NZHGPA Airborn #203

Issue 203; August,September,October 2017

Wave Flying Paragliding Iceland Canungra Hang Gliding St Arnuad XC Paragliding 7.50 Including GST

$

9 771170 992006

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING

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any pilots visit flying sites outside their own region. To ensure that you don’t jeopardise arrangements between land owners and local flyers you must ALWAYS check with local pilots BEFORE flying.

That way you won’t upset land owners or pilots, you will be shown all the best sites and will be welcome back. We don’t publish site names and locations

because flying sites have been lost by visiting flyers who have upset land owners. To assist travelling pilots, people wishing to learn to fly or to contact hang gliding and paragliding clubs, here is a list of people who can help you.

Those on the list or wishing to be listed, should contact their Club Secretaries who should keep Airborn and the NZHGPA website updated of changes of contact details.

NORTHLAND H.G.P.C. C/- Guntram Gross 1 Brook Road Whangarei Email: skywalk@igrin.co.nz Pres, Airsp; Shane Gross...............09 436 0268 Sec/Treas; Guntram Gross.............09 436 0268 PGSO; Wolfgang Harder................09 403 7594 HGSO; Stephen Chambers............09 430 3689 Herman Ahrens...............................09 432 9333

MANAWATU H.G.P.C. C/- Andrew Brownlie 11 Hollows Crescent Takaro Palmerston North 4412 Email: flyer.rosscoe@gmail.com Pres, Airsp: Ricky Winduss (Wanganui) .......................... 06 345 7659, or 027 447 4117 Sec/Treas, HGSO: Ross Gray......021 126 0892 PGSO: Andrew Brownlie ...........027 444 8911

AUCKLAND H.G.P.C. PO Box 47813 Ponsonby, Auckland 1144 Email: info@cloudbase.org.nz www.cloudbase.org.nz Pres: Stefan Sebregts .................027 225 2255 Sec: Graham Surrey ..................021 0262 5023 Treas: Malcolm Dawson...............021 052 1568 HGSO: Fraser Bull .......................027 801 4044 PGSO: Reuben Muir.......................09 446 0020 Airsp: Leslie Graham .....................09 579 6485 Stefan Sebregts ...........................021 266 1287 Steve Price ....................................021 781 828 Eva Keim .......................................09 446 0051 Skywings Paragliding ....................09 570 5757 Aqua Air Adventure Hang Gliding.. 027 288 0193 Wings And Waves Paragliding ......09 446 0020

BAY OF PLENTY H.G.P.C. C/-Dominique Le Sellin 41, Ririnui Place, Maungatapu Tauranga 3112 Email: bophangparaclub@gmail.com www.facebook.com/BOPHangGlidingParagliding Pres: Dave Washer.......................0275 992 934 Sec: Dominique Le Sellin...................... 021 617 111 PGSO: Darrell Packe........................027 249 2702 HGSO: James Low.......................021 102 5004 Airsp: Rhys Akers.........................021 177 7563 Sites: Dave Shaw...........................07 575 9560 Kiwi Air.........................................021 1046 208 Mount Paragliding........................027 249 2702

WAIKATO H.G.P.C. Inc. C/- Ewen Tonar 23A Brookview Court Hamilton Email: ejtonar069@gmail.com Pres/Airsp: Neil Howe....................07 304 9631 Sec/Treas: Ewen Tonar...................07 855 3969 PGSO: Bruce Vickerman ...............07 868 4991 HGSO: Rick Hawkeswood.............07 868 6250

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KEY Pres; .............................................. President

Sec; ............................ Secretary/Treasurer PGSO; ............. Paragliding Safety Officer HGSO; .......... Hang Gliding Safety Officer CFI;...........................Chief Flying Instructor Airsp;.................................Airspace Officer

AORANGI H.G.C. C/- Tom Knewstubb PO Box 5976 Dunedin Pres, Airsp; Kevin McManus........021 134 0463 Sec, HGSO; Tom Knewstubb (wk) 027 289 6103 PGSO: Lisa Bradley......................021 156 3256 SOUTHERN H.G.P.C. C/- Mark Hardman PO Box 1122, Queenstown Email: admin@southernclub.co.nz www.southernclub.co.nz Pres, Mark Hardman......................021 809 275 Sec: Melanie Heather...................021 204 0163 Treas: Kat Cerna.................................................

PGSO: Blake Round.....................027 367 7679 HGSO: Ian Clark.............................03 442 3992 Sites: Cathal McLoughlin...........021 024 00350 Events: Dan Pugsley..........................................

IT/Web: Jim Rooney...................020 4010 1926 Airsp: Keri Mapperson....................021 530 950 Craig Smith...................................027 343 3537 Derek Divers...................................03 443 7190 Helen Jeffery................................03 3409 8328 James Mitchell...........................021 0244 7875 Coronet Peak Tandem PG & HG..0800 467 325 Skytrek Hang Gliding & Paragliding.0800 759 873 Elevation Paragliding....................0800 359 444 Extreme Air............................ 0800 PARAGLIDE Infinity Paragliding School..........021 0228 2939 Paraventures Paragliding.............0800 809 275

Photo; Tim Percival

TARANAKI FREE FLYERS C/- Dennis Green 38 Kaitake Rd RD4, New Plymouth Pres, Sec, HGSO, Airsp; Dennis Green .......................................................06 752 7618 John H. Morgan..............................06 759 4262

MARLBOROUGH H.G.P.C. C/- Richard Evans PO Box 546 Blenheim Email: evans.r@xtra.co.nz Pres, Airsp: Jason Gluer.............021 0824 7543 Sec/Treas: Richard Evans..............021 648 783 HGSO: John Urlich: .......................03 577 8886 PGSO: Russell Read....................027 448 0888

CANTERBURY H.G.P.C. Inc. C/- Mike Lowe 4 Meredith Street, Addington, Christchurch Email: mike.j.lowe@gmail.com www.chgpc.org.nz Pres: Dan Campbell.......................021 980 635 Sec/Treas; Mike Lowe..................022 411 8014 PGSO; Robert Kennedy...............021 220 7993 HGSO; Max Gebhardt................. 022 159 6101 Sites PG; Jean Brossard..............021 143 9993 Sites HG; Reece Fisher..................021 806 390 Airsp; Peter Taylor........................021 066 9886 Website; Stephen O’Shaughnessy.03 326 7373 Canty HG School; Bill Degen.......021 247 2676 Nimbus Paragliding......................027 432 4874 ParaPro.........................................0800 548 323

Gliders over Blowhard, Marlborough

HAWKES BAY H.G.P.C. Inc. 30 Kaweka Place Havelock North 4130 Email: hbhgpc@gmail.com www.soarhawkesbay.co.nz Pres, Rebecca Rae.........................021 605 204 Sec/Treas: Duncan McNab..........027 624 6434 Airsp: Shaun Gilbert.....................022 477 8804 PGSO: Sam Elkink..........................06 824 3123 HGSO: Ross MacKay.....................06 877 2052 Sites Liason; Euan Talbot ..............06 877 8999

WELLINGTON H.G.P.C. PO Box 9824 Marion Square Wellington 6141 www.whgpc.nz Email: info@whgpc.org.nz Pres: Chris Connolly ....................022 676 5599 Past Pres: Kris Ericksen...............021 116 4558 Sec/Treas: Grant Firth................... 021 422 698 PGSO: Adrian Watts.......................021 981 855 HGSO: Grant Tatham...................027 636 3491 Airsp: Ian Miller ............................022 176 8205 Communications; Vincent Audebert .....................................................022 186 8452 Oceania Paragliding School.........022 676 5599

TASMAN H.G.P.C. C/- Annett Teichner 1137 Motueka Valley Highway, RD1, Motueka 7196 Email: thgpgclub@gmail.com Pres; Josh Benjamin ....................021 136 5405 Sec; Annett Teichner..................021 0231 0755 Treas; Brian Erasmus .....................03 545 1003 PGSO; Greg Benjamin....................03 545 1543 PGSO; Pete Polansky ...................03 528 7374 HGSO; John King..........................03 548 8263 Site Owners; Tim Percival .............03 548 7397 Site Maintenance; Frog Twissell ....03 538 0339 Airsp; Claus Petry.........................021 250 4836 Nelson Paragliding.........................03 544 1182 Adventure Paragliding....................021 762 769 Hang Gliding NZ.............................03 540 2183 Tasman Sky Adventures...............027 229 9693

ISSN 1170-9928

printed on recycled paper

Magazine of the NEW Zealand Hang Gliding & Paragliding Assn. Inc. Published every three months for hang gliding and paragliding enthusiasts in New Zealand and abroad ● Subscription is by membership of NZHGPA (a

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Administration and Licensing Chief Executive Officer

Evan Lamberton, 35A Manly Esplanade, Browns Bay, North Shore City 0630, 09 478 0063, 021 407833, ceo@nzhgpa.org.nz Administrator

Nicky Hamill, 3 Ashdonleigh Grove, Stoke, Nelson 7011, 027 202 1806, admin@nzhgpa.org.nz Executive Committee President

Kyla MacDonald, phone 021 056 2320, president@nzhgpa.org.nz Vice President

Derek Divers, 106 Lachlan Avenue, RD2, Wanaka 9382, 03 443 7190, 027 493 1112, vice-president@nzhgpa.org.nz Hang Gliding Operations Manager

Mark Alton, 167 Mahoenui Road, Coatesville, Auckland 0793, 022 195 5746, hg.operations@nzhgpa.org.nz Hang Gliding Training Manager

Grant Tatham, 4 Phillip St, Carterton, 5713, 06 379 7322, 027 636 3491, hg.training@nzhgpa.org.nz Paragliding Operations Manager

Mark Hardman, 021 809 275, pg.operations@nzhgpa.org.nz Paragliding Training Manager

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Appointed Officers National Airspace Officer

Nick Taber, 27 Strathaven Place, Dodson Valley, Atawhai, Nelson 7010. 03 545 0766, 021 420 742, nicktaber@hotmail.com Website Manager

Adriel Kind, 027 964 5397, adriel.nzhgpa@gmail.com Chief Medical Advisor

Paul Brydon, 1431 Main Te Pahu Rd, RD5, Hamilton. 07 825 9161, 021 253 5264, paulbrydon@gmail.com Internal Auditor

Kris Ericksen, 11 Koromiko Road, Aro Valley, Wellington 6012, 04 938 6539, 021 116 4558, audit@nzhgpa.org.nz Disciplinary Committee Convenor

Dean Straker, 35 Seymour Avenue, The Brook, Nelson 7010, 03 545 7511, 021 545 7511, dean@straker.co.nz Bookshop Manager

Ewen Tonar, 23A Brookview Court, Hamilton. 07 855 3969, 021 041 1418, ejtonar069@gmail.com Hang Gliding Competition Committee

Mark Alton, 167 Mahoenui Road, Coatesville, Auckland 0793, 022 195 5746, markalton@yahoo.com Dennis Thorpe, dennis_thorpe@hotmail.com Max Gebhardt, 03 312 7899, 022 159 6101, aerosm@gmail.com Paragliding Competition Committee

Johnny Hopper (chair), 021 056 2275, nzhgpapcc@googlegroups.com Tim Brown, 03 442 5319, 021 182 4243, nzhgpapcc@googlegroups.com Wayne Rohrs, 021 663 383 nzhgpapcc@googlegroups.com

In This Issue...

St Arnaud Paragliding Cross Country Camp.............................4 Riding Wave over Omarama........................................................8 Over the Moon in Iceland...........................................................10 Paragliding Worlds.....................................................................12 Red Bull X-Alps...........................................................................13 A Winter Soaring Day at Allandale............................................14 Spreading Wings at Canungra..................................................18 Paragliding Milestone Awards..................................................22 Cross Country Championships...........................................26, 28 Safety Checks, Site Notices......................................................25 Classified Advertisements.........................................................30 FRONT COVER: Max Gebhardt enjoys a wingover at Allandale, Photo; John McCaw

Next issue deadline: 1 OCTOBER 2017 A

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St Arnaud Paragliding XC 10 to 19 February 2017

By Tim Percival

Day Six “The flying along the Raglans is straightforward – if you’re familiar with the style of flying it demands. After each glide, as you start to fall below the crest of the ridge, it involves tucking in close to the scree and rock at the top of a sunny spur or basin aligned towards the direction of the inevitable valley breeze, with good grips on the brake line controls and mind alert, so you are primed and ready for the rock ‘n’ roll when the thermal gust hits, so it can be tamed and ridden quickly back up to base.” [From “Beyond No Man’s”

by T. Percival, Airborn Issue 169.]

Oh to be able to fly the Raglan Range again! “The southern paraglider highway” as it is affectionately known to Tasman pilots.

After some patient waiting, on day six of the St Arnaud Paragliding XC Camp we at last got our opportunity, flying the range from Blowhard, at the range’s top, north-eastern end. And the Raglans did not disappoint, with the paragliding that day being the best of the week.

Good Going Conditions were favourable with light northeast winds at launch and along the first section of the range. It meant we were free to fly anywhere without the danger of rotor behind spurs. Early on, base was about 500ft higher than the crest of the range where it turns a gentle but appreciable corner, allowing quick progress past a point that can sometimes be a troublesome barrier.

Jenna: “I liked being high at the start - some of the best flying I’ve had.”

Of the approximately 32 pilots flying that day, roughly two thirds progressed past the corner and on to the “highway” stretch of the range that takes you south above the Rainbow Station section of the Wairau River valley.

Blake: “It was cool to be in the air with so many pilots!”

Greg: “It was nice to have pilots ahead and behind.”

After 30km, the Elise Peak area marks the end of the reliable and uncomplicated flying. It’s north

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ridge, having a flat section for half a kilometre, is the wrong shape for easy soaring; when soaring is what you find you must do as the Wairau valley breeze increases in velocity as it funnels into a narrowing valley. If you become parked on that flat section, which side of the ridge do you take as you lose height? The outside, valley side is steep and well-flushed by the valley breeze; the inside side is a steep drop off into a forested side

creek with no landings, where the sight of tree tops waving in wind warns of ill-boding rough air and side slope rotor.

At that point about a dozen pilots opted out of those conditions and landed down in the valley before the Wairau River Hells Gate gorge, for flights of 30-35km straight line distance.

Flying Beyond Elise Peak “This is Greg, landed okay, wind 30k on the ground.”

Last to launch, but trying to catch up, the crackle of Greg’s radio as I neared Elise Peak, confirmed what I was already suspecting about the strength of the valley breeze at this end of the valley.

Fortunately there’s a way of avoiding the testing north ridge of Elise Peak and that is to glide onto its northeast ridge instead, and then from there head further east and deeper again, away from the road, onto the northwest faces of the high Mangerton Ridge behind. Valley breeze theory says the air in the basin between Elise Peak and the Mangerton will be all going up over the range because it otherwise has nowhere else to go, yes?

