, infringing controlled airspace etc. Stalling while pulling up into a thermal might be slightly annoying, stalling on base turn may be the last mistake you ever make. Some errors have downstream effects. Forgetting to raise the gear after takeoff has often resulted in gear being raised instead of lowered for landing which has led to a wheels-up landing. This is also a good example of ‘seeing what you expect to see’ – you can’t believe you landed wheels-up “because I know I did my pre landing checks diligently!”
SUMMARY: Every flight involves some threats and all pilots must ensure they recognise these and have a strategy to manage the threats and prevent errors, and/or have a process to catch errors or slips that may have occurred. Remember we ALL make some mistakes on every flight – the important thing is to ensure they are not critical ones, or that they are captured before they lead to an undesirable situation.
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GNZ awards & certificates
MARCH 2019 – APRIL 2019
WHAT ARE THREATS? »» Any variation to our straightforward Pristine Flight is a Threat »» Every Threat increases the likelihood of an Error being committed »» Every Threat requires a positive strategy to manage it and prevent errors
USEFUL STRATEGIES: The following are just a few examples of TEM strategies that should become automatic to a skilled and safe pilot. TEM STRATEGIES: »» Use SOPs / Procedures diligently »» Don’t succumb to time pressure »» Always fly the glider first »» When fatigued be more careful and conscientious »» After interruptions, say “Where was I?” »» Always carry out a Situation Awareness review after a period of high workload »» Don’t ‘see what you expect to see’ – look for errors »» Listen to ‘that little voice’ that questions what you are doing »» Take advice from other pilots, especially experienced glider pilots. THREAT AND ERROR MANAGEMENT: was introduced to Air New Zealand around 15 years ago, and is a mainstay of pilots’ briefings for every takeoff and approach/landing. It is a proven technique for assessing and mitigating risk and has been accepted worldwide as a powerful yet simple tool in improving safety and preventing errors. It is imperative our gliding movement adopts this tool – individually and collectively – to stop our slide in safety standards and return to a safe and proficient operation – and still have great fun!
A MESSAGE TO INSTRUCTORS AND EXPERIENCED PILOTS: You have a particular responsibility for ensuring Club operations are always carried out professionally and responsibly. You can do this firstly by setting a great example with your own diligent procedures. You should also be watching what other pilots are doing as they prepare to fly, or when they approach and land. Never let your guard down – lives have been saved because someone had doubts about what another pilot was doing, and ‘interfered’ by questioning something...
TO EVERY GLIDER PILOT: Acknowledging your vulnerability to mistakes is actually a sign of strength. In flying, you never stop learning. Every flight, whether you have 50 hours, 500 hours, or 15,000 hours, presents us with the same threats that must be recognised and managed. On every single flight you need to ask: »» What are my threats today? »» How will I manage and mitigate these? IN THE NEXT ARTICLE I will continue the theme of Threat and Error Management into cross-country flying – which is an area that has resulted in a significant number of serious accidents.
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EDOUARD DEVENOGES GNZ Awards Officer
gnzawards@xtra.co.nz 40 Eversham Road, Mt Maunganui 3116.
QGP No 3426 3427 3428 3429 3430 3431 3432 3433
Pilot’s Name Bruce Kerl Gregory D. Mayson Ronald Beezer Malcolm D. Thomson Patrick J. Lalor Mathieu A. Turquier Dennis I. Green Rabul Bagchi
Club Date Glider Glide Omarama 22 2 2019 Gliding Manawatu 7 3 2019 Wellington GC 11 3 2019 Auckland GC 18 3 2019 Piako GC 29 3 2019 Taupo GC 12 4 2019 Taranaki GC 18 4 2019 Auckland ASC 22 4 2019
SILVER DISTANCE William J. Kendall James K. T. Austin Anja Runge Alan K. Park Gerard Robertson Michael T. Lennard
Taupo GC 3 2 2019 Gliding Manawatu 3 2 2019 Wellington GC 17 2 2019 Gliding Manawatu 17 2 2019 Auckland GC 20 3 2019 Wellington GC 7 3 2019
SILVER DURATION James K. T. Austin Greg Mayson Blake Wilson
Gliding Manawatu 3 2 2019 Astir CS 77 Gliding Manawatu 8 2 2019 LS 3 Gliding Manawatu 10 2 2019 Astir CS 77
SILVER HEIGHT James K. T. Austin Maria Cramp Greg Mayson Blake Wilson Alan K. Park Michael T. Lennard
Gliding Manawatu 8 2 2019 Wellington GC 11 2 2019 Gliding Manawatu 8 2 2019 Gliding Manawatu 10 2 2019 Gliding Manawatu 17 2 2019 Wellington GC 7 4 2019
SILVER BADGE 1188 Anja Runge 1189 James K. T. Austin 1190 Alan K. Park
Wellington GC Gliding Manawatu Gliding Manawatu
GOLD DURATION James K. T. Austin Greg Mayson Blake Wilson
Gliding Manawatu 3 2 2019 Astir CS 77 Gliding Manawatu 8 2 2019 LS 3 Gliding Manawatu 10 2 2019 Astir CS 77
GOLD DISTANCE Sarel Venter
Piako GC
DIAMOND GOAL 346 Robert J. Laskey
Gliding Manawatu 8 2 2019 LS 3
NZ RECORD 100 km, Triangle, Speed, D13.5, General Murray Wardell PW 5
Discus CS Astir CS 77 DG 101 DG 1000 Discus b DG 101
Astir CS 77 DG 100 LS 3 Astir CS 77 DG 1000 DG 100
21 2 2019 21 2 2019 25 3 2019
17 10 2018 ASW 15
18 11 2018 37.88 kph
GNZ FIRST COMPETITION AWARD 054 James K. T. Austin Gliding Manawatu 21 2 2019 055 Alan K. Park Gliding Manawatu 25 3 2019 056 Michael T. Lennard Wellington GC 8 4 2019
a question of safety MARTYN COOK National Operationals Officer
Incident Reports reveal where we are bumping into the edge of the safe operating envelope. This can be due to a weakness in the training programme, lack of currency, not paying enough attention, inadequate preparation – or just simply drifting away from good practice. Review of Incident Reports for Feb + March 2019