Left; On the Raglan Range

Photo; Rob

Gillard

Right; On glide to the “Pot of Gold” spur of Turk Ridge (left of centre), looking up the Rainbow tributary of the Wairau (River) Photo: Tim Percival

Camp

Above; Passing St Arnaud on the Mt Murchison day Photo; Rob Gillard Left; Following Cardigan Ridge towards the Clarence River Photo: Tim Percival even higher - to 7600ft - to a position where the “Pot of Gold” spur of Turk Ridge was reachable by a simple glide. On that glide, with plenty of height, I could afford the time to look around, take some photos and scan ahead to see if I could spy the gliders who had made it this far. Good news!

There were five to six pilots to be seen still on this side of the ridge - it looked very likely I would be catching and joining the leading bunch!

Too Stable

The sink I experience on the first half of that glide, when I am in the lee of the Elise ridge, and the colour of bush green is taking up more and more of my field of vision, with the sound of the basin’s creek getting louder and louder, always gives me wee niggles of doubt regarding the soundness of the theory! This time I didn’t need to complete the glide because I chanced into a lee-side thermal: next thing I was imagining I was Nick Neynens as I took the funkiest ride of the afternoon up to 6750ft. For confidence, it was nice to be on a well-behaved EN B wing (Gin Carrera+).

Above the high point of the Mangerton-Elise Ridge junction there was lifting air that took me

But bad news: they seemed to have stalled in their progress because all they were doing as I watched was soaring the slopes backwards and forwards, left and right, and not going anywhere.

Possibly problematic! You see I had visited this place numerous times before, sometimes with company, and sometimes, when the valley breeze was blowing quite strong, on a day we would label as “too stable”, instead of finding a monster thermal on the “Pot of Gold” spur, all you ended up finding was a mildly soarable breeze up to a level, where, waiting as long as you wanted to or had patience for, no thermal would ever ascend these particular slopes to take you up, above the crest of the range, and away.

Escape Rob: “The best part was heading west along Turk Ridge into new country by myself” If pilots of the group were waiting for something or someone to nudge them along then I think that someone ended up being me! It wasn’t a wellthought out strategy, but when I arrived I soared up to the where the lift petered out (6050ft, 300ft below the Turk Ridge crest), and then immediately ducked around to the right, to try somewhere different, given there weren’t thermals going any

higher on the slopes to the left. A kilometre along the face I still hadn’t found any lift, but on looking back I saw not just one, but four gliders now following me out along the slope too!

It was nice to take the lead temporarily and help get things moving again. A “technicolor dreamcoat” glider which I did not recognise, joined me on the spur at the far western end of the slope. What I did recognise was a good pilot in control of the glider who could make the most of the available lift - for next thing they’d snuck in some tight turns and had put 300ft of height on me! Meanwhile the other three (Rob H., Blake R. and Jean B. as I found out later), had found a thermal on a rib further back and were happily climbing out above the crest of the range. “Aw man, why wasn’t that lift there for me?”

But needing no further encouragement I went back to the same spot and only had to wait a few minutes before I too got some lift that was enough for me to clear the ridge, win the benefit of some weak lift coming up the south side too, and carry on to the next high point, Mt Weld (2100m/6890ft).

We all got good lift here up to 8000ft. A thousand feet above the ridge seemed like a luxury after the scratching we had been doing! I caught up with the “technicolor dreamcoat” glider and we cored up wing tip to wing tip. It was Stew Karstens on a new BGD glider.

That was it for my time with the leaders that day - Rob H had been flying well and making the right choices all day and at this point in time had taken the initiative and was out in front alone, about 5km further west along the range (and already flying a NZ personal best). Blake and Jean were a little bit further back from him.

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Left; Stew Karstens flying his “technicolor dreamcoat” glider above Turk Ridge (looking SE) Photo: Tim Percival Javi: “As a new pilot I learned heaps and it boosted my motivation too. We need more events like this!”

Day Diary

The time was 4pm, and with some quite thick high cloud spreading south to where we were, it was probably a good time to be speeding up. In twos or ones we turned due south off the ridge towards the Island Saddle or Balaclava Ridge area. Mark M. who had previously been playing the wait-and-see game, had now caught up and turned off the range with me.

Convergence I turned on my radio again for a position report (I had turned it off earlier when the retrieve chatter had become too distracting). “Tim, position report, I am high on glide leaving Turk Ridge heading south to Island Saddle”.

This had a couple effects: 1) it evoked a timely question from Blake about “where to from here normally?”, and 2) on hearing my answer, everyone else then adjusting course to come together at the same point on Balaclava Ridge above Island Saddle.

I think we flew into some convergence there, northerly flow meeting southerly, because in that vicinity we all were lifted up to heights above 9000ft, before the obligatory straightening up and heading out before the 9500ft free airspace ceiling.

Soon, another question from Blake: “Which range to take following the road, left side or right side?”

Tim: “Left-hand range doesn’t risk a walk but the range stops and drops you down into the sea breeze from Hanmer. If you can get on to the western St James Range, then that is a better route to Hanmer. No one has ever gone down once they’ve made it onto the range”.

I wasn’t so sure about that today, though! Not

with the stability experienced to date, and with that high cloud moving south with us.

Blake was daring and keen for adventure and headed west; and so did Jean.

Mark’s preference when asked was “you decide and I’ll do whatever you do”. I wimped out from the intrepid option and decided to just keep following the Crimea Range south, ultimately consigning Mark and me to an extended final glide down to the Rainbow-Hanmer Springs hydro road half an hour later, landing vertically as the predicted valley breeze matched our glider speed. Rob and Stew flew that way too.

Blake and Jean got up okay on the St James Range, and were rewarded with great views of Lake Guyon and the Waiau Valley beyond. However with the high cloud starting to shut things down, south of Fowlers Pass they themselves both (independently) chose to return back east to the Rainbow-Hanmer road, no doubt the prospect of a retrieve having an influence on their option taking.

Best open distance of the day was 76 km by Jean Brossard. The other pilots flying beyond Turk Ridge were Stew Karstens, Mark Macdonald, Blake Round, Rob Hughes-Games and Tim Percival who had flights of 68-71km open distance.

Pilots who flew NZ open distance personal bests that day included: Blake Round (70.9 km), Rob Hughes-Games (68.4 km), Greg Benjamin (34.6 km), Kate Flemm (33.7 km), Vincent Audebert (31.9 km), Jenna Hughes-Games (30.0 km), Javier Hernandez (19.7 km) and Sam Hamill (10.7 km).

Day 1, Sat Feb 11, Mt Murchison (1469m/4820ft).

Forecast: warm temperatures, wind southwesterly, 5 - 10 knots.

21 pilots flew. After cloudbase lifted above the mountain, the westerly wind picked up appreciably around the top of the hill. With the thermals being quite windswept, conditions weren’t easy for less-experienced pilots to get away.

Best straight line distances of the day were achieved by Lauris Pumpurs (visiting pilot from Latvia), Russ Read and Rob Gillard who overflew St Arnaud to land at 75.7, 71.2 and 68.5 km respectively. (Après flying there had been some good-humoured banter between Rob and Russ about who had actually gone the furthest but actually it was Lauris, flying in “stealth mode”, who claimed that one.)

Days 2-4, Sun-Tues: No flying. Activities included mountain biking, unicycling, hiking Mt Robert and 4WD-ing up onto the Beebys Range.

Day 5, Wed Feb 15, Parachute Rocks (1510m/4950ft). Forecast: Southwesterly 15 - 20 knots dying in the afternoon. A group of

Above; Rainbow Station section of the Wairau River Photo: Tim Percival Left; Gliders in front of Blowhard launch, looking NE (towards Blenheim) Photo; Kris Ericksen

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Right; Flying the Raglan Range Photo; Rob Gillard

pilots chose to head off for some coastal flying in Marlborough at the Yealands and Collins Hill sites. In the late afternoon Bruce, Mark, Barry and Tim, later followed by Lauris, made the two hour walk up to Parachute Rocks over looking the St Arnaud village and Lake Rotoiti. Launching about 6pm, they had some easy and agreeable soaring in the weakened sou’westerly up to 2050m, enjoying the pretty lighting, before sliding off the northeast end of the range to finish. Best 4-leg distance was 25km by Tim Percival.

Day 6, Thu Feb 16, Blowhard (1415m/4650ft).

Forecast: Light wind, high cloud increasing in the afternoon. See the main story previously.

Day 7, Fri Feb 17: 10 – 15 knot easterlies, cloud cover and afternoon rain saw the day cancelled.

Several XC Camp pilots hiked up Mt Robert for brief soaring flights before top landing when the wind noticeably strengthened.

Day 8, Sat Feb 18: Murchison Skyline Walkway (350m/1150ft, 600ft AGL). Easterlies and quite cloudy. A group led by Russ Read went to check out this low site overlooking Murchison township.

Russ lived up to the nickname dubbed on him by the Waikato pilots, “Thistle”, and managed to identify a thermal in front of launch, taking it back up the ridge and ultimately to base at 5000ft; and then off on a wee XC of 18km straight line distance. No one else got away.

Later in the afternoon the XC Camp group split into two, with one group leaving to move to the Craigieburns area, Canterbury, for the prospects of sunshine and good flying from Helicopter Hill (a prospect that did not eventuate).

Day 9, Sun Feb 19: Inwoods Lookout (1025m/3350ft). Easterly, cloudy. The group that did not head south to the Craigieburns found that despite the cloud cover, it was possible to go XC from Inwoods Lookout. Rob G. flew the best distance, 31.5km from four legs, and finishing back in St Arnaud Village itself.

Spot Prize Mac Para NZ generously sponsored a spot prize of a 12 months’ subscription to Cross Country magazine. All participants who filled out an XC Camp registration form went into the draw to win this prize. The lucky winner was Tomas Kristufek of Christchurch.

Thanks I’d like to thank: i) our drivers; ii) Russell Read for his enthusiasm and knowledgeable advice (again); iii) David James the Mt Murchison farm landowner for the access across his land; iii) Nick Taber and Shane MacKay for helping with site access; and v) the pilots themselves for attending, giving us a critical mass for flying XC together and making it the enjoyable event it was.

Cross Country Competition Placings

Place Pilot Flight Distances (km)* Best 4

11-Feb 15-Feb 16-Feb 18-Feb 19-Feb Total 1 Russ Read 81.5 48.4 22.6 6.3 158.8 2 Rob Gillard 75.9 30.9 31.5 138.3 3 Lauris Pumpurs 83.0 15.1 37.4 1.8 137.3 4 Tim Percival 35.3 25.2 75.1 135.6 5 Mark Macdonald 21.8 18.1 76.4 116.3 6 Jean Brosshard 84.3 84.3 7 Bruce Vickerman 22.1 16.2 45.8 84.1 8 Blake Round 77.9 77.9 9 Rob Hughes-Games 73.0 73.0 10 Kris Ericksen 2.0 53.0 9.6 64.6 11 Martin Kraemer 8.4 37.9 46.3 12 Dean Straker 38.4, 5.1 43.5 13 Kate Flemm 6.7 36.5 43.2 14 Barry Baxter 8.0 35.0 43.0 15 Andy Maloney 38.5 38.5 16 Greg Benjamin 37.2 37.2 17 Chris Connolly 36.9 36.9 18 Vincent Audebert 33.9 33.9 19 Jenna Hughes-Games 32.6 32.6 20 Peter Jones 17.9 13.2 31.1 21 David Cleary 26.5 26.5 22 David Motloch 21.2 21.2 23 Javier Hernandez 21.0 21.0 24 Claus Petry 17.1 17.1 25 Sam Hamill 12.4 12.4

* The XC flights were scored as Leonardo score type ‘free flight’

which scores 4 different legs.

Right; Gliders starting out SW from Blowhard Photo: Tim Percival Below; Briefing at Blowhard Photo; Kris Ericksen

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Wave Over Omarama

Derek McKee describes the wave flight that won him this years Omarama XC Classic

I

t was what every one did not want to hear, no flying for the next 3-4 days; Strong nor’westerlies...

Arriving at camp on Thursday 3rd of February for the Omarama XC Classic 2017, which started on the Saturday there was a distinct feeling of gloom around. Setting up camp knowing that there would be no flying for the next four days was a little depressing, some pilots had decided to stay away till conditions improved, others were at Ollie’s birthday in Queenstown, some pilots just needed to be away from their normal city life including myself.

Early Friday morning, our normal practice day, at 5am I arose from my tent to a beautiful morning without any breeze, Magic Mountain was very clear and looking very calm, I stayed outside for 15 minutes thinking why not get up and go up the hill now, I could not sleep, but I also did not want to be that pilot that did not take notice of the warnings which I have done in the past.

I lay awake for the next few hours listening for the dark forces of nature to take grip of the day, I understood there was a pattern to the morning that I have heard and seen before. From 6am the breeze started but very slight, 7am I again looked at Magic and it looked perfecto, still a slight breeze, 8am at the camp you could feel the wind strengthening but still not too bad and still a slight steady breeze. 9am you could hear the breeze change and light and steady gusts were included. 10am Magic looked as though it was changing and at 20-30 knots but the breeze at

Right; Climbing over Kurow before heading for Station Peak (the ridge at centre)

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camp was still not too bad. 11am; Magic looked strong and at camp the gusts were getting worse.

There was only one thing to do, get up at 6am on the first day of competition and leave camp at 7am, rig by 8am, wait for 18-20 knots and take off and land within two hours.

I used to race Hobie catamarans for 20 years. On nor west predicted days we would normally bring our morning race forward and our afternoon race was sometimes cancelled.

We actually loved racing on nor west days seeing many hobie’s cartwheeling, including myself.

Seeing the gusts rush across the water at high speeds was exciting and being connected on a harness to a 28 foot mast sent you flying when you nose dived.

That Friday night we were all just hanging around as we do at camp, I put it out there in a solid statement that I was going to get up at 6am and leave camp at 7am, I was quite

willing to go up by myself and leave my car up there and just be there waiting for the right time to take off.

I explained I would rather go for a joy ride rather than be at camp watching the conditions change and wonder if it could have been on or not.

There were pilots that were listening but no real committed starters and I don’t blame them, I was going no matter what. Eddie did say wake me, Dan was keen for a maybe, Marty keen to be woken, Steve was maybe.

I was awake that Saturday morning at 5am and the morning was the same as Friday’s or similar, as we all know it’s never exactly the same. I did my wake up call on the boys and low and behold we had a full car heading off at 7am, I was very impressed, and also incredibly excited, If we didn’t fly this day “what ever” it just didn’t matter, I would have lay in bed stewing about it otherwise.

Steve, Eddie, Dan, Robyn, Marty and myself were all up at lower launch

on Magic at 8am, it was a real nice steady 15-17 knots nor west, rigged by 8:45, Steve slipped off the hill on his Moyes Litespeed 4S at 9am and radioed us that he was at 6500 feet very quickly, Marty was next to take off with me behind. I was still on launch when I heard Steve at 10,000 feet , It was blowing now around 16-20 knots on take off but still nice and firm with no real strong gusts.

I took off on my Litespeed RS4 at 9.15am and was surprised how great the first couple thousand feet were, in total control I caught up to Marty on his Sting 2XC. At around 5500 feet I was still able to punch forward.

At 6000-7000 feet it was quite bumpy until I felt I broke through into the first real wave feeling; still able to punch forward at full VG, I just maintained my flight out around half a kilometer out in front pointing into wind on the nor west face in front of higher take off now.

I heard Steve had turned at 11,500

Above; At 13.500ft heading north after climbing out at Kurow Left; Heading along the coast towards St Andrews Right; Derek enjoying some speed feet and was on a run over the back of Magic heading towards Clay Cliffs. I got to 10,500 and did the same, Steve found more wave between Magic and Clay Cliffs and made it to 12,500 feet then went on a downwind run again at over 150 kilometers an hour.

I found the same wave and waited till I was at 12,000 feet and took off after Steve. I must say at this point I did not look once at my speed but we both flew with no bar pressure and were just humming in the most smooth air ever.

Marty landed at the Omarama airfield, and I must say well done on taking off that day on a kingposted glider and after a late night before.

Steve and I both shot across the Omarama basin and headed to the St Cuthbert Range. I got there at 9000 feet and didn’t take long to get back to 12,000. At this point after talking with Bill later, he was at the Omarama glider weather briefing which was for poor soaring conditions that day, just as we were flying high overhead having the time of or lives.

We t h e n s h o t o ff t o w a rd s Otematata, Steve in direct line to Otematata and I decided to head more up the valley, I could then see Steve loosing height getting flushed so I peeled off more into the valley

Photo: John McCaw

and managed to pass half way up over the ridge past Otematata at around 4000 feet.

At this point I had easily passed my longest flight and was heading towards Kurow. Steve ended up landing short of Kurow at around 55 kms.

I followed a couple a ridges down and was loosing altitude, found myself looking for a landing paddock at around 75 kms from Magic and feeling very pleased with myself. I remember making the radio call that I was unzipped and going to land soon but as I turned into wind I instantly found myself in wave again.

I stayed above a farm for at least 45 minutes and gained altitude of 13,500 feet, I could see in every direction and took my time deciding where to go next, I remember thinking I was higher than Mt Cook, I could even see Christchurch so off I went.

I went on one glide from Kurow to arrive at St Andrews, where I found the nor east breeze minimal and was gliding 10 kms inland from the coast in really nice air. I felt I could have landed in between St Andrews and Timaru but that art deco pub at St Andrews sucked me down at 2300 feet as I was aware that I did not have a pick-up arranged at all.

I landed in a 2-5 knots nor’east wind. I realized that day I had flown 116 kms and I can not explain how

amazing this flight was, to also have travelled at speeds of 167 kms an hour with no bar pressure and no real sound of my wing was incredible, I wonder to this day if I had of pulled the bar in how fast I would have recorded with this nor west wave.

I was so looking forward to few pints when I was only 15 minutes into packing up when Rod, Kevin and Steve turned up. Rod and Kevin had decided to do a dump run to the local at Omarama, they had been listening on the radio and heard that Steve had landed and I had unzipped and was about to land so they decided to head to Kurow and pick us up.

Little did they know until they heard later on the radio that I was at 13,500 feet above Kurow that I was about to head off on another run.

I was supplied with beers and we were then off back to Waimate for me to shout lunch to these fine gentlemen for a great pick-up. Rod reminded me he hadn’t even had his morning shower. We arrived back in Omarama at 4pm after a very eventful day.

Regarding airspace in Omarama to Kurow it is 13,500 feet, GF175, GF957 and 955 can be raised to 17,500 and is usually raised when gliders are flying.

I will be investing in some oxygen for the next Classic. I have just bought a UHF, VHF radio that can be programmed to simultaneously send and receive on UHF and VHF at the same time, so where can I buy some oxygen as I will be hanging for the next nor west wave.

Left; With Winner and longest Flight trophies at the Classic Right; 116 km flight done and off to lunch!

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9

Over the Moon

By Phil Hystek

T

he clear early morning sky held the promise of a good day as we emerged from our tents in Reykjahlið on the shore of lake Mytavn in north central Iceland...

125km to south of Reykjahlið stands the volcano Askja, and today would hopefully be the realisation of a dream of soaring one of the most amazing and beautiful locations on planet earth.

Aksja isn’t your classic cone shaped volcano like say Mt Fuji or Mount Taranaki, but is more a cluster of gradually rising craters and cinder cones around one large central crater. The top of the main crater rim is 1400m high but rises only 630m or so above the surrounding plains. The allure of Askja lies in its remoteness, desolation, eruptive activity and simply stunning picture postcard views.

Despite Askja being only 125km away, the last 92km is via Road F88.

Most inland dirt roads in Iceland have the prefix “F” and vary in quality from relatively smooth dirt to seriously rough, corrugated tracks with deep fords. F88 is 92km of sandy, corrugated and undulating track that has a couple of 50m wide and “up to the gunwales” fast flowing river crossings to negotiate.

The inland areas of Iceland have a certain “big sky” quality that you only get from wide flat treeless expanses

like central Australia. However, this area of Iceland is even starker because of it’s almost complete lack of vegetation other than some moss.

The flat black plains of volcanic ash, pumice and old lava flows here stretch to a distant flat horizon, punctuated by a few small hills, and the impressive mountain Herðubreið.

Herðubreið is a volcanic tuya, a 2km wide cylindrical lava column rising almost 3,000’ above the surrounding plains. This imposing mountain is actually lava flow which rose and solidified vertically in the 3000’ deep ice sheet which covered Iceland during the last ice age.

The straightness of F88 as it traverses the ash plains suddenly changes into one of the most convoluted tracks I have ever driven on as it traverses one of the many old lava flows on the way to Askja.

Building a simple road through the huge mounds of solidified lava is not an easy task, so the road follows the path of least resistance, twisting and turning snake like as we head ever so slowly towards our goal.

Midway along the desolation of F88, we arrive at the small oasis of Herðubreiðarlindir and its lush grassy

Right; Wing laid out on rocks for a careful launch Below; the F88 road to Askja

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Above; The lunar looking landscape vegetation. In total contrast with the surrounding starkness, it would have been a nice place to camp if we weren’t pressured for time.

Not having been to Askja before, I wasn’t really sure that to expect.

Google Earth had offered a tantalising peek at what lay in store but I was still surprised to not see a classic cone shaped “Volcano” as we headed closer to our destination.

From outside its perimeter, Askja has a very understated appearance.

The colours of the jagged rock and extremely barren landscape are interesting, but the whole scene looked almost unimpressive

compared to the mental picture I had.

The real attraction of Askja however was the volcanic lake within the main crater. This 220m deep, 4km wide lake is the second deepest lake in Iceland and certainly the most remote. After the big eruption of Askja in 1875, the lake created was warm enough to not freeze even during the harsh Icelandic winters, however the lake water temperature has gradually reduced so that now it remains frozen for most of the year.

Numerous rock slides from the walls of the crater into the lake over the years have resulted in tsunamis up to 50m high racing across the lake

View of Askja lake from the air and it’s for this reason that tourists are not allowed to descend the 50m slope down to the lake surface from the surrounding crater floor for fear that an unpredictable slide could cause a catastrophic loss of life.

That last main eruption of Askja completely blew the western side of the main crater away, leaving the steep eastern side of the crater open to a westerly wind. My dream and plan had been to soar the eastern inside of the crater overlooking lake Askja in a westerly wind. But as exciting and possible that seemed in theory, the practicality of the idea when we arrived was very different.

The steep unstable slope of the crater covered in sharp lava and obsidian, no landing field, and breeze in the wrong direction meant flying the inside of the crater was definitely out.

But a look at the cu’s starting to form high above in a clear blue sky showed a different potential… that of a thermalling flight to view the crater as no one had ever done before. Problem was, where would we launch?

The prevailing wind and angle of the sun meant the best possibility of a launch would be on the east outside of the crater, but this area is mostly a collection of smaller rolling craters and narrow deep gullies covered mostly by very “canopy and line damaging” sharp volcanic rock rather than a suitably launchable slope.

The only road access around the perimeter of Askja is on the northern

side, meaning at least a 7km one way hike to any possible east side launch site. The day was getting on and we couldn’t afford a 2 hour trek through the unknown, to the unknown. Surely there was a closer launch?

So leaving the car at the ranger station on the northern side, we headed up a hiking trail leading to the crater rim. After 45min of climbing, scouting and surveying, we decided on a site which was, even though marginal at best, the only site within another hours hike to offer the potential of a launch.

The slope was relatively shallow, the ground was covered by hundreds of sharp rocks ranging in size from fist to football, the breeze was light cross and there was a 400m wide shelf only 120m below launch which may well end up being a landing field if we hit a lot of sink just after launch.

But the sky and clouds looked good and light cycles were bringing the wind straight up at times. After 30 minutes of environmental adjustment (rock relocating) we had a passable single slot launch. The texture of the rocks meant that the area was only suitable for a reverse inflation. Any dragging of the glider over these rocks would cut lines and canopy material quicker than fingers on a sharp kitchen knife.

“If it’s on, get off”… It’s my “hike ‘n’ fly” mantra, and means that means at least I’ll get off the hill rather than wait for possibly better conditions which may not eventuate. I quickly set up my Gin GTO 2, waited a few

minutes for a light cycle and stepped off Askja into a small and unworkable thermal. No time for searching as clearing the shelf below launch and making it to the next possible thermal source was going to be a squeeze even from launch height. Heading out from the hill and beyond the shelf, I was down to 150m above flatlands.

But my decision was rewarded with a tight but workable thermal coming from a deep narrow rocky gorge up from the ranger station. My dream of flying over Askja may yet come true, but I couldn’t really enjoy the moment as I worked to stay in that small thermal. Concentrating, working, widening your turns, tightening, drifting… totally in the moment of the climb.

But then you realise where you area again, you look around and it hits you. You’re there, where you dreamt of being… and the reality surpasses the dream a hundred fold. Level with the top of the crater… first glimpse of the lake… try to stay focussed on the climb…

More of the lake comes into view as I near cloudbase. I fly closer to the rim and the lake. The scene is much more spectacular than I had ever imagined. Lava, rock, ash and pumice in colours ranging from black to white through yellow, ochre, and even purple interspersed with areas of snow and ice reflect patches of sunlight. The lake surface is absolutely flat, perfectly reflecting distant clouds to the south. I was most likely the first person to ever

experience this amazing view from a paraglider. Once again, I’m in awe that such a light and compact aircraft, combined with an amount of skill and perseverance has allowed me to experience something that few will ever do. I was, “over the moon”!

And figuratively I was.

During preparations for the Apollo moon missions in the 1960’s the astronauts were taken to the Askja area to “geologically” acclimatise for their upcoming lunar expeditions.

The term being “over the moon” took on a whole new meaning to me as I marvelled at the sheer desolation of the lunar like landscape and imagined what it would have been like to be descending to such a surface in a cramped landing module almost 47 years earlier.

Unfortunately the sky rapidly overclouded just after I launched, so the other 3 pilots travelling with me had to wait another 45 minutes for the right wind to launch. Two of them were able to get high enough to see the lake which was fantastic, but it seemed I was destined to savour the breathtaking beauty of Lake Askja from cloudbase alone in the eternal sun of an Icelandic summer.

NB. Paragliding Queensland runs annual tours to Iceland. This Lake Askja flight was just part of our tour. I’d like to thank the other tour pilots Stewart Dennis, Carlos Espejel, Clayton Aubrey and Grey Hamilton for their great company on such an amazing adventure and I look forward to sharing similar adventures with you all in the future.

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11

Paragliding Worlds N Z’s Paragliding World Champs team of Matt Senior, Louis Tapper and Stuart Mackintosh had just finished competing in Pedavena, Italy as Airborn went to press.

The winners were both from France; Pierre Remy (Open) and Seiko Fukuoka (Female) . First placed national team was France. 149 pilots from 47 nations flew in the event. 16 were female competitors. The Freccie Tre Colori jet formation greeted the event with a display.

Flying conditions were difficult but 10 tasks were held. We hope to have a report on their experience in the next issue.

Country placings # Nat 1 FRA 2 SLO 3 SUI 4 GBR 5 AUS 6 ITA 7 BRA 8 CZE 9 KOR 10 ARG 36 NZL

Total 15037 14321 14302 14007 13929 13910 13874 13771 13637 13622 7702

Tasks # Date Distance FTV Validity T1 2017-07-04 12:15 77.9 km 100% T2 2017-07-05 12:00 92.9 km 100% T3 2017-07-06 11:45 117.2 km 61% T4 2017-07-07 12:00 81.1 km 49% T5 2017-07-08 12:00 73.7 km 60% T6 2017-07-11 11:15 53.3 km 100% T7 2017-07-12 11:45 73.1 km 100% T8 2017-07-13 11:45 55.1 km 67% T9 2017-07-14 13:15 58.5 km 92% T10 2017-07-15 12:45 45.3 km 93% All tasks were Race to goal with 1 startgate

Overall Results; top 20 places Place Name Nat 1 Pierre Remy FRA 2 Guy Anderson GBR 3 Honorin Hamard FRA 3 Jurij Vidic SLO 5 Dusan Oroz SLO 6 Luc Armant FRA 7 Alexander Schalber AUT 8 Jouni Makkonen FIN 9 Michel Guillemot ARG 10 Joachim Oberhauser ITA 11 Gleb Sukhotskiy RUS 12 Gareth Carter AUS 13 Hernán Pitocco ARG 14 Juan Sebastian Ospina Restrepo GBR 15 Biagio Alberto Vitale ITA 16 Adrian Hachen SUI 17 Francisco Javier Reina Lagos ESP 18 Rafael Saladini BRA 18 Josh Cohn USA 20 Julian Robinson GBR

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T 1 T 2 T 3 T 4 T 5 T 6 T 7 T 8 T 9 T 10 Total 998 976 589 453 440 851 989 103/528 431 870 5829 952 943 594 217 137 845/888 926 661 432 903 5824 974 993 587 456 136 439 984 540 906 372/733 5812 984 948 605 454 302/458 910 993 616 437 421 5812 971 983 604 454 138 915 867 663 431 321/762 5778 973 954 606 452 134 899 955 103/528 443 745 5687 942 913 597 236 34 899 962 658 430 713/751 5684 974 926 600 215 100 765/791 869 639 909 682 5682 968 858 570 212 570 283/764 838 659 901 338 5647 974 930 596 236 134 537/762 872 500 906 770 5585 961 923 209 240 433/458 892 869 636 432 866 5580 940 917 538 219 134 27/804 875 620 906 752 5575 932 940 594 452 132 335 850 143/453 915 738 5564 940 941 572 239 34 572/812 874 280 899 760 5558 967 939 586 244 360 803 869 490/528 430 899 5553 979 906 603 458 597 465 872 401/505 430 728 5544 969 898 603 213 34 739/776 958 527 430 846 5540 967 931 606 14/213 174 382 826 535 905 745 5529 965 23/700 599 47 157 791 840 641 914 756 5529 966 886 568 216 137 787/813 862 553 905 751 5527

Christian Maurer wins Red Bull X-Alps

In the world’s toughest adventure race, 31 athletes of 20 nationalities raced 1,138km across the Alps from Salzburg to Monaco via 7 turnpoints in 7 different countries.