›› winch-trained pilot on aerotow, light single on belly hook, distracted for three seconds, climbed above tug ›› severe turbulence on tow due strong wind in lee, glider pushed high, glider + tug both released ›› undercarriage lever actuated prior to downwind but wheel was retracted rather than lowered ›› motor glider took off towards winch parachute on ground, wrong flap setting, longer ground roll ›› heavy landing on airfield, 2 POB on training flight, student flying,
The thread through many of these reports is a lapse in focused attention and the hazard of distractions and interruptions. It is timely to issue a reminder to all clubs about the hazards of an aerotow upset when the glider goes too high or too far out to the side. One pilot looked away at 1,200 feet 'for about three seconds' to monitor separation from another aircraft and the tug almost disappeared out of sight below. Fortunately recovered. The second upset was due to strong turbulence on a day possibly too strong for gliders to be flying safely. Launching (winch or aerotow) does require full attention from the pilot, maintaining a full scan even when directing attention to a potential hazard.
Regarding the 'brakes open on launch' issue, the checklist sequence has been altered to BEC so that 'brakes' is no longer last on the list. It may take a new generation of pilots before this sequence is regularly used.
A second factor is distractions during
A BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR PILOTS?
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• A “must have” book. Sailplane & Gliding (UK). • “The book of the Century… You must buy this book, sell whatever it takes, but buy it.” Gliding International (NZ). • Unmissable, alongside Reichmann, Bradbury and Moffat. L’@éroBibliothèque (France). • Will remain in the history of the literature, perhaps more so than Reichmann. Volo a Vela (Italy). • It reveals to you the invisible treasures of the atmosphere. Alvaro de Orleans Borbón (FAI Vice President).
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Jean-Marie Clément
Firstly, it shows pilots that shit happens, and may prompt alertness in similar situations; secondly it shows submitters that we do see benefit in doing something other than filing reports away for (later) analysis. Win all round.
irrigator midfield after swinging sideways when tightened ›› pitot tube blocked by insect deposits, happens to two gliders in same club, ASI displayed serious damping ›› neither battery secured, missed during DI, battery jumped out of holder during winch launch ›› brakes open on launch, trainee had closed but not locked, P1 distracted issuing tug directions ›› airbrakes found open at 2,200 feet after apparent slow tow, lower powered tug, contest launch
the pre-flight check, including activity around the cockpit or attempts to multitask (e.g. directions to tow pilot). It can be stressful on a contest grid. One Club reported that a "sterile field" around the cockpit is now insisted upon from the moment the pilots enter the cockpit. Only one person is permitted in the area forward of the wings, perhaps to help with straps, but that person should remain still and silent until asked to hook on.
Dancing with the wind
Why is publishing incident reports useful?
some damage to undercarriage
›› winch cable picks up k-line
TopFly
INCIDENT REPORTS
Dancing with the wind
Jean-Marie Clément
May–July 2019
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ab-initio ROGER READ YOUTHGLIDE INSTRUCTOR
HANDING OVER / TAKING OVER CONTROL Many years ago, I read of an accident where two pilots were left sitting in a crumpled heap of a light aircraft, short of the runway they were intending to land on. Observers were ‘amused’ at how both were yelling at each other; blaming each other for the mess they were now in. Both accused the other for the undershoot, each saying surely the other could see they weren’t going to make it! Well, you guessed it, neither had been in control at the time … and what is worse, they both sat and watched it happen! Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. It served as a timely reminder not to take this seemingly simple task of changing who has control of an aircraft too lightly. In flying with other pilots, I often see examples of less than ideal handing over / taking over of control and have to reinforce the importance of getting it right, or risk the sort of incident that has caught out many aviators including glider pilots. There must always be a pilot in control of a glider’s controls. When learning, we need to have a clear and effective change of control: when the instructor wants the student to take control and when the instructor wants to take control back from the student. Later when we gain our QGP and get to go flying with fellow pilots, we must not allow basic procedures to be compromised. So let’s take a look at the basics. Following Through We shall start with the concept of ‘Following Through’ which is used by your instructor during the demonstration of an exercise. The purpose of following through is to have you experience / feel the timing of a control input, the rate of control input, the amount of control input and the response to the input. I have underlined the key words to emphasise what you are looking for when they ask you to follow through, as it is very easy to miss getting these key points when following through the demonstration. The instructor may ask you to follow through on one particular control or more e.g.“Follow me through on the rudder.” In
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this example, you should place your feet lightly on the rudder pedals, being careful not to restrict the instructor’s input and look for the points underlined above as they demonstrate the effect of the rudder. Sometimes, your instructor will follow you through while you are in control practicing a manoeuvre. This is done to monitor your inputs and allows the instructor to offer advice if required. Changing Control Let’s now look at a complete change of who is in control of your glider. Here is the sequence of actions and words for passing control from your instructor to you as the student:
›› The instructor says, “You have control.”