Travelling only by foot or paraglider, their every move was monitored by advanced Live Tracking technology and broadcast to an audience of millions.

With constantly changing weather conditions, tactical planning was as important as the extreme endurance required to participate. For this reason, each athlete had a supporter to help with strategy, nutrition and everything in between.

This year, the X-Alps route was tougher than ever, criss-crossing the main chain of the Alps four times.

Starting at Salzburg, athletes first raced to the top of the Gaisberg, a 1,287m peak overlooking Salzburg, before hiking or flying 157km to turnpoint 2, the peak of Triglav, Slovenia. From there the route went northwest to Germany, then south to Italy before turning west towards Switzerland and France, finishing at Monaco.

Flying at Verbier, Switzerland

I

t took Christian Maurer 10 days, 23 hours and 23 minutes and for him it was the hardest race in his career, a race that saw him start with an illness and finish with a knee injury.

Along the way the Swiss adventurer battled bad weather, got flushed by a thunderstorm and at one point found himself trailing in 21st place. He said, “I felt a lot of pressure this time and it started badly. And with the wind, rain and thunderstorms; I’ve never faced such bad weather in the Red Bull X-Alps before. But above all it’s an adventure first and foremost, not a competition.”

Maurer won the event for the fifth time in a row, arriving the day before his next rival Benoit Outters. Race Director Christoph Weber said,“It’s an outstanding achievement.

Tell me another athlete who has dominated his sport for eight years like Maurer has. He excels in the air, but had to hike much of the last 200km, so it was not easy for him at all.”

The race finished with Christian and Benoit at goal, though Paul Guschlbauer was just 5km away in bad flying conditions after he’d hiked 101km to a launch high up on the Col di Tenda.

Nick Neynens (NZL) was 130km from goal in 9th place. He spent the last night hiking and rested for just 4 hours wrapped in his glider.

He set off at midnight, climbing to the Pointe du Ribon (3,529m). From there he launched as dawn broke and flew 15km, overtaking Nelson de Freyman.

Race organiser and co-founder Ulrich Grill said, “This has been an incredible Red Bull X-Alps and in many ways the hardest.

The route was longer and the weather was more challenging, forcing athletes to hike huge distances instead of fly. But it’s been inspiring and humbling to see how they rose to the challenge and put in superhuman efforts to hike and fly across the Alps. They are all champions.”

Photo; Felix Woelk/Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull X-Alps prize giving ceremony in Monaco Photo; Harald Tauderer/Red Bull Content Pool

Hiking in Gosau, Austria Passing Waterfalls at Macugnaga, Italy

Photos; Felix Woelk/Red Bull Content Pool

Top 20 Results:

Christian Maurer (SUI1) – 10 days 23 hours Benoit Outters (FRA4) – 11 days 1 hour Paul Guschlbauer (AUT1) – 5km from goal Ferdinand van Schelven (NLD) – 49km from goal Simon Oberrauner (AUT4) – 51km from goal Pascal Purin (AUT3) – 86km from goal Pal Takats (HUN) – 89km from goal Sebastian Huber (GER1) - 95km from goal Nick Neynens (NZL) – 130km from goal Stanislav Mayer (CZE) – 172km from goal Toma Coconea (ROU) – 271km from goal Nelson de Freyman (FRA3) – 275km from goal Tobias Grossrubatscher (ITA2) – 275km from goal Gavin McClurg (USA1) – 308km from goal Richard Brezina (CAN) – 319km from goal Michal Gierlach (POL) – 378km from goal Evgenii Griaznov (RUS) – 457km from goal Jessie Williams (USA2) – 474km from goal Tom de Dorlodot (BEL) – 510km from goal Manuel Nübel (GER2) – withdrawn - 209km from goal

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13

A Day at Allandale A Winters day brought a long awaited soarable Easterly to christchurch site Allandale.

John McCaw was there to take these photos

Quentin Doig launches

Rod Stuart

Off to join others soaring Below launch

Speedwing over the launch area Quentin rigging

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Speedwings in sync Speedwing soaring

Rod Stuart Top landing

Ollie Derry zips by Max Gebhardt Top lands

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15

Skyfloaters

The improved FUN2 by

The slow speed ability of paragliding combined with the safety in CORD 329 kms/205 turbulence, extra top speed (as much as 75kph+) and the glide WORLD RE an miles Dist ce con performance (10:1) of hang gliding.

Straub flying Fal Skyfloaters are light and responsive without being unstable, with By Davis Texas ata Zap complete control authority. They launch easily; even in no wind and from land so slowly that flare timing is barely necessary, you can just run 1st = at 2013 e!! or even walk to stop! www.airborne.com.au Craigieburn Leagu The superior control, manoeuvrability and climb ability make it easy Convert your old Fun to a Fun2 with the new Sail to soar above everybody, they have a great glide and a good dive FALCON 4 Retro kit. Everything supplied. See the review at speed to get out of trouble. They are extremely light and can be www.willswing.com www.hgpg.co.nz rigged in 5 minutes or less! They easily last 10 years or more. Fun, Falcon are the most versatile, enjoyable and Perfex skyfloaters use genuine 7075 alloy tube for superior glide and popular hang gliders by far in NZ. performance and strength as well as lightest weight. As well as being The Falcon 4 has improved handling and performance with full mylar the best first glider, their superior performance in sink rate and climb leading edge inserts and optional short pack to approx 2m. The new ability makes them suitable for more advanced flying too. They can enhancements allow pilots to downsize to a lighter, even easier handling circle in half the space a conventional performance glider needs, size than before. 4 sizes including Tandem. so you can get up in tiny thermals or light lift when others are forced to land! Pilots using skyfloaters for cross country regularly score top Falcon, Perfex and Lightfex can shortpack down to approx 6ft (2m). positions in major competitions. Tandem skyfloaters are also available.

Perfex and Lightfex feature no tools shortpacking & assembly. Strong, 7075 frame and battens, Perfex & Lightfex have SHV & DHV certification.

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DROGUE CHUTES www.willswing.com/Accessories/drogue.asp Turn your race wing’s glide into a skyfloater’s for small landing areas.

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Wind meters

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WeatherFlow Wind Meter A compact, accurate, affordable wind meter that plugs into your Apple or Android device showing wind gust, lull & average plus direction using the device’s GPS. Share by SMS, email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine etc.

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Spreading my Wings at Canungra

By Aaron Darby

It’s thermic. The bar is at my waist and I’m on base leg picking my moment to turn onto final, “Not towards the trees! NOT TOWARDS THE TREES!!” – But it’s too late...

Despite my full body weight thrown across, the strong thermal bubble under my right wing has prevented me turning onto final and now left me with insufficient room to turn before the trees. I’m now committed to going around behind the tall eucalypt and still trying to make it back to land into wind along the paddock – but there’s no time to think!

I button off to best glide with what height I have left. As I get around the back of it I’m well below the top of the eucalypt, and I’m almost at the height of the smaller trees around it. “Don’t be that guy!” I think as an ambulance flashes into my mind.

“Keep some pace on and punch hard in case you clip something!” I throw it up on a wingtip to get between the eucalypt and the tree beside it, steeply banking back towards where I’ve just come from. CLEAR! But it’s not over yet! I’m now quartering away from the wind flying at 30 knots however I’m confident now as this is where the old Sting 2 175 excels. A quick co-ordinated turn and she peels around effortlessly into wind. My wingtip is now at ground level and I flatten the turn to prevent it catching. She yaws a little off wind but I’ve turned adequately to pull it off. She settles into ground effect as I glide diagonally across the paddock.

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I relax as I can see I will stop well short of the fence and I start flaring without thinking too much, pausing half way when I start getting concerned I’m climbing again but she has stalled well and I stumble with the unfinished flare down onto my belly. Everything is still intact. YEEHAAA! Welcome to Australia son!

Geoff conned me into this. I had half thought about going to Canungra at some point to help build my XC experience but this call was early and unexpected. After a couple of years on my floater and getting my first xc flights on it, I had just moved to a double surface at the start of Winter. I was at the top end of the weight range for the Sport 2 155 but it’s a magical wing. It was very stable, responded so well, had a much more usable speed range but best of all, it didn’t sink when I flew across gaps at the coast!

I still had some things to get used to. “Why does my sink alarm go nuts each time I weight shift across for a turn?” was when I learned how un-coordinated my turns really were, and how dangerous that could be if I didn’t co-ordinate near the ground. I flew every chance I could over winter building towards inland next summer but still only eeked out about 12 coastal hours. NZ

Above; Ready to Launch from Tambo conditions are tough in winter. So Geoff is on the phone asking if I’m keen. Some early thermal flights which we can’t get in NZ yet would be a great start to the season. “I’m in!” Plane tickets were promptly booked and paid. I was committed.

He gave me a vague idea of costs but I didn’t think too hard. I had a stash of cash in the kitty for moments like these, and then the Aussie glider search began... Options: Freight a glider over for the measly sum of $1000 and leave it there... No. Rent a glider at $100/day – I was there for almost two weeks, another $1000...

Crikey! Option 3: Buy a glider over there, hang onto it for later trips, or resell it - possible. I spent the

next 6 weeks trolling Gumtree and Facebook groups looking... It was challenging. Something like a LiteSport would have set me up well for a few years over there but I wasn’t experienced enough to jump onto one. Last thing I wanted to do was turn up at a new inland site, on a new higher performing glider only to finish the comp on the first day and get an early flight home with a broken arm...

I limited myself to the safer options.

The Gecko wasn’t big enough for me and still too new and pricey for my brief excursion. I was a tad too heavy for a Sting 3 154 so had to go for the 168 option – but there were none... In the end I found an

Below; Tom and Rangi showing up McGyver

Right; Hang Glider climbing up off the back of Misery old Sting 2 175. Guaranteed to carry me, cheap enough to work with, and good enough condition to happily carry me through the comp with no issues.

Now I just had to figure out how to get it 10 hours up the Coast from NSW to Canungra! Airborne could pack it and freight it for me for $750 – again crikey! But there is one consistent thing I’ve found in the Aussie hang gliding community: they always figure out a way to help out. My glider ended up getting a free ride with another chap heading north. I never did get to meet Ray but I suspect we’ll cross paths somewhere later in life at the Morning Glory or some other exciting event and I’ll get to buy him beer then; -) Thanks man!

We landed. Day one in Canungra.

We’ve arrived a week early for some familiarisation flights prior to the comp. We get sim cards at the airport and figure out how to make them work as we head across to Canungra in our Rent-a-Dent blue Falcon station wagon. First stop is Rangi’s to pick up gliders. There’s a rack of about 20 gliders there.

Rangi is an old hand who has been the Canungra kiwi contact for years.

Next challenge: our wagon has a roof rack but we need an additional front support bar for the gliders. Kiwi ingenuity sees us right. 30 minutes later we have some sucker cups screwed onto the ends of some 4x2 and a front bar is created with hammer and nails. Not even McGyver is this good! Glider inspections are done, we check into our accommodation and then go exploring around town.

We’re strolling through the park looking around when a hang glider wagon pulls up. “You look like hang glider pilots! Could spot you a mile away!” It’s Blinky, and he’s raving about his 200km flight over to Dalby the day before. “What?! We struggle to even find a thermal at this time of year back home!” Expectations are set high... He’ll meet us at the Outpost Cafe in the morning, take us through some of the local areas, websites for weather, best flights lines, and get us off the hill. Top bloke! What a welcome!

Next morning we’re primed. We talk through the local conditions, sites and websites for weather.

“It’s a big continent with big sea breezes that will kill the thermals so we better get into it early”. We scoot off to Beechmont and start leisurely setting up. After lots of briefing on site, Blinky decides he better show us how it’s done. He quickly launches, straight into a thermal off to the right, slowly climbs

up, and then he’s gone... “He made that look so easy!”

We carry on fluffing with set-up.

“Stop! The wind is coming over the back of launch”. And that was it.

Launch shut down. I’ve never ever packed up on a hill before. “He did say we need to get off early...” We grumble and fluff and start packing up our gear.

“Tambo is on now. Let’s get over there for an afternoon flight!” We hurry up and head over to Tambo.

It’s now after lunch. Walt is here.

He briefs us on what to look for and where to go. No fluffing this time!

We quickly set up, hang check and I’m shuffling onto launch ready for

the next cycle. “Stop! Sea Breeze is pushing over the back.” “WHAT?!”

And that was it. Two pack-ups in one day! Lesson learned – don’t fluff around. Blinky caught up with us later to rave about the 150 odd km he flew today...

So we progressed. There were a couple of damp days that kept us on the ground (Canungra’s wettest greenest spring in years) but we got some flights in at the local sites, learned all about the bomb-out paddock, Tom and Stevo smashed up some downtubes for good measure (best to get them out of the way early), Geoff made himself comfortable several times in the

awkward head of the Kerry Valley and we settled in to comp mode.

Day one; lots of briefing at the pub. It’s overcast outside. No-one seems to be in a rush. After plenty of discussion to try to tidy up unfinished details, we finally get off to Tamborine for our first task.

The Canungra Classic has an ‘Alternative Launch system’. The top 20 pilots launch first, but the bottom 20 pilots have an opportunity to pull a number out of the hat that determines their launch order before the top 20, BUT you don’t have to, you can pull out at any time and go to the back of the queue. It gives you a chance to get up early and they try to tag along

Right; ‘Team Kuiwee’

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with the big boys which makes for a great accelerator of experience, also if you bomb, you still have time to get back up to launch for a re-flight – please keep doing it guys!

I learned so much!

I was already bottom of the day one launch list so didn’t have much to lose, it was a hot day, alternative launch made sense. I ended up number 5 on launch. The first pilot eventually launches but it’s still overcast. He’s a pro and he eeks every little bit of lift out of the sky. He’s not bombing but he’s not going up.

Launching doesn’t really progress and he gets nowhere until finally a breeze blows over the back. Task is pulled. Try again tomorrow.

Next day is hot and sunny. There’s some more discussion on the finer points at the briefing. Everyone can see the heat outside. The pressure builds until finally we charge off up the hill! It’s pumping. I pull alternate launch again but as the pressure builds I start to drop balls. I talk to Ken the Safety Controller about pulling out of alternate launch. He puts on his best Aussie accent. “Maate ya dreamin! You’d be crazii to pull out!

Eeet’s pumping!”

I quickly suck it up and go put on my helmet. Walt and Ken are running Launch Safety. They are very thorough checking leg loops and wind and I greatly appreciate their support getting of the relatively unfamiliar hill. Tambo is a flat launch, you run aaaaaall the way to the edge of the grass and keep running.

I had the enviable experience of watching an old hand launch here two days prior. His hands were up by his ears as he pushed his glider down the runway. When he got to the edge of the grass I knew he wasn’t going to launch. His nose was far too high and his body was behind the A-frame.

After he disappeared into the trees

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I clambered down there to see if he was OK and he was lucky. It’s a very steep drop off into trees down there.

I struggled getting down there and it was an expensive lesson for him.

I pause looking at the gliders that have already launched out in front and one is starting to clearly climb.

“Launching!” My launch is good and I fly straight towards the climbing pilot and start circling up with him.

I’m nervous as hell! My mouth is so dry! It’s a lumpy thermal and I’m battling with my wing. I don’t have enough stability to zip up yet, but I’m climbing. I start getting up over launch taking care not to drift too far back as there is an airspace limit behind the hill. Still lumpy, still nervous, still going up, I find a moment to zip up and relax a little more.

The big boys are launching now.

More gliders are coming up around me. My previous experience with gaggles had been unnerving and I had bailed but this time I’m more knowledgeable. I only have to think about the couple of gliders immediately around me, not the whole stack of them. I try to match their circles as they are more experienced than I and they fly tidily.

Hey check that out! It’s the Red Bull wing opposite me! I’m thermalling on Johnny Durand’s wingtip! At 4600ft it suddenly goes “bubbly”. I’m not going up anymore. “I think this might be blue cloud base or the inversion layer” as my memory notes I haven’t experienced this before. Suddenly I’m aware that I’m alone in my circle.

“Hey where did everybody go? There they are! There off to the next hill at the edge of the start circle! Quick Aaron, get on their tail and follow them to goal!!” And off I go!

The valley around Canungra has a very high horse content. So much so that you can’t land ANYWHERE in the valley. OK not quite that bad but

pretty much. The paragliding comp two weeks prior had struggled with this because of their limited glide.

There are a couple of designated landing paddocks for us in the valley but they are very few, and nowhere near take-off. You have to get high and get across over the back of the next mountain, or land in the bombout.

Now here’s where it gets interesting.

They big boys fly flat and fast, but I’m not really a big boy yet. I fly fast to keep up. Too fast on my intermediate wing. Suddenly I realise I’ve burned too much altitude trying to get across.

There’s no way I’m going to end up over Mount Misery.

I start to peel right to make sure I’m at least near the edge of the tree line for an escape route off the mountain.

I feel a blip – it’s too small. I’m now down to 1000ft AGL and as far as I can see in any direction are horse studs – very expensive looking horse studs! Oh MAN! I really REALLY don’t want to be that guy!!

I feel another blip and try to circle but loose more height than I gain!

“Bail while you still can Aaron! Take the safe option rather than landing in the horses!” There’s supposed to be a model airfield designated landing near here but I can’t see it. I think it’s too far away over the next small ridge for me to make it! I look north and can see a small paddock at a road intersection with no horse fences and no animals nearby. I’m not 100 percent confident it’s a designated area but it’s animal free which greatly improves my chances.

“Land beside the road and get over the fence with minimum fuss!”

I can make it in a glide but there’s no height left for circuits. I porpoise in some small bubbles getting over there, estimate the wind relative to its prevailing direction, note the nice upslope on the side of the paddock I’m landing in, set height with a brief

base leg then dive at the upslope between the couple of random small trees.

At 30ft I spot the very long grass that I don’t want touching my base bar and my brain picks this up quick enough to round out early so I don’t touch it. My airspeed quickly drops on the upslope and I execute a perfect aggressive flare to stop dead on my feet but I keep running, half keeping an eye out for snakes in the long grass but running to the road edge. I’m quickly there.

There’s no fence. I calm down a little, suck lots of water, and put on my sun hat, I pull out my map. There is one tiny designated paddock in this area, and I’m in it. Relief!

I spent the rest of my pack-up scolding myself. “Don’t progress on until you have glide to a safe landing option in front of you”. I had got too cocky getting up and away with the big boys. I thought I would find another thermal and just keep going. I was very glad my lesson didn’t cost the Canungra hang gliding community today more through luck.

I won’t do that again.

For today, I’m at the edge of the start circle but not outside it and the start gate is now opening after I’m on the ground. Not a good start, but not a bad one either at my level. I won’t complain. I landed safely and not in the Bomb Squad despite what my lack of points say; -) Back into it the next day. Another sunny day, up to Tambo early and we’re off! I choose alternate launch again. I’m off at number 12 but struggle. There’s lift around and I’m bumping thermals but I’m not getting up. I’m struggling to co-ordinate turns a little more on this wing and it’s doesn’t respond as quickly as my Sport 2 so I keep missing the bubbles. I eventually get low enough to start heading to Bomb, set up and execute my aircraft approach

perfectly once there and have a very sexy flare to a two-step landing. I quickly pack up while out driver turns up to take us up for another attempt.

Drivers are a bit different to NZ. They’re paid about $100/day (budget for it). Tony G the Meet Director hooked us up. “Get onto this guy but don’t muck around or someone else will get him.” All Aussies have an ‘O’ after their name like Daveo and Steveo...

Anyway so our driver Gordo meets us at the local Outpost Cafe in the morning. We all pile into the blue Falcon and he starts talking a bit of shit as we make our way up the hill.

Apparently he doesn’t drink. And he doesn’t have a cell phone. “How will we text him our GPS location for pickup?!” “Just tell me what road you’re on with your radio mate. I’ll find ya.” Well this will be interesting...

Turns out we have struck gold.

Gordo used to hang glide full time about 16 years back – 7 days a week.

He was setting records in this area before I was born, flying to places that no-ones replicated since. He even has a hill named after him. Ask Daveo what its like to go down on Gordo’s Knob...

Gordo knows the area like the back of his hand, he knows all the lift lines, where to go next, and where you are now even though you’re still trying to figure it out on a GPS... He’s perfect.

“Mate you were too far away from the hill, get back against the hill”, “Your circles are too wide. Chuck that girl up on it’s wingtip. Flatten out your turn a little on the upwind side, then really whip it round at the back.” Gordo mate, you were exactly what I needed. Very hard to get feedback and coaching while just boating about. Thanks mate. I greatly appreciate it.

As the week progressed, the thermals got tighter and lighter.

I worked with the bomb squad a bit more, became extraordinarily confident in my landings on this unfamiliar wing, practiced as much as I could with what Gordo was teaching me and drank about 4 litres of water/day trying to keep up with the heat.

The second to last day was a tad

more interesting. The wind was fickle and the day was canned with wind over the back. Everyone packed up to head off. Team Kiwi stood strong.

“Bugger this we’ll patiently wait for a cycle and fly anyway” It was a while but it finally came through. “There it is! Strongest cycle I’ve seen it in a while” And we launched – 3 of us within 30 seconds poom poom poom! Whumph! The whole face was going off!

It didn’t matter what way I turned it was all going up! This was the ticket out! I circled up over the nearby point getting up above launch. I lost some height when slipped out the back, recentered, did a badly co-ordinated turn and lost more height, and then it started dying.

Geoff had cored it perfectly and got away. Tom and I boated around out front for about another 30 minutes until I finally got low enough to call it.

So much to learn, so much more to practice, doing my apprenticeship...

I was glad to finally be heading home. Two weeks of solid flying after a winter of discontent woke me up to how un-fit I was for rowdy thermic inland flying and I needed a brief rest.

If you’re growing your skills at an intermediate level, have a think about saving up some dosh and getting over to Canungra. I found it quite different to NZ. Thermals were challenging to get off the hill and you had to fight to stay in them but it’s a great opportunity to fly over some outstanding country and get some great distances which just aren’t available in NZ. While I didn’t achieve anything outstanding (no downtubes!) the experience gained in launching and landing somewhere completely unknown on an unfamiliar glider has massively enhanced my confidence.

There is no coastal replacement for rough inland thermal flying and I learned so much more so much faster. The best part: The hang gliding community in Canungra is HUGE and strong and they really look after you.

Thanks so much for your support guys, I felt really welcomed.

Canungra Classic - highly recommended. I’ll see you there next year!

Left; Looking back at Tambo Launch after dodging the Horses Below; Tourists at launch on Mt Tamborine

Learn to Fly Hang gliding, paragliding schools and instructors that you can contact for qualified flight instruction in New Zealand NORTHLAND HANG GLIDING Skywalk Guntram Gross, Herman Ahrens Phone: 09 436 0268 or 09 432 9333, 021 072 0357 Email: skywalk@igrin.co.nz AUCKLAND HANG GLIDING Aqua Air Adventure Paddy Monro Phone: 09 528 7594, 027 288 0193 Email: aquaair@ihug.co.nz Web: www.gethigh.co.nz PARAGLIDING SkyWings Paragliding Alan Hills Phone: 09 570 5757, 027 498 2345 Email: alan@skywings.co.nz Web: www.skywings.co.nz Wings & Waves Paragliding and Kitesurfing Reuben Muir and Eva Keim Phone: 09 446 0020, 027 472 7013 Email: info@wingsandwaves.co.nz Web: www.wingsandwaves.co.nz WAIKATO PARAGLIDING Wings & Waves Paragliding and Kitesurfing Reuben Muir and Eva Keim Phone: 09 446 0020, 027 472 7013 Email: info@wingsandwaves.co.nz Web: www.wingsandwaves.co.nz OMAHU, THAMES/PAEROA PARAGLIDING Bruce Vickerman Phone: 07 862 4919, 027 498 9941 Email: bruce.v@clear.net.nz HAWKES BAY PARAGLIDING Airplay Paragliding School Barry Sayer, Phone: 027 451 2886 Email: barry@airplay.co.nz Web: www.airplay.co.nz BAY OF PLENTY PARAGLIDING Kiwi-Air Mike & Aniko Phone: 07 929 5807, 021 104 6208 Web: http://kiwi-air.co.nz Mount Paragliding Darrell Packe Phone: 027 249 2702 Email:darrellpacke@gmail.com MANAWATU HANG GLIDING SkyVenture (Manawatu HG & PG Inc. Club School) CFI: Ross Gray Phone: 06 357 8996, 021 126 0892 Email: rosscoe@e3.net.nz WELLINGTON/WAIRARAPA HANG GLIDING Wellington Hang Gliding & PG Club Grant Tatham Phone: 06 379 7322, 027 636 3491 Email: tathams@xtra.co.nz

Tasman Sky Adventures Trevor Leighton, Phone: 027 229 9693 Email: info@skyadventures.co.nz Web: www.skyadventures.co.nz

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Photos: Neil Brown, Ross Gray

Oceania Paragliding School Chris Connolly, Phone: 022 676 5599 Email; school@oceaniaparagliding.co.nz Web; oceaniaparagliding.co.nz NELSON/TASMAN HANG GLIDING Hang Gliding NZ Ltd Kevin Rooke, Phone: 03 540 2183, 0800 212 359, 021 762 769 Email: rooke@slingshot.co.nz Web: www.hanggliding.co.nz Nelson Hang Gliding Adventures Glenn Meadows Phone: 03 548 9151, 027 275 1022 Email: gmeadows@clear.net.nz Web: www.flynelson.co.nz

PARAGLIDING Adventure Paragliding & Kiteboarding Kevin Rooke, Phone: 03 540 2183, 021 762 769 Email: info@skyout.co.nz Web: www.skyout.co.nz Nelson Paragliding Stew and Zanna Karstens Phone: 03 544 1182, 027 446 3930 Email: paragliding@xtra.co.nz Web: www.nelsonparagliding.co.nz MARLBOROUGH PARAGLIDING High Adventure New Zealand Russell Read, Phone: 027 448 0888 Email: russread@ihug.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH HANG GLIDING Canterbury Hang Gliding School Bill Degen Phone: 03 326 6411, 021 247 2676 Email: aero@xtra.co.nz Web: www.hgpg.co.nz PARAGLIDING ParaPro (Paragliding & Powered Paragliding) Dave Dennis Phone: 03 328 8255, 0508 548 323 Email: info@parapro.co.nz Web: www.parapro.co.nz WANAKA PARAGLIDING Lucky Montana’s Flying Circus Advanced over water manoeuvres (SIV) instruction Rob Darby Phone: 03 443 1680, 027 220 1185 Email: lucky_montana@hotmail.com QUEENSTOWN PARAGLIDING Elevation Paragliding School Shai Lanuel Phone: 0800 359 444, 027 224 2121 Email: elevationpg@xtra.co.nz Web: www.elevation.co.nz Infinity Paragliding School Alan Swann & Blake Round Phone: 021 0228 2939 or 027 367 7679 Email: info@infinityparagliding.co.nz Web: www.infinityparagliding.co.nz Neverland Paragliding Dominic Eller, Phone: 021 314 730 Email: neverlandpg@hotmail.com Paraventures Paragliding School Mark Hardman Phone: 0800 FLYSOLO (0800 359 765), 021 809 275 Email: info@paraventures.co.nz Extreme Air Tandem Hang Gliding & Paragliding Lisa Bradley Phone: 021 156 3256 Email: lisa@extremeair.co.nz Web: www.extremeair.co.nz Queenstown Paragliding School Lisa Bradley Phone: 021 156 3256 Email: info@extremeair.co.nz Web: www.extremeair.co.nz Queenstown Hang Gliding School Lisa Bradley Phone: 021 156 3256 Email: info@extremeair.co.nz Web: www.extremeair.co.nz DUNEDIN PARAGLIDING Dunedin Paragliding & Hang Gliding School Lisa Bradley Phone: 021 156 3256 Email: lisa@extremeair.co.nz Web: www.extremeair.co.nz

Paragliding Cross Country Milestone Flights A 2016-2017 Season

s a way of recognising and thus encouraging cross-country flying endeavours, the NZHGPA awards “Cross-Country Milestone Achievement” stickers the first time a member pilot surpasses the ‘milestone’ distances of 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 or 200km (open distance) on a hang glider or paraglider in New Zealand. (Flights are declared through the NZ Cross-Country Championships, or via participation and scoring in National or Regional competition-flying events). Pictured above right is what one looks like.

Table 1 lists the pilots who achieved milestone paraglider flights during the 2017 season through to the end of April.