›› As student, you place your hands and feet on the controls and, when ready say, “I have control.” ›› The instructor will then release their controls. ›› If you want to give control back to the instructor: ›› You say, “You have control.” ›› The instructor will take control saying, “I have control.” ›› You only release your controls after they have said this. ›› If the instructor wants to take control when you are flying: ›› The instructor will say, “I have control.” ›› You must release the controls and say, “You have control.” This procedure is one that can be practised on the ground while sitting around, or better still, sitting in a glider with another student in the back and going through the procedure. This costs you nothing more than your time and will free you up to learn other skills when with your instructor.
There are times when you may feel the instructor following through even if they haven’t said they were going to. This can get confusing so instructors should avoid this, and students should not hesitate to mention this if they feel it happening. It is extremely important that if at any time you find the instructor is restricting your control input, tell them, as it may not be intentional. Some have been known to unknowingly apply input which has confused the pupil and convinced them to release control thinking the instructor has taken control, only to find no-one is then in control!! Note also that during critical phases of flight like take-off and landing, your instructor may take control unexpectedly or may elect to just make a control input to override or add to your control inputs. They should say something as this occurs but may not due to concentrating on what is happening, especially if near the ground. In all cases, stay in control unless they positively take control, and expect / get an explanation as to what was going on once safely airborne or on the ground as the case may be. The ultimate responsibility for control of the glider rests with the Pilot in Command and while training, this will be your instructor. During early training exercises, the need to change control can occur often and it can be easy to take shortcuts or inadvertently get out of sync. Stop and sort it out rather than assuming all is well as not only can it get dangerous, you may be confused and totally distracted from actually doing what you need to be doing, seeing the demonstration or flying an exercise. As you progress and gain experience, check that you are still doing this simple task correctly and that you too haven’t become slack with any changing of control. Remember, if there is ever a doubt about who has control, voice it immediately and resolve the uncertainty. You have control … safe and happy soaring!
GLIDING NEW ZEALAND CLUB NEWS
CLUB DIRECTORY
Link for club info www.gliding.co.nz/Clubs/Clubs.htm Auckland Aviation Sports Club Club Website www.ascgliding.org Club Contact Peter Thorpe pbthorpe@xtra.co.nz Ph 09 413 8384 Base RNZAF Base Auckland (Whenuapai) 021 146 4288 Flying Weekends, Public Holidays
Nelson Lakes Gliding Club Club Website www.glidingnelson.co.nz Club Contact Frank Saxton franksaxton@gmail.com Ph (03) 546 6098 Base Lake Station Airfield, St.Arnaud Ph (03) 521 1870 Flying Weekends and Public Holidays
Auckland Gliding Club Club Website www.glidingauckland.co.nz Club Ph (09) 294 8881, 0276 942 942 Club Contact Ed Gray info@glidingauckland.co.nz Base Appleby Rd, Drury Flying Weekends, Wednesdays, Public Holidays
Norfolk Aviation Sports Club Club Website http://www.geocities.com/norfolkgliding/ Club Contact Kevin Wisnewski wizzbang@xtra.co.nz Ph (06) 756 8289 Base Norfolk Rd Flying Weekends and by appointment
Canterbury Gliding Club Club Website www.glidingcanterbury.co.nz Club Contact Kevin Bethwaite kevin.bethwaite@airways.co.nz Ph (03) 318 4758 Base Swamp Road, Springfield Flying Weekends, Public Holidays
Omarama Gliding Club Club Website http://www.omarama.com Club Contact Bruce Graham bruceandstell@xtra.co.nz Ph (03) 358 3251 Base Omarama Flying 7 days a week by arrangement
Central Otago Flying Club (Inc) Club Website www.cofc.co.nz Club Contact Phil Sumser phil.sumser@xtra.co.nz Base Alexandra Airport Flying Sundays, and by arrangement
Piako Gliding Club Club Website www.glidingmatamata.co.nz Club Contact Steve Care s.care@xtra.co.nz Ph (07) 843 7654 or 027 349 1180 Base Matamata Airfield, Ph (07) 888 5972 Flying Weekends, Wednesdays and Public Holidays
Glide Omarama.com Website www.GlideOmarama.com Contact Gavin Wills gtmwills@xtra.co.nz Base Omarama Airfield Flying October through April 7 days per week Gliding Hawkes Bay and Waipukurau Club Website www.glidinghbw.co.nz Club Contact E-mail: info@glidinghbw.co.nz, Ph 027 2877 522 Base Hastings Airfield (Bridge Pa) and Waipukurau Airfield (December & February) Flying Sundays and other days by arrangement Gliding Hutt Valley (Upper Valley Gliding Club) Club Contact Wayne Fisk wayne_fisk@xtra.co.nz Ph (04) 567-3069 Base Kaitoke Airfield, (04) 526 7336 Flying Weekends, Public Hols., Mid week by arrangement Gliding Manawatu Club Website www.glidingmanawatu.org.nz Club Contact Ron Sanders Resanders@xtra.co.nz Base Feilding Aerodrome Flying Weekends, Public holidays Gliding Wairarapa Club Website glidingwairarapa.co.nz Club contact David Hirst Ph 021 493 349 Base Papawai Airfield, 5km east of Greytown Flying Weekends, or by arrangement Kaikohe Gliding Club Club Contact Peter Fiske, (09) 407 8454 Email Keith Falla keith@falla.co.nz Base Kaikohe Airfield, Mangakahia Road, Kaikohe Flying Sundays, Thursdays and Public Holidays Marlborough Gliding Club Club Website http://glide_marl.tripod.com Club Contact bmog@paradise.net.nz Base Omaka Airfield, Blenheim Flying Sundays and other days by arrangement Masterton Soaring Club Club Website www.nzsoaring.solutions Club Contact Michael O’Donnell modp@inspire.net.nz Ph (06) 370 4282 or 021 279 4415 Base Hood Aerodrome, Masterton Flying By arrangement
Rotorua Gliding Club Club Website http://www.rotoruaglidingclub.blogspot.co.nz/ Club Contact Mike Foley roseandmikefoley@clear.net.nz Ph (07) 347 2927 Base Rotorua Airport Flying Sundays South Canterbury Gliding Club Club Website www.glidingsouthcanterbury.co.nz Club Contact John Eggers johneggers@xtra.co.nz 33 Barnes St Timaru Base Levels Timaru & Omarama Wardell Field Flying Weekends, Public Holidays & by arrangement Taranaki Gliding Club Club Website www.glidingtaranaki.com Club Contact Peter Williams peter.williams@xtra.co.nz Ph (06) 278 4292 Base Stratford Flying Weekends and Public Holidays Taupo Gliding Club Club Website www.taupoglidingclub.co.nz Club Contact Tom Anderson Tomolo@xtra.co.nz PO Box 296, Taupo 2730 Ph (07) 378 5506 M 0274 939 272 Base Centennial Park, Taupo Flying 7 days a week Tauranga Gliding Club Club Website www.glidingtauranga.co.nz Club President Adrian Cable adrian.cable@xtra.co.nz Base Tauranga Airport Flying Weekends and Public Holidays, Wednesday afternoons and other times on request Wellington Gliding Club Club Website http://www.soar.co.nz Club President Brian Sharpe bwsharpe@xtra.co.nz Ph 027 248 1780 Base Greytown Soaring Centre, Papawai Airfield, 5 km east of Greytown Bookings Ph 027 618 9845 (operations) Flying Weekends and Public Holidays 7 days a week December through to March
The club news is your chance to share with the rest of the country and abroad, some of what makes your club the best gliding club in the world. Club scribes, please watch the deadlines (but we'll make allowances for special circumstances so contact the editor before you panic) and likewise, the word count is supposed to be 300 words to allow everyone to have a say. If you need more words than that, you probably should write a real article about that special event. Deadline for club news for the next issue 15 July 2019.
AUCKLAND AVIATION SPORTS CLUB Since we wrote last the soaring weather has continued to deliver. Several of our members competed in the Nationals at Taupo and three of them took the opportunity to fly with Sebastian Kawa. The reports back were that it was the most intense flying they have ever experienced – but rewarding. Meanwhile, back at the club, our members have taken advantage of the weather to undertake local Task Pilot tasks. Andrew Fletcher undertook a great flight north to Warkworth and back in a K6 (BU). This was an epic flight which had not previously been attempted in the machine. Andrew was joined by the slightly higher performing machines of a LS4 and an ASW28 who went further north to Brynderwyns (halfway to Whangarei) and also got home. A tremendous flight and many smiles all round. Our students are progressing very well. Kazik is now rated in the PW5. Rahul Bagchi has completed his QGP and has also soloed in a Piper Tomahawk while training for his PPL. Mother and son duo Clare and Joseph Dickson have been determined to get as much flying as possible lately. This has paid off as Joseph was cleared and rated to fly the PW5, and after a 50 year break from gliding, Clare soloed again. Both made spot on landings. Awesome effort to our students and great work by the instructor team. Our CFI has been flying everything that has wings on it including the Air Training Cadets Grob 109. This is not bad, considering he was out of action for several weeks due to fracturing his foot. It was amusing to see him clatter up to the club in a cast and on crutches. As we operate from a military airfield, gliding activities in mid-March came to
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CLUB NEWS
Canterbury:
Auckland Aviation Sports Club: Mother and son team Clare and Joseph Dickson.