In the North Island, 8 pilots surpassed 25km for the first time, flying from sites Kaimai (7) and Moirs Hill (1); while in the South Island, 15 pilots logged that mark flying from a spread of sites: Blowhard, Mt Murchison, Cheeseman, Cardrona, Treble Cone and Coronet Peak. Great stuff!

In the North Island, where it’s typically harder to fly 50km than the South Island, we had four pilots achieving that for their first NZ50km flights: Mark Macdonald and Elliot Revell-Nash flying in January from Kaimai and Paeroa respectively, and then on the same day in February, Emlyn Revell-Nash and Henry Dumbleton flying from Kaimai (with Emlyn adding an extra 20km to bag the 3rd best open distance ever from Kaimai).

At the end of January, PG2-rated Macdonald went on to achieve his 75km milestone too. If achieving your first NZ50km flight in the North Island is rare, then achieving your first NZ75km flight on the outlying island is even rarer!

To find when it was last achieved, I had to go back eighteen years to 1999, when Te Mata Peak was still in vogue as “the place” for distance paragliding in the North Island (see Table 2, below, for a list of historical N.I. paragliding 75km milestone flights). Mark’s flight was also the Kaimai site record and Waikato regional record (paragliding open distance).

In the South Island, sites of Nelson/Marlborough, Arthurs Pass and Central Otago contributed to the tally of 50km and 75km flights. XC Champs’ Best Rookie Rob HughesGames and acro pilot Blake Round bagged 50+ km from Blowhard; Matt Senior at last got the weather around Christmas for a 75+ km flight south from Inwoods Lookout; and Michal Talavasek teamed up with Jean Brossard to fly 75+ km from Avalanche Peak. The Central Otago action included a couple of tandem and acro pilots taking days out: Todd Weigand and Steve Bramfitt logging NZ50km open distance for the first time, Steve’s effort being part of a massive loop around both Lakes Wanaka and Hawea from Treble Cone. Doug Patterson, last year’s Best Rookie, bagged his 75km milestone flying 92km from Treble Cone to Mt Buscot in the Mackenzie Basin.

And last, but not least, Michal Karnik and Dave Watson joined the ‘NZ100km Club’! Karnik picked a good day (December 29) to visit Mt Maude, teaming up with Bryan Moore and Glen Stevens to fly 100+ km to Mt Cook Village. On the same day, as mentioned in the wrap up report on the XC Champs, Watson, with a decent leave pass for the day (and the next), flew a monster flight of 155kms from Coronet Peak to just south of Mt Cook Nat. Park. His flight is the first time a pilot has achieved their 100 and 150 milestones in the same flight, and Dave becomes just the 6th paraglider to bag NZ150km (the others in that group being Bryan Moore, Angus Tapper, Grant Middendorf, Nick Neynens and Louis Tapper).

22 A i r b o r n

By Tim Percival

Table 1. 2017 Season Milestone Paraglider Flights.

Pilot

Milestone Achieved (km)

Flight Date

Open Distance

Site Name

Andy Spierer

25

2/03/2017

33.6

Kaimai

Benjamin Kellett

25

5/01/2017

46.7

Cardrona

Benjamin Letham

25

5/01/2017

33.0

Cardrona

Blake Round

25

9/10/2016

41.8

Coronet Peak

Blake Round

50

16/02/2017

70.9

Blowhard

Clemence Cadario

25

16/02/2017

28.0

Cardrona

Dave Washer

25

2/03/2017

32.2

Kaimai

Dave Watson

75, 100, 125 & 150

29/12/2016

155.0

Coronet Peak

Dominique Washer-Le Sellin

25

5/02/2017

26.2

Kaimai

Doug Patterson

75

20/01/2017

92.0

Treble Cone

Elliot Revell-Nash

50

28/01/2017

57.3

Paeroa

Emlyn Revell-Nash

50

11/02/2017

72.6

Kaimai

Henry Dumbleton

25

5/02/2017

28.5

Kaimai

Henry Dumbleton

50

11/02/2017

59.9

Kaimai

Jenna Hughes-Games

25

16/02/2017

30.0

Blowhard

Jeremy Fletcher

25

4/12/2016

28.5

Treble Cone

Jiri Hanc

25

27/12/2015

32.8

Inwoods Lookout

Josh Benjamin

25

1/12/2016

27.2

Mt Murchison

Jude Tarr

25

2/03/2017

32.4

Kaimai

Lloyd Greenfield

25

26/12/2016

28.9

Mt Murchison

Mark Macdonald

25

4/12/2016

26.2

Moirs Hill

Mark Macdonald

50

5/01/2017

51.8

Kaimai

Mark Macdonald

75

30/01/2017

80.9

Kaimai

Matt Senior

50 & 75

20/12/2016

92.5

Inwoods Lookout

Michal Karnik

100

29/12/2016

120.7

Mt Maude

Michal Talavasek

25

30/10/2016

35.0

Cheeseman

Michal Talavasek

50 & 75

9/02/2017

82.6

Avalanche Peak

Paul McGinley

25

5/01/2017

26.1

Coronet Peak

Pete Helliwell

25

5/01/2017

46.2

Cardrona

Pete Martin

25

5/01/2017

33.4

Kaimai

Peter Jones

25

5/01/2017

30.6

Kaimai

Rob Hughes-Games

25

28/12/2016

26.7

Treble Cone

Rob Hughes-Games

50

16/02/2017

68.4

Blowhard

Ryan Scarlett

25

16/02/2017

28.7

Cheeseman

Steve Bramfitt

25 & 50

4/12/2016

58.4

Treble Cone

Todd Weigand

50

8/02/2017

50.5

Coronet Peak

Table 2. List of Historical North Island Paragliding 75km Milestone Flights No.

Pilot

Milestone Achieved (km)

Flight Date

Open Distance

Site Name

1

Shaun Gilbert

75 & 100

23/01/1996

112.0

Te Mata Peak

2

Lee McLelland

50 & 75

25/12/1996

77.0

Te Mata Peak

3

Barry Sayer

75 & 100

3/01/1999

115.8

Te Mata Peak

4

Grant Middendorf

50 & 75

3/01/1999

95.1

Te Mata Peak

5

Mark Macdonald

75

30/01/2017

80.9

Kaimai

EVENTS Omarama Hang Gliding Classic Cross Country Camp Saturday 3 February to Sunday 11 February 2018

O

n as usual, during the week of Waitangi Day. It should be hot again this summer.

At this time of year Omarama gets the most flying days with least strong winds, turbulence and the most cross country flying opportunities.

It can be hot, maybe windy and sometimes rough (thermals up to 3000 fpm+) but the competition format is stress free. Fly the whole week, just the weekends or only fly the best days.

Flying will be spectacular; expect to get 9 or 10,000ft and an easy 20 to over 100km depending on your skill and luck. You’ll probably beat your Personal Best; height, distance etc, and move up the XC Champs table, or maybe fly to Mt Cook!

The track up Magic Mountain is limited to 4WDs with low ratio gearing for safe descents.

The track has been bulldozed last season so should still be in good order. To help maintain the road we’ll ask everyone for a $30 donation but the competition is free.

THE MISSION; Fly open distance, in any direction from the Omarama area that you choose. Enter any number of flights. Take any days off, only your best 3 flights get scored.

Flights can be entered each evening at the cottage next door to Omarama Hotel or at the camping area entry boards.

Required; Advanced rating with mountain/ XC skills. Pilots with lower skill ratings may fly only if under supervision and if conditions are suitable. Printed site briefings are available.

This is mountain high desert country so essential equipment is; a 2.5m rope for securing gliders during dust devils, radio, cellphone, maps, GPS, water, survival gear

11,000ft over Killermont looking up the Ahuriri Photo: Bill Degen

(days can be over 30°C with frosts at night), basebar wheels, spare uprights, glider fully checked and a repacked chute.

A satellite messenger such as a Spot is recommended for pickups as cell reception is patchy. An extra sim card for the other phone network that you use is cheap and will get you much more coverage.

An Emergency Locator Transmitter may be wise. Airtribune is a free tracker for Android cellphones that can allow your pickup crew to follow you (within cell coverage).

Note; airband radio (118.6 Mhz) is mandatory for flying North of Ohau if you want to head for Mt Cook.

Bring a brave but careful 4WD driver, and a spade is essential for clearing slips off the access road and some pickups.

Or bring your aerotow or car tow set-up.

All types of accommodation are available; free camping, cabins, caravans, motels and luxury hotels. There’s hot pools in Omarama for after flying too.

For more information, site briefings, maps etc; contact Bill Degen aero@xtra.co.nz or check www.hgpg.co.nz for updates

Want a better magazine?

Airborn needs your articles and photos. We’d like to read about your flights, frights, sites, experiences and techniques. Anything that’s of interest , educating or enthusing to pilots is especially welcome.

Airborn can’t afford to pay you but does post contributors a complimentary copy which you should receive a day or so before everyone else.

Just email your text to; aero@xtra.co.nz or put it on CD, DVD, Zip, Flash drive or even floppy disk. Most text programs such as Microsoft Word (Windows or Mac) are fine but please do not put photos in MS Word files as this reduces the resolution, please supply photo files in highest resolution separately.

If it’s not digital, clean printed copy helps or if you hand write, please write neatly on one side of the paper only.

INCLUDE photos, of the people, place or gliders involved and one of yourself to make the article more interesting. We have full colour and with digital photo editing, it’s amazing what we can do to enhance ordinary snapshots. Black and white or colour prints are fine. Digital images should be the original high resolution.

Contact me for solutions for emailing large files such as multiple large image files.

Photos for the cover should be eye-catching, colourful, sharp, and high resolution.

You can also send transparencies or prints for scanning. Anything marked with a return address will be returned along with your complimentary copy.

Help promote or make our sport safer, and Airborn will present your contribution in the best way possible.

24 A i r b o r n

Hang gliding event calendar for the 2017 – 2018 season Date

Location

Contact

1st flyable weekend of Nov 2017, 4/5, 11/12, 18/19, 25/26.

Far North XC Open; Now 5 XC sites to fly

Tom Kellner: tkmechanical@vodafone.co.nz

1st flyable weekend of Dec 2017. 2/3, 9/10, 16/17

Kaimai League: Kaimai or Paeroa Ranges

Geoff Christophers: geoff@tradeupjobs.co.nz Aaron Darby; aarondarby@gmail.com

30 Dec - 2 Jan 2018

Sterling Big Sky; Omarama

Max Gebhardt: Maximilian.Gebhardt@ideal.co.nz

Wellington Anniversar y weekend 20 – 22 Jan 2018, Reserve TBA March

Wellington

Grant Tatham: tathams@xtra.co.nz

17-18 Feb or 24-25 Feb 2018

Auckland League; Anywhere that is flyable in the upper North Island

Les Graham; Graham-mackie@vodafone.co.nz Steve Dwyer: steved@tdstructures.co.nz

27 Jan – 3 Feb 2018

HG Nationals; Based at Mt Murchison

Matt Barlow: nat.matt3@gmail.com Shane McKay: info@pelorusecoadventures.co.nz

17-19 Nov 2017

Canterbury League Christchurch

Max Gebhardt: Maximilian.Gebhardt@ideal.co.nz

Sat 3 Feb to Sun 11 Feb 2018

Omarama Classic; Omarama

Bill Degen; aero@xtra.co.nz

XC Clinic for Novice and Intermediate Hangies (and old digs if you are interested): As the XC Clinic was cancelled due to heavy rain before the Nationals this year, we are hopeful that next year will be better. The Nationals will be based at Mt Murchison next year, which is a great place for Novices to get a high fly on and the XC clinic will be a good lead up to this. We had a lot of interest last year so I hope to get the same for next year.

So we are looking to find the numbers of Novice and Intermediate rated pilots (or higher) that are interested in attending the XC Clinic for 2 days before the Nationals. The Dates are yet to be confirmed for the Nationals but these will set next month.

We will need to know numbers so that we can organise instructors.

The Clinic will include things like thermalling skills, instrument set up, choosing a landing area, gaggle flying etc. You then get to use these skills for the next week at the Nationals. Novices cannot compete at the Nationals but you can free fly.

Please register your interest by emailing Matt Barlow at nat.matt3@gmail.com

2017 NZHGPA Annual General Meeting DATE: Saturday 30th September 2017 VENUE: Christchurch: The Meeting Rooms, Christchurch Airport, www. themeetingrooms.co.nz , same venue as last year.

All remits should be sent/emailed to me by end of day 15th July 2017 (but any late ones may be considered), in the required format as per our Constitution section 5.1 (available on our website). Please get your clubs together in time to discuss and submit any remits and organise your delegate/s.

An AGM Agenda and remits will be forwarded to Club Secretaries following 15th July, for clubs to discuss and vote on prior to the AGM. We look forward to receiving your remits and seeing you at the AGM. Kind regards Nicky Hamill Administrator, NZHGPA

Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2018 Come join us at Forbes for another great week of awesome cross country flying.

Wether you are new to competition or a seasoned pilot you’ll be sure to have the time of your life!

Organiser: Moyes and Sydney Hang gliding Club Classified: FAI Cat 2 , HGFA: AAA Open Class , A Sport Class When: Practice flying Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th December, 2017 Competition Dates: Friday 29th December 2017 through to Friday 5th January 2018 Where: Forbes, NSW, Australia Headquarters: Forbes Rugby ClubMore info at www.forbesflatlands.com Register at; www.forbesflatlands.com/ register/pilot-registration

Safety Checks Ozone Ozium Paragliding Harness This Safety Notice affects all original Ozium harnesses (not the new Ozium 2)

We have had reported a case of failure during a simulated Tyrolean deployment. The pins on the reserve deployment handles of all original Ozium harnesses may have been damaged during production. The damage, if present, may result in the pin breaking during deployment causing the reserve compartment to remain closed even if the handle is released.

As the breakage is in an area hidden from view we are replacing all reserve handles as a precautionary measure.

Action required: Mandatory replacement of reserve handle The reserve deployment handles on all original Ozium harnesses should be replaced before next use. Please contact the dealer who sold you your Ozium harness to request a replacement handle. Replacement (good) handles are clearly marked with blue bartacks.

If your reserve handle has the blue bartacks, it has been replaced and is ok to fly. If the reserve handle does not, then it must be replaced. Please see photos at right.

For any questions regarding the replacement of the handle, please contact your local Ozone dealer or Contact Ozone directly. www.flyozone.com 09.06.2017

Skywalk Mescal5; S, M, L Paragliders A pilot reported that the seam of the webbed strap that connects the brake pulley to the riser tore during ground handling.

Investigations conducted by skywalk and DHV following this communication have resulted in the following: The seam with which the brake pulley strap is fastened to the riser may not be strong enough if it was sewn with too few stitches.

This can reduce the breaking load to approx.