Canterbury:
Auckland Aviation Sports Club: Graham Lake in an ASW28 of Andrew Fletcher in the K6 over Warkworth / Matakana area
a halt for several weeks as a result of the abhorrent terrorist attack and high threat security level. We have recently returned to soaring activities and had a busy productive Easter with many taking the opportunity to get in the air and make use of the lovely conditions. Until next time happy soaring. Club Skipper
AUCKLAND As with our last report the weather has been remarkably good, right through since March. Successive soarable days have had a lot of us scrambling to take advantage of the sunny and warm environment. Once our live-in instructor returned to England we have had to get used to rounding up enough instructors, as well as tow-pilots and winch drivers, to keep our students and club pilots happy. I think we have been able to manage this quite well, thanks to all the voluntary members who just get on with getting the work done. Every time I am on duty, I see lots of new faces and new members eagerly waiting to learn more about soaring without
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an engine. To all these newer AGC pilots who are laboriously working their way through the system, young and old, male and female - congratulations on your achievements over the summer. It is hard but the rewards are there. There are too many to mention individually but they are all so very important to our AGC operation. Even as late as Easter we have been enjoying good soaring flights, some along the West coast which is always fun. Murray Wardell has been enjoying taking many members for fun cross-country flights in his Arcus T and also coaching Maurice Honey on getting points for the OLC logged efficiently. Maurice (now entering his eighties) is enjoying this ‘new’ aspect and only a few days ago did a 7 ½ hour flight in his trusty PW5 for 250 points. As we head for winter and the normal rainy period, we can still expect to get some good flights. This applies for pilots at all levels and we may even get to venture out to the west coast airfield if some west winds blow hard enough. Although there is a lot of local land development going on nearby, and therefore
Canterbury: Derek's BFR
a lot of talk about how the population is encroaching, it seems to be a slow process and there is no immediate threat for us to get too concerned about - yet. However, foresight is a good thing and many of our membership are keeping themselves aware of changes, in case an opportunity arises. It was not through luck but through good management that our members from the ‘70s and ‘80s had the foresight of set us up so that we should be able to meet these changes with the security of fully owning our great little airfield. As always, we have a pretty good social scene and welcome all and any to drop in and say “Gidday” - if you should venture to the big smoke. RG
CANTERBURY Late summer and autumn have been kind to Canterbury soaring aviators. We’ve had a series of weekends and weekdays sporting good lift of all kinds, with epic flights into the mountainous interior and some amazing distance flights. McKenzie country and Mt
Canterbury: Graham Erickson with two of the scouts
Canterbury:
Central Otago: ATC Cadets helping during their recent flying weekend at Alexandra
Cook, Nelson Lakes, Kaikoura, and Terry Delore and Derek Kraak flew to Masterton and the Central Districts gliding contest. New Zealanders out for sorties to visit the club included John Robinson from Otago, Frank Saxton from Nelson, and Keith Essex for a weekend’s exploring with Terry Delore. Midweek flying ran through to March, after which we farewelled our summer live-in instructors and tow pilot Jordan Richards and AJ Randall as they departed back to the UK (after a brief trip to the F1 in Melbourne). Many thanks for all your work through the season – it particularly helped student and low time pilots make progress, as well as opening up mid-week aviating for the season. This period saw Alex Hewson of model flying fame make his first solo (congratulations) and Brett Schroeder consolidate his flying with some two hour solo flights. Richard Black, rescue helicopter pilot and engineer, has joined the club bringing his work of art LS3 in its immaculate self-made trailer. Cathay Pacific dispatcher Joseph set aside a week’s vacation to learn soaring with
Photo John McCaw
Photo John McCaw
CLUB NEWS
Central Otago: ATC Cadet Jess enjoying her gliding experience
the club, travelling from his normal domicile in Hong Kong. March also had a visit by a troop of Air Cadets, and the weekend after Anzac Day saw 60 winch launch flights give members of the annual Scout Aviation weekend camp air experience in a glider. Great work by the club’s action man Mike Marra, who has procured three new Spot trackers gifted for the club fleet, along with a well organised winter project ahead to refinish the club’s Janus wings. Awesomely, the flyable weekends continue with warm wind and wave.
CENTRAL OTAGO March 16/17th was an ATC weekend at Alexandra. The club Cessna provided power instruction and our Twin Astir was busy both days winching cadets skywards. The effort was well-appreciated by the ATC, and it was great to see all the club members out in force helping – plus of course giving the glider and winch a good boost of utilisation. We’ve had two further pilots show interest in gliding recently. Paul Murphy has
had some flights and Adam Robinson has now joined the club and should quickly get current again. On the 14th April we had what was probably the last thermal day of the season. Mornings are generally frosty now, so we await the return of the wave. JR
GLIDING HAWKES BAY AND WAIPUKURAU Autumn has arrived with cooler temperatures and shorter days. The aero club has taken the opportunity to re-sow some of the airfield which should see good grass growth by spring. The club flew from Waipukurau in February with a couple of good thermal days. Both Bryan Malcolm and Josh Fergusson had good flights in the PW5. From Hastings Airfield, Jason Kelly flew the club's self-launching Grob 103C III SL and on one Sunday found some small pieces of silky smooth blue wave like lift to 3,500 feet south east of the airfield. Recent weather has not been ideal
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CLUB NEWS
Gliding Hawkes Bay and Waipukurau:
for Sunday flying with early morning fog, heavy cloud, showers, rain and turbulence, all leading to a number of days being cancelled. However, on suitable days, the club has been busy with many trial flights, instructional flights and some soaring. As is typical, the sea breeze rushes in from early afternoon which pushes thermals and any convergences away from the airfield but there has been some good lift available. A number of pilots competed in the Central Districts Gliding Competition held at Masterton. James Foreman was the best placed overall finisher for the club, securing 4th in the Racing Class despite landing out on the first competition day. Jason Price was unable to compete due to illness. While in Masterton, the 10 year anniversary of the passing of Peter Lyons was marked with ASH25M displays followed by a meal at a local restaurant. This was followed on the Sunday by an evening function at Bridge Pa in the aero club bar. Judy Lyons and Juliet Gray (Peter’s daughter) were present at both events. Many great stories of Peter and his exploits were shared at both events. Youth flying continues to be the mainstay of current club flying. Josh Fergusson is working hard on his QGP and has badge and competition flying in his sights. Submissions have been filed on both proposed local airspace changes and ADS-B transponders. Both proposals would increase costs and complexity of local flying. As always, we look forward to some classic Hawkes Bay wave days during winter.
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Gliding Hawkes Bay and Waipukurau: The CD contest always involves a day trip to the coast
PIAKO What an awesome late summer and autumn we have had. Patrick Lalor has achieved QGP and a Silver Height gain and Mark Shrimpton also has achieved his Silver Height gain. Chase Chalaine and Joseph Rauch have gone solo. Dave Dennison, valued Club Treasurer and winner of the Racing Class in the Northern Regionals in March and Sarel Venter, our Club Bar Manager, have completed their Instructor training. Tony Davies has stepped down from Instructor and Tug Master roles but continues to tow. We welcome Scott Montague to the Tug Master role. Our Pawnee CNC is once again
in pieces and we are grateful to the Taupo Syndicate for the use of TZB. Because of our tow plane issues, we have started winching on club days and not just on the monthly Youth Glide weekends. Sarel Venter, David Johnson and Neil Raymond are now winch launch rated and four others just have to practice cable breaks before getting the rating. Our Club President Iggy Wood is now current driving the winch and David Cleverly, Derek Shipley and Dave Dennison are in training. Our membership continues to grow, including more women and youth members which means we are requiring two instructors to be rostered at the weekend. SC & GH
CLUB NEWS
Piako:
Piako:
Piako:
Piako: Another busy day at the club
Piako: Regular use of the winch
TAUPO As the soaring season comes to a close, so does a busy time here at Taupo Gliding Club. We have had the Vintage Kiwi visit, the Gliding New Zealand Club Class Nationals and the Matamata Soaring Competition, club members competing in the Central Districts Championships and the Northern Regionals. Another highlight was the visit by multiple world champion Sebastian Kawa. Club member Tony Budd and his wife Suzanne have returned to the Northern hemisphere to continue summer and we look forward to seeing them again later in the year and putting Tony back to work instructing. Our international flying doctor, Gerold has
returned from Europe for a couple of months and we hope he gets some good flying in whilst here. Back in early April, we had overseas students arrive to do the Solo in a Week course. Unfortunately, due to some inclement weather and insufficient time to become competent, no one went solo during this period. We enjoyed having the Youth Minicamp with us again the week before Easter. There were six pilots registered and all have, or are close to, QGP. They got some good flights in the nice autumn weather, along with type conversions while experiencing flying somewhere different. Coming up we have the Taupo Hobby
Expo, our own Airmanship competition, Awards and Presentation night along with the club’s AGM. Well, that is about it from Taupo, until next time, cheers. Trace
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F OR S A L E • WA N T E D • S E R V IC E S • E V E N T S
We take our classifieds list from the GNZ website and from ads detailed with us personally. To update your ad, please go online or advise our webmaster. Ads notified to SoaringNZ will appear on this page but we are unable to make changes for you on the web page. Please contact the webmaster if your item sells.
GLIDERS Std Astir CS77 ZK-GMC • 1820 Hours total time. Recent annual and ARA inspection. New nose hook. Becker AR3201 radio Terra TRT 250 transponder. Good trailer. Can be viewed at the Tauranga Gliding club. May consider a syndicate. $20,000 or make an offer I can’t refuse. Ben Stimpson email: bstimpson@xtra.co.nz Phone 027 555 5485 PW6-U. ZK-GPK • Constructed 2002. s/n 78-03-01. In very good order cockpit paint re-furbished. Normal instrumentation i.e. 2 x Altimeters and ASI's. Microair 720 Com. Borgelt B40 electric varios front and back seat. 2405 Total Service Hours in service. Full service history with Sailplane Services. Fully hydraulic disc brake Mod. (CAA approved). Currently no transponder or trailer but these can be supplied if required. Ross Gaddes email ross@sailplaneservices.co.nz, phone 027 478 9123 Schleicher ASH25e, GOA • 210hrs, Engine 4.04hrs not currently fitted but can be refitted easily, Cambridge LNAV, Cambridge 25 GPS, Sage mechanical vario, T&S, EDS Oxygen, FSG71 radio, Transponder, 26.5m wingtip extensions with winglets, 2 parachutes, tow out gear, Cloud dancer all weather covers, Trailer. Phone Jamie for more details. $100,000. Contact Jamie Halstead email halstead.joinery@xtra.co.nz, phone 021 409 933. Homebuilt self launch • 18m. 4 piece wing flapped modern airfoil all glass , disk brakes, 28hp Hirth motor, with trailer. Mostly ready for paint. Ring for more details. Contact Garry Morgan email gkmorgan54@gmail.com, phone 020 4118 7493 or 03 572 5409 Nimbus 2 GPA • PU Paint in good condition, tinted canopy, standard panel with microair radio. Optional instruments are a CAI302 &303 along with a Becker transponder (250 Watt). Has O2, Jaxida all weather covers and trailer. Open to sensible offers. Contact Carl Jackson email c-jackson@xtra.co.nz Ventus 2a • s/n 10 Equipped with LX9050 with Flarm and control column unit. Maughmer winglets - Refinished in 2008. Has a Dittel FSG71M com and Trig TT21 Mode S (ADS-B out capable). Has an Aluminium top Cobra trailer, wing wheel, tail dolly and tow-out bar. Re wired with LiFePo4 batteries. My partner Malcolm wishes to sell his share as he is no longer based in Auckland. I will either keep my 50% share or sell outright (#2 choice). This aircraft is one of the best performing gliders in 15mtr class yet is a delight to fly, even when tanked, and exceptionally easy to handle. They land short and rig in minutes. Contact Ross Gaddes phone 64 274 789 123, email rsgaddes@gmail.com Glasflugel Hornet 206 GKJ • s/n 22. 