35 kg. This is more than adequate for flying, but may not be enough for ground handling in strong conditions and large deflection angles.

It is therefore possible that the seam may tear during ground handling or at least be damaged.

This could pose a danger for the next flight.

Skywalk has therefore issued the following safety notification in accordance with the DHV:

Mescal5 paragliders with the serial numbers listed below must have their risers checked or re-sewn before the next flight.

Since you can not tell from the outside exactly whether the seam underneath the cover was 100% correctly sewn, Skywalk recommends sending these paragliders to the importer in the respective country, or directly to skywalk in Germany and Austria. They will be checked and repaired free of charge.

Affected customers in Austria & Germany, please send your paragliders to: Skywalk GmbH & Co. KG, Windeckstrasse 4, 83250 Marquartstein.

Affected customers in countries other than Austria/Germany, please send your paragliders to the respective importer in your country.

A list of our importers can be found at: https:// skywalk.info/distributor/ Owners of the affected paragliders are asked to contact skywalk directly if anything is not clear!

Mescal5 paragliders with the following serial numbers are affected by the above-mentioned safety notification; w w w. s k y w a l k . i n f o / f i l e s / 2 0 1 7 / 0 5 / Seriennr.1.jpg w w w. s k y w a l k . i n f o / f i l e s / 2 0 1 7 / 0 5 / Seriennr.2.jpg Tel. 0049 8641 69 48-0/info@skywalk.org Marquartstein, 22.05.2017 - Manfred Kistler, Managing Director Skywalk Paragliders Skywalk GmbH Windeckstr. 4 83250 Marquartstein info@skywalk.org

Advance Easiness and Easiness 2 Paragliders The connection between the V-lines and the reserve on all Easiness And Easiness 2 reversible harnesses must be changed at the next opportunity. A replacement connection line can be obtained from Advance free of charge.

to order the free replacement kit and refit this connection line as soon as possible.

Ordering the replacement kit and a guide to how to fit it is online at www.advance.ch/ easinessrecall For all of their almost 30 years Advance have put the highest priority on good workmanship and excellent products. This is why we get the greater part of our prepared raw materials and fittings from high quality European manufacturers. Nevertheless, even with the greatest diligence and foresight technical problems with materials can, unfortunately, not be completely ruled out.

We apologise to all Easiness customers for any concerns or inconvenience raised by this safety notice. If you have any questions or are uncertain what to do please contact your Advance dealer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) Which connection line on which Easiness/ Easiness 2 reversible harness is affected?

It is only the main line (the strap that actually connects to the reserve) of all Easiness (delivered from 2012 till 2016) and Easiness 2 (delivered from 2016 till May 2017); not the top V-section which leads to the shoulder mountings.

The new section is black – not red, as previously.

What exactly must I do?

The reserve must be taken out of its container in order for a new connection to be made. In both PDF files available on the website, you can find and download the instructions for retrofitting and repacking your emergency parachute.

How long does this take?

Depending on the type of reserve bridle to V-connection (Quicklink or loop on loop), the procedure should take between 9 and 15 minutes.

What can I do if I would prefer some help?

Please go to your nearest Advance dealer.

He will change the strap as a professional.

02.06.2017

Aeronautical Charts Visual Navigation Charts (VNCs) can be purchased from Aeronautical Information Management (a division of Airways NZ) on 0800 500 045, or their web site, www.aipshop.co.nz. VNCs

What’s the difference between the old and the new connection line?

The new section is black – not red, as previously. Furthermore the new one is a bit longer than the old one.

How can I tell if my Easiness/Easiness 2 already has a new connection strap that does not have to be changed?

come in two scales 1:250,000 and 1:500,000, and cost $16.35 for a pair of charts printed on a double-sided sheet. The coverage of the 1:250,000 charts makes them handy for planning cross-country flights.

Site Notices Queenstown/Skyline Gondola Site Notification The Southern Club has a new Memorandum of Understanding in place with Airways (Queenstown Tower). This includes a new SMS notification system that allows us to fly within G756.

All pilots that were previously accredited to fly within G756 (Queenstown Gondola) must be reaccredited by a Southern Club authorised accreditor. You cannot fly within G756 without authorisation from the Southern Club.

The accreditation is free for Southern Club members and $10 for non-members. Please contact the Southern Club at admin@southernclub.co.nz if you require further detail. The new system comes in to effect 30 June 2017.

- Melanie (Club Secretary)

A routine spot check of Advance incoming goods has revealed that the connection between the V-lines and reserve on the Easiness And Easiness 2 reversible harnesses does not conform to the French manufacturer Techni Sangle’s guaranteed quality, in other words it is not strong enough. Because it cannot be assured beyond doubt that all the already-built connection lines conform to the required strength based on the inspection sample, Advance have instigated a precautionary recall for all reserve V-connection lower lines for the Easiness and Easiness 2 harnesses. Other harnesses conform to their specifications and are not affected.

Because of the measured values discovered on the spot check it is possible that a reserve thrown with such a connection at maximum load (120 daN) and at a speed approaching that of free fall might experience a strength problem. Even though such a set of circumstances is extremely unlikely to occur in practical use, we advise all owners of Easiness And Easiness 2 reversible harnesses

Kaimai Range The Kaimais is closed for lambing until further notice.

Contact Rick Hawkeswood, Site Monitor; rick.hawkeswood@ihug.co.nz

Site Closures

In Springtime throughout New Zealand, farms are expecting newborn sheep, cattle, horses, deer and other animals.

Your presence on or flying over farmland could frighten or injure pregnant or newborn stock.

Even at places that you usually fly without problems, please check with the farmer if it is OK to fly. This is a difficult time for farmers and they do appreciate your consideration. Not asking has resulted in the loss of many flying sites while asking has earned their friendship.

If in doubt or if any stock are present DO NOT FLY without asking.

A

i r b o r n

25

N Ne eww ZZeeaallaa nn dd C rC ro os ss s - -CCoouunntt rr yy

g l idding ing PP aa rr aagli CC hh aa mmpip ioons n sh hips ips

April 1st - March 31st. Sponsored by Wings & Waves

April 1st 2016 to March 31st 2017

A

Report by Tim Percival

t the end of the flying season, contrasting with the joy and exhilaration one gets from a great cross country flight was sadness with the news of the deaths of James Maaka on April 18, and Ben Letham on April 22.

Both had been active cross country pilots: James’ NZ flights had included the Treble Cone to Wanaka town ‘test piece’; while this season Ben had opened his XC Champs account with a 30+ km flight from Cardrona to Mt Maude. My thoughts and sympathy go out to their families and close friends who must still be hurting very much.

Champs’ wrap-up report

Overall it seemed to me to be a season that was “condensed” into just two to three good weeks, plus the extra odd excellent flying day here and there depending on where in the country you were. In the South Island there was a great period from December 20 to January 5, while in the North Island the Kaimai Range was putting up nice days from late January through to March.

Of the other days, October 30 was one where personal bests were flown at Mt Ida, Cheeseman and Inwoods Lookout; December 5 saw PBs and six flights scoring over 150 points from Roys Peak and Treble Cone; February 16 saw five PBs over 25 km from Blowhard and Cheeseman; and on March 2 a great day and XC task at the Nationals saw four personal bests over 30 km from Kaimai.

Although the pace of NZ paragliding record setting eased back, we did see Guillaume Chatain with passenger Flora Charrieau set a new tandem open distance record. Nick Neynens showed what you could do if you launched early (around 10:00am) and was rewarded with two very long flights that were the season’s best.

Here’s a list of some particular highlights: • NZ’s Tandem Open Distance record broken, the mark is now 109.3 km (Guillaume Chatain, Treble Cone).

• NZ’s 4th and 5th best open distances (Nick Neynens, 191 km from Mill Creek, Glenorchy West; and 182 km from Stair Peak, Glenorchy East).

• NZ’s 3rd best FAI Triangle (Dave Watson, 121.6 km, Roys Peak).

• A 182 km ‘out’ flight followed by a 101 km ‘back’ flight the next day (Neynens).

• Five NZ100km open distance flights achieved from three different sites on the same day (Stair Peak, Coronet Peak & Mt Maude on December 29).

• Eleven NZ100km open distance flights in total.

• Four NZ personal bests over 100 km (Watson, Glen Stevens, Michal Karnik and Nick Taber).

• Nineteen NZ personal bests over 50 km.

• A new regional open distance record for Waikato (Mark Macdonald, 80.9 km, Kaimai).

For details of other site records flown during the season, look for asterisks in the right hand column of the Season Site Best Flights tables.

2016/2017 NZ PG XC Champs Top 40 Final Standings Pos Pilot Club 1 Nick Neynens Southern 2 Dave Watson Southern 3 Bryan Moore Southern 4 Louis Tapper Southern 5 Glen Stevens Canterbury 6 Michal Karnik Southern 7 Stew Karstens Tasman 8 Michal Talavasek Canterbury 9 Nick Taber Tasman 10 Jean Brossard Canterbury 11 Peter Groves Southern 12 Mark Hardman Southern 13 Doug Patterson Southern 14 Mark Macdonald Waikato 15 Evan Lamberton Auckland 16 Jiri Hanc Canterbury 17 Bruce Vickerman Waikato 18 Derek Divers Southern 19 Rob Gillard Waikato 20 Martin Kraemer Southern 21 Matt Senior Tasman 22 Dylan Vickerman Southern 23 Aaron Ford Southern 24 Shaun Gilbert Hawkes Bay 25 Jeff Ripley Auckland 26 Helen Jeffery Southern 27 Gert van Maren Southern 28 Steven Christophers Southern 29 Rob Hughes-Games Canterbury 30 Rob Boyle Tasman 31 Elliot Revell-Nash Auckland 32 Rhys Akers Bay of Plenty 33 Emlyn Revell-Nash Auckland 34 Wayne Rohrs Auckland 35 Rory Devine Southern 36 Blake Round Southern 37 Henry Dumbleton Waikato 38 Kinga Masztalerz Auckland 39 Steve Bramfitt Southern 40 Dean Straker Tasman

F1 F2 F3 Total 306.6 298.9 170.0 775.5 251.2 243.2 157.8 652.2 214.8 204.8 173.6 593.2 210.2 210.1 145.3 565.6 199.3 186.5 137.9 523.7 202.6 145.9 145.3 493.8 161.5 146.6 111.2 419.3 173.1 140.5 91.0 404.6 179.3 102.1 100.8 382.2 144.1 126.4 109.4 379.9 167.8 107.1 85.1 360.0 172.2 99.6 87.8 359.6 151.8 101.6 98.6 352.0 140.8 114.7 83.8 339.3 134.9 106.4 97.8 339.1 118.2 113.6 98.4 330.2 111.8 107.9 107.0 326.7 112.4 105.4 104.8 322.6 113.8 107.9 98.0 319.7 138.7 89.6 89.4 317.7 160.3 146.4 0.0 306.7 175.0 79.0 38.2 292.2 146.2 78.6 62.2 287.0 156.1 67.6 60.4 284.1 116.1 93.9 71.5 281.5 100.4 94.9 85.4 280.7 101.9 96.9 77.1 275.9 152.1 71.3 50.2 273.6 109.5 93.1 70.0 272.6 98.8 92.7 80.0 271.5 99.7 96.6 72.8 269.1 119.1 98.3 48.5 265.9 115.4 103.7 44.8 263.9 99.1 83.8 78.6 261.5 109.4 108.4 42.5 260.3 116.8 69.5 66.4 252.7 99.5 94.1 56.9 250.5 131.9 109.5 0.0 241.4 240.0 0.0 0.0 240.0 150.9 57.6 26.9 235.4

2017 NZ XC Champions and Category Winner Title/Category

Pilot

Notes

1st place and 2017 NZ XC Champion

Nick Neynens

Nick’s two weeks in NZ was enough time for him to defend his title, through some committing and canny mountain flying which achieved the season’s two longest flights. See www.sharemyjoys.com for details of his adventures!

1st Runner Up

Dave Watson

This season Dave found his GPS download cable and logged some of his mountain XCs! Great stuff including NZ’s 3rd longest FAI Triangle flight ever, and becoming just the 6th person to fly NZ 150 km open distance.

2nd Runner Up

Bryan Moore

Bryan’s flights included flights over 100 km XC distance from three different Otago sites! (Roys Peak, Mt Maude and Sharks Tooth).

2017 Women’s XC Champion

Helen Jeffery

Consistently good flying - three flights over 50 km XC distance, South and North Islands - has netted Helen her first women’s XC title. Helen’s 280.7 points total is the second best by a female pilot since Leonardo scoring began.

Best Rookie (first-time PG2 competitor)

Rob Hughes-Games

Rob’s tally included flying an open distance best of 68 km! (from Blowhard, Marlborough).

North Island Champion

Evan Lamberton

Evan’s best-of-season flight from the Paeroa Range was the highest scoring flight ever from there (89.9 km via 3 turn points).

Longest North Island Flight

Shaun Gilbert

93.4 km from Te Mata Peak, Hawkes Bay.

Longest South Island Flight

Nick Neynens

191.3 km from Mill Creek, Otago.

2017/2018 NZ PG Cross-Country Championships Please note: For the coming 2017/2018 season, the online web site for scoring and uploading your track logs to is now XContest at: www.xcontest.org/newzealand/

26 A i r b o r n

Photo: Ross Gray

Well done all of the above! (Especially Nick) :) Thank you to all who submitted flights so we could see where there was good flying to be had.

2016/2017 NZ PG XC Champs Final Standings (top 40 placings)

FAI Out-and-Back

(Table at left on facing page) For detailed flight information and relative rankings of all NZ resident pilots, see the 2017 PG XC Champs Table at Leonardo (Leonardo season name: “2016”); www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/league/world/season2016/brand:all ,cat:1,class:all,xctype:all,club:0.9 (Note that for the 2016/2017 NZ PG XC Champs, the online Leonardo table is an approximate table only: international pilots are incorrectly excluded from the NZ ‘club’ competition, while a flight submitted more than 30 days after the day of the flight is incorrectly included).

Region

North Island Table (top 20 placings)

FAI Triangle

(Top scoring from North Island flights).