2543hrs, Borgelt B400 vario, Mountain High oxygen, reliable King KY97A radio, original gel coat all in good condition, good quality ground handling gear, tidy steel framed aluminium clad trailer. Roomy cockpit, 38 L/D and powerful trailing edge air-brakes make this glider an excellent club or first-time owner aircraft. Reluctantly selling as I am retiring from gliding this year. Hangared at Alexandra Airport. "Softie" parachute, in excellent condition, included. Price reduced - now $17,000. Contact Phil Sumser phone 03 448 5411, email phil.sumser@xtra.co.nz Grob Twin Astir GJW • The Central Otago Flying Club is down-sizing its gliding operations and is seeking expressions of interest in the purchase of its Twin Astir GJW. S/N 3009, Built 1977, Hrs 4400, Mountain High oxygen, Microair 760 radio, Borgelt B40 Vario, new aerotow hook. Overall
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good condition and includes well-made steel open frame trailer. Contact Phil Sumser phone 03 448 5411, email phil.sumser@xtra.co.nz Share of LS4 • ZK GMT. Serial 4129. Omarama. Third share in LS4. Includes hanger space at Omarama. Excellent condition and well run syndicate. $19,500. Contact Paul Murphy phone 027 249 4122, email paulmurphy@ netvigator.com Standard Cirrus • Immaculate, low hours (940). LXNav S3 vario with speed to fly function. LK8000 PNA with moving map. Tinted canopy. Becker 4201 radio, tow out gear etc. EDS oxygen with recently tested and certified bottle. National 360 parachute. PLB and Spot. Very good trailer with new tyres, rego and WOF. $21,500. Contact April phone 027 220 3306., email april_ rumsey@yahoo.com DG 400 s/n 4-285 - 15 mtr and 17mtr wingspan options • This aircraft is an excellent original condition with original gel-coat still in very good condition. All normal instrumentation with Cambridge S Nav and Borgelt electric backup variometer. Trig TT21 Mode 'S' transponder with Dittell FSG71M com. This glider has only 438 hours total time, 262 starts, 66 hours with 22 hours since engine overhaul. Originally registered in Canada as C-GPLS in February 1992 and imported to NZ in January 2011 in flying condition. This aircraft has had no major repairs and excellent records since new. It currently has a damaged 17mtr tip extension which will require repair. The Fibreglass top Cobra trailer was new in 2014 and is still in excellent condition. Contact Ross Gaddes phone 09 294 7324 or 02747 89 123 email ross@sailplaneservices.co.nz Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus • GHD. Based at Whenuapai, Auckland. Trailer tows well and is braked, with rigging equipment to make rigging easier. Glider is fitted with Funke mode s transponder, Kingair radio, basic instruments and Oudie GPS trackers. Glider will be sold with Annual and ARA. $18,000. Nathan Graves, phone 0211 862 781, email gravesn101@ gmail.com Grob Twin Astir, GTU • 4026hrs, usual basic instruments plus radio, Transponder, Cambridge electric vario with rear seat repeater, retractable undercarriage and trailer. $32,000.00. Jamie Halstead, phone 021 409 933, email halstead.joinery@xtra.co.nz Glasflugel Mosquito • 40:1 performance, equivalent handicap to Discus. LX Nav S80 with AHRS, Nano 3 flight recorder, Becker radio, Microair Transponder, A&C. Electric Turn and Bank, Oxygen system, serviceable parachute and trailer. Tinted canopy, no cracks. Easy two man rig, automatic control connections. $30,000. Half share available if based at PGC, $15k. Andy Mackay phone 021 174 4719, email andymacfly2002@yahoo.com Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus GJJ ( S/n 485 G) • based at Papawai, Greytown. Ideal Club Class Gilder and proven performer with a max cockpit load of 110kg, suitable for larger pilots. In reasonable condition and has current Annual and ARA. Basic Instruments. Transponder, PLB, Spot Tracker, mouseflarm, mountain high oxygen, Parachute. Trailer, reasonable condition and tows well. Tail Dolly, Wing Walker and Bar. Fuse Cradle. $20,000. Reasonable offers considered. Hamish phone 021 558 842, email hamishmccaw@ hotmail.com ZK GOP Ventus CT • s.n. 981987, 3600hrs, flights 1160, engine 38 hrs, prop 19 hrs. 15m Maughmer, 17.6m, 18m Borowski tips. Polyurethane finish. Clear Nav digital vario with cross country license. Oudie 2. Nano logger. Dittel VHF radio. Microair transponder. Mountain Air EDS O2. Flarm mouse and Flarmview. Tail dolly and towbar. Wingwheel. Metal clad trailer. Well known glider resident at Drury. Serviced by Sailplane Services. $95,000 Andrew Campbell phone 027 295 6103, email andy@eastwoodortho.co.nz
GNZ members are eligible for one free non-commercial classified advertisement per issue. Deadline for receipt of advertising for our August 2019 issue is 26 June 2019.
AVIONICS Cambridge Vario readout • Suit LNAV or SNAV. As new large size readout. Requires 80mm hole. Never used. $75. Contact Roger Sparks phone 0274 956 560, email r.sparks@xtra.co.nz LX 9070 with AHRS used, no FLARM and new V8 • The 9070 has been used for 1 year and is in excellent condition. The V8 and the EAGLE speaker are new. Associated cables come with it. $7,000. Christian Derold phone 027 602 0111, email christian.derold@me.com Winter 80mm mech vario in KTS, used • New face and glass. Scratch-free glass, new face. $300. Christian Derold phone 027 602 0111, email christian.derold@me.com LXNav FlarmView with 4 push buttons • used for 1 season, scratch-free surface. $250. Christian Derold phone 027 602 0111, email christian. derold@me.com New BUTTERFLY Flarm screen 8.1x4.2cm • Flarm screen display, length 8.1mm, width 4.2cm with push dial. $500. Christian Derold phone 027 602 0111, email christian.derold@me.com ELT • used, type ACK E-04, 406MHz. $200. Christian Derold phone 027 602 0111, email christian.derold@me.com Mechanical instruments • 80mm: ALT, Vario, VSI/ASI. 57mm: compass. Make an offer. Mechanical instruments for sale, individually or together. 80 mm Altimeter (serviceable) 80 mm Winter Variometer, knots (serviceable). NO FLASK. 80 mm Winter Combination Vario + ASI. (ASI needs repair). 57 mm Compass southern hemisphere (serviceable). Send a specific offer if interested. Postage costs borne by buyer. Dane Dickinson email dane@xtra. co.nz Borgelt Instruments B400 variometer • (57 mm version.) Excellent condition. Great vario. NO SPEAKER INCLUDED. $500 ono + postage. Dane Dickinson email dane@xtra.co.nz Terra TRT 250 transponder • Altitude encoder included. Fully serviceable. Make an offer. Dane Dickinson email dane@xtra.co.nz MGL Electronic compass • MGL AV-1 air-talk computer and compass module. Screen can be used for multiple purposes. Fully serviceable, but buyer takes all risk. $300 ono + postage. Dane Dickinson email dane@xtra.co.nz
OTHER FOR SALE
Windsock for your gate, club rooms or control van • Length: 800mm, Inlet Diameter: 250mm. Come with a wire hoop to hold open. Great for assessing wind strength and direction for many activities. Put one at your flying field gate, hanger, clubroom, control van etc. Light enough to take anywhere. I have sold these to Fishermen, Hunters, Emergency Services (for helicopter rescue) Pilots, Paragliders, Microlights you name it. Great product made from Ripstop Nylon like paragliders are constructed from. $14. Contact Pilot Peter email pete@pilotpetes.nz, phone 0274 559 449 Copies of G Dale's The soaring engine Vol 1 Ridge thermal flatland mountain and Vol 2 Wave and convergence • are available from info@thesoaringengine.co.uk Cost per book is $66 plus $5 postage and packing. Winch • High quality professionally built winch. Single drum, V8, Auto, Dyneema rope about 5200' long. Tost parachute. Generally launches a 2-seater 1500' AGL no wind. Selling because our gliding operations are down-sizing. Price is negotiable but expected to be north of 10k, please contact the seller to discuss. Phil Sumser phone 03 448 5411, email phil. sumser@xtra.co.nz Sailplane Grand Prix in the Andes Blue-Ray Disk • In perfect condition. It was used once and has otherwise remained in its packaging. $24 including shipping to NZ. Tim Bromhead phone 021 217 9049, email tim@pear.co.nz
WANTED Wanted - Damaged/broken Oudie • Oudie1 (or Oudie2) to use as parts for repair. (cracked screen OK as I have a working screen). Contact Glyn Jackson email glyn@glynjackson.com, phone 021 0250 4646 Blanik L13 nose cone and front cockpit canopy in reasonably good condition for a non-flying project • Please make contact if you have any of these available for sale. Mike Packer email mikelpacker@gmail.com, phone +64 21 059 8648 Clip on tail dolly wanted for Twin Astir. • Peter Fiske phone 09 407 8454, email peter.fiske@clear.net.nz Instructors Wanted, Omarama • Experienced gliding instructors required at Glide Omarama, October through March. Minimum requirements are a C Category instructor rating and cross-country mountain soaring experience. Applicants will be required to undertake a flight test prior to acceptance. Special consideration given to instructors with fluent German, a tow rating or tailwheel experience. Email info@glideomarama.com or phone 03 438 9555
1984 Zephyr 18ft Caravan • Tidy, Permanent double bed. Brakes have been overhauled, new pads, disks ground, new master cylinder. Full sized awning, light truck tyres near new. Fridge, Gas hob, Gas oven. Near new Electrical Warrant till 1/01/ 2022. Warrant of fitness valid. Excellent airfield caravan. In Christchurch but could be taken to Omarama if wanted. We have inherited something a little newer so our faithful caravan needs a new home. $14,000. John McCaw phone 0272 804 082 email j.mccaw@xtra.co 20 meter hangar, Omarama • Third Hangar, Section R. $26,000. Don Howard email howarddxx@netscape.net Tost High Powered Winch • Up for grabs is a high powered winch, on the back of an Izusu truck. Perfect for any club that needs a new winch. Comes with 2 new reels of wire each 1500m long, three new parachute assemblies, cable splices, crimping tool etc. V8 small block engine rated to winch up to 750kg gliders. $45,000 Bruce Drake email Drakeaviation@hotmail.com, phone 03 313 4261
May–July 2019
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SAILPLANE SERVICES LTD Specialist Composite Aviation Engineering
NZ agents for Schempp-Hirth Sailplanes, LXNav Soaring Equipment and Trig Avionics all state of the art equipment for soaring aircraft. Ross Gaddes email ross@sailplaneservices.co.nz phone +64 9 294 7324 or +674 274 789 123