Pos Pilot Club 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Evan Lamberton Bruce Vickerman Rob Gillard Mark Macdonald Shaun Gilbert Jeff Ripley Elliot Revell-Nash Rhys Akers Emlyn Revell-Nash Wayne Rohrs Henry Dumbleton Kinga Masztalerz Andrew Cavaney Rob Boyle Matt Harrison Roy Tingay Joe Ward Dave Washer Doug Patterson Nick Taber

Auckland Waikato Waikato Auckland Hawkes Bay Auckland Auckland Bay of Plenty Auckland Auckland Waikato Auckland Auckland Tasman Auckland Southern Auckland Auckland Southern Tasman

134.9 111.8 107.9 140.8 156.1 116.1 99.7 119.1 115.4 99.1 99.5 131.9 100.1 98.8 99.4 99.5 79.0 105.1 101.6 100.8

106.4 107.9 98.0 83.8 67.6 93.9 96.6 98.3 103.7 83.8 94.1 109.5 73.0 80.0 65.6 56.5 77.5 49.2 51.2 64.0

97.8 107.0 93.4 73.5 60.4 71.5 72.8 48.5 44.8 78.6 56.9 0.0 57.5 49.6 58.6 48.5 45.2 40.1 36.2 22.6

2017 Season Site Best Flights (from entries) Open Distance Region

Site/Site Group

Distance Pilot

Date

Northland Auckland

Kamo Moirs Hill

28.3 35.8

Joe Ward Jeff Ripley

11/09/2016 03/12/2016

Auckland Waikato Waikato Waikato Bay of Plenty Hawkes Bay Hawkes Bay Hawkes Bay Wellington Nelson Nelson Nelson Marlborough Marlborough

Pakiri Hill Alans Hill Harrys Hill Kaimai Range Paeroa Burma Road Te Mata Peak Turiri Mt Climie Inwoods Lookout Mt Murchison Takaka - Riwaka Blowhard Canvastown

24.5 30.6 17.9 80.9 68.2 21.5 93.4 38.5 21.3 113.5 94.9 12.1 76.7 15.5

31/01/2017 06/01/2017 28/08/2016 30/01/2017 (Kaimai) 28/01/2017 30/04/2016 28/01/2017 11/02/2017 21/03/2017 30/10/2016 26/12/2016 05/01/2017 (Takaka Hill) 16/02/2017 20/08/2016

*

Marlborough Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Otago Otago Otago Otago

Okiwi Bay Avalanche Peak Craigieburn Range Hunter Hills Port Hills Sealy Range Cairnmuir Cardrona Coronet Peak Hawea Eastern Ranges Hawkdun Range

23.2 90.6 37.1 12.2 19.0 80.6 49.5 46.7 155.0 47.5

Lukas Walton-Keim Pete Martin Rob Gillard Mark Macdonald Evan Lamberton Robbie Kerr Shaun Gilbert Shaun Gilbert Chris Connolly Nick Taber Matt Senior Jude Tarr Jean Brossard Nick Taber, Josh Benjamin Pepijn Wyffels Jean Brossard Jiri Hanc Rob Hughes-Games Matt Stanford Glen Stevens Glen Stevens Benjamin Kellett Dave Watson Michal Karnik

05/01/2017 09/02/2017 30/10/2016 11/02/2017 07/08/2016 30/12/2016 21/10/2016 05/01/2017 29/12/2016 01/12/2016

* *

28.5

Blake Round

Humboldt Mountains South Matukituki Mt Ida Mt Maude Glenorchy E. Ranges Roys Peak Treble Cone

191.3

Nick Neynens

(Lake Hawea East Pt 1410) 14/03/2017 (Hawkdun Pt 1658) 05/01/2017 (Mill Creek) *

103.3 41.9 122.1 182.7 58.9 104.9

Bryan Moore Ian Douglass Bryan Moore Nick Neynens Louis Tapper Glen Stevens

20/01/2017 (Sharks Tooth) 30/10/2016 29/12/2016 * 29/12/2016 (Stair Peak) * 04/12/2016 28/12/2016

Otago Otago

Otago Otago Otago Otago Otago Otago * Site Record ** Site and Regional Record

62.7

Nelson

Takaka - Riwaka

Canterbury Craigieburn Range Otago

Take Off

SR

**

Date

Take Off

Rhys Akers

05/01/2017 (Kaimai)

15.5

Jude Tarr

05/01/2017 (Takaka Hill)

30.7

Michal Karnik

05/01/2017 (Cheeseman)

Hawea Eastern Ranges 23.6

Gert van Maren 09/10/2016 (Pakituhi Spur)

Otago

Mt Maude

51.7

Michal Karnik

Otago

Roys Peak

102.3

Dave Watson

04/12/2016

Otago

Treble Cone

73.9

Louis Tapper

30/11/2016

Otago

339.1 326.7 299.3 298.1 284.1 281.5 269.1 265.9 263.9 261.5 250.5 241.4 230.6 228.4 223.6 204.5 201.7 194.4 189.0 187.4

Distance Pilot

Kaimai Range

Region F1 F2 F3 Total

Site/Site Group

Waikato

24/09/2016

Site/Site Group

Distance Pilot

Date

Roys Peak

121.2

04/12/2016

Dave Watson

‘North of Known’ video available on Red Bull TV Gavin McClurg and Dave Turner take on the challenge of paragliding east to west across the nearly 500 miles (700km) of the Alaska Mountain Range. Facing harsh weather, freezing and even starvation, it’s the most extreme Vol-Bivy expedition ever attempted.

Their survival skills prove a lifesaver during the expedition. One of the biggest challenges was the logistical problem of how to take enough food. In the end, they settled on placing food caches along the way. But that plan meant going hungry if they fell behind schedule, which they did – spectacularly.

“We’d been five days in a tent, then three days of going nowhere and we were basically out of food, but we were still doing these monster days,” recalls McClurg. “The biggest day we covered 12,000ft [3.66km] of vertical gain on foot in 18 hours and each of us had just one of those instant packets of oatmeal worth 120 calories. We didn’t even cook it – we just poured it in our mouths. We were starving.”

Check it out at www.redbull.tv/video/AP-1NC8539251W11/north-of-known

WILD PARAGLIDING IS NOW YOUR

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*Mountain gliders from 1.6kg *Reserves and Accessories *Lightweight equipment We are looking for a North Island Rep if this sounds like you contact

wildparagliding.com A

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HHAA NN GG gli g l idding i ng CC hh aa mmpip ioons n sh hips ips

January 1st to December 31st

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he table remains the same for now.

It looks like it’s been too wet and too cold for even a few XC flights over Winter.

Spring flying should start soon and if you can handle a little cold, there’s still good ridge flying to be had and some areas produce wave better in winter that can make for a good XC flight.

Spring often turns on some great thermal days as sun heating is slower and if lapse rates are high, sea breezes don’t come in as fast to kill thermal activity.

Milestone Awards Just two pilots (that we are aware of) got NZHGPA Milestone awards last season; Derek McKee (who got 3 milestones all on 1 flight) and Ollie Derry. Both were flying at this year’s Omarama XC Classic. You can read about Derek’s flight earlier in this issue.

Airtribune Live tracking For those who want quicker retrieves, get the Airtribune App for your Android smartphone.

Airtribune will track your flight and let your retrieve driver look you up on their smartphone to see exactly where you are. It is limited to cell coverage but apparently satellite trackers like Spot work with it too. It’s not power hungry but it pays to have a backup battery as well.

Note that Airtribune doesn’t calculate FAI Open Distance from the 2 furtherest points of your flight.

You still want a tracklog for that as explained in the entry section.

The Apple IOS version is at time of printing, no longer available in the App store. Previously downloaded versions work only at Airtribune contests. Hopefully an update is imminent.

ONLINE RESULTS Latest results are posted as they come in at www. hgpg.co.nz and on the NZHGPA website at www. nzhgpa.org.nz/competitions/hg-competitions/ hang-gliding-cross-country-championships (but check if it’s been recently updated).

Online scoring? Not yet, but if you have a 3D GPS you can enter any of the online contests as well. If you do this, just let me know by emailing me a link to your online entry and I’ll copy the data to the NZ HG XC Champs. It should have all we need to enter your flight.

TO ENTER...

It’s free and simple; fly anywhere in NZ before midnight on 31st December, email or post in your flight details (and tracklog if you have one) before 30 days has passed and you’re entered. Enter as many flights as you like. Your shorter flights are automatically replaced by your longer ones. Only your longest four flights are scored.

For each flight entry, please supply; • Your name, email address and contact phone number.

• Flight date, take-off/release place, landing place, and flight distance in kilometres and 10ths.

• Tracklog file from a GPS that can be read by GPSDump, such as an IGC file. Best is a kml file processed by GPSDump.

• That’s all, unless you don’t have a GPS tracklog, then please also supply; Start and landing witness/s name & contact details.

A GPS instrument has many advantages for XC flying, but for pilots who don’t have GPS, you can still enter the NZ HG XC Champs without one, you’ll

28 A i r b o r n

The 2017 Cross-Country Championships Table so far...

Name Derek McKee

Flight 1 116.0

Flight 2 96.0

Flight 3 56.0

Flight 4 20.7

Total kms 288.7

Neil Howe

109.2

69.2

67.3

39.8

285.4

John Smith

108.0

98.0

36.5

31.9

274.4

Rick Hawkeswood

106.5

70.2

48.6

38.2

263.5

Leslie Graham 81.7 47.2 39.7 34.9 203.6 Geoff Christophers

113.7

67.6

181.4

Steve Bankier 56.0 30.0 8.0 94.0 Oliver Derry 56.0 19.5 9.0 84.5 Rod Stuart 27.4 19.5 19.0 12.7 78.6 Bill Degen 28.2 17.9 14.6 12.2 72.9 Eddie Pearson 30.0 12.6 10.6 53.2 Cris Lawry 30.0 10.0 8.0 48.0 Marty Smith 20.8 10.0 9.0 4.0 43.8 David Martin

* 15.8 15.1 12.8 43.7

Robin Campbell 8.0 7.0 2.6 17.6 Dan Campbell 9.0 7.0 16.0 Reece Fisher

12.0 ** Class 2 (rigid wing), * Skyfloater

12.0

2016-17 season Milestone hang glider flights. Thanks to Tim Percival Pilot

Milestone Achieved (km) Flight Date

Open Distance

Site Name

Derek McKee

50, 75 & 100

5/02/2017

116.0

Magic Mountain

Ollie Derry

50

8/02/2017

56.0

Magic Mountain

Steve Bankier

50

5/02/2017

56.0

Magic Mountain

just need to give take-off and landing witnesses.

GPSDump works on Windows or Mac and reads GPS tracklogs from just about any instrument, then works out the best start and finish points for you automatically. It also works out if the flight fits any other FAI criteria such as out and return, triangle etc.

You can export it for viewing in Google Earth in 3D. Download GPSDump for free at; www.gethome.no/stein.sorensen Rules You must be a paid up NZHGPA member during all flights or you do not score. Entries must be postmarked or emailed within 30 days of the flight or do not score. This helps ensure accuracy, prevents pilots holding back flights until the end, and we all want to know how everyone’s doing.

Please DON’T phone, txt, or tell me in the pub, all entries must be in writing (email preferred) with all flight details (and GPS tracklog if using remote launch and/or landings), or do not score. Don’t assume that because someone else was there or you were in a competition that your flight has been entered. It is each pilots’ responsibility to declare and enter full details of their own flight entries.

Measure your flights in kilometres and 10ths of km, straight line from take-off to landing. Optimised flight distances with a Remote Start and/or Remote Finish are welcome, provided you send in a valid, GPS track log to prove it. Out & return, triangle or multiple distances are not eligible at this stage.

Aerotow launched flights are permitted, but your release altitude must be less than 5% of the flight distance (current FAI ruling) or does not score. Tow release position (not take-off) verification should be witnessed by the tug pilot, or confirmed with known landmark photo or GPS tracklog.

Note: If you don’t follow the rules by providing all

relevant flight details, (including valid tracklog for remote start or finish flights) you DO NOT SCORE. GLIDER CLASSES Same as FAI rules. Flex wings including kingpostless gliders are Class 1. Rigid wings such as the Atos are Class 5 and Swifts are Class 2 or Class 5 without the pilot fairing.

There’s a special prize for pilots flying skyfloater gliders such as such as the Fun, Falcon, Malibu etc.

30% double surface gliders such as Buzz, Gyro, Mars, Target, Ventura, Malibu etc can be flown in this class too. As long as it has exposed crossbars.

Don’t forget to point it out on your entry if you have an exposed crossbar glider or rigid wing. You can enter in as many classes as you like. Skyfloater flights can be entered in a separate class and/or included in your Class 1 score, whichever you prefer.

Let me know if your flight is a site record too.

SCORING The pilot with the best total of four flights is the NZ Hang Gliding Cross Country Champion for that year and gets first choice of prizes followed by pilots with second and third best totals. The pilot with the longest single flight gets fourth choice, then prizes go from fourth best total onwards.

Flights for each years XC Champs must be flown between 1 January and 31st December and entered within 30 days. This ends one contest while pilots have good weather and starts the next the contest while everyone’s still keen.

SEND YOUR ENTRY TO; aero@xtra.co.nz (Please write “XC Entry” in the header and please keep your entry separate from other emails) or post entries to; NZ Hang Gliding XC Champs, Bill Degen, 99A Panorama Road, Christchurch 8081

Sixty-six athletes from three air sports take part in The World Games 2017

W

roclaw, Poland – Sixty-six international air sports athletes competed in three different air sports at the World Games in Poland.

Parachuting Canopy Piloting, Glider Aerobatics and Paramotoring featured over four days of competition from 20 to 23 July 2017.

Taking place under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Games The foot drag task requires the pilot to are an international multi-sport keep their foot in the water over four sectors in the pond, lifting your foot event for sports and disciplines that means penalty points are not contested in the Olympic Games. All feature in the World Games under the umbrella title of ‘Air Sports’.

In Paramotoring, each pilot flies solo, and takes-off on foot from a standing start on the ground. There are five tasks: Accuracy Landing; ‘Slow / Fast’; Figureof-Eight Slalom; Paramotor Soccer; and the Swoop Pond.

All the tasks test speed, efficient flying, control and precision. In Paramotor Soccer, for example, pilots must fly inches above the ground to kick a football, but thereafter fast and powerfully to take a turn around a 12m inflatable pylon.

Poland’s Wojciech Bogdal won the Paramotoring competition. After flying 9 tasks over three days he ended with a convincing win, 8 points ahead of

Testing a pilot's accuracy, precision and slow-flying skills

Thailand’s Kittiphop Phrommat in second position. Marcin Bernat (POL) came third.

The first paramotoring session of the last day of competition started early, before 8am, to ensure a quick turnaround of pilots. Organisers were keen to stay ahead of stormy weather which was forecast to arrive later.

Later, after the medals ceremony in front of a home crowd at the Air Sports Right; Wojciech Bogdal

airfield in Wroclaw, he said it had been emotional winning in his home country.

“Standing on the podium I felt the same as at the opening ceremony four days ago. I had tears in my eyes.” He added: “I like to fly in front of my home crowd. People were waving, and one even had a flag with my name on it, that was great.”

Bogdal, 23, said the competition had been “very hard, but we had a lot of tasks and we

flew in all our slots. We had more than 12 take-offs, which made it hard.”

Bogdal started to fly solo 10 years ago when he was 13 years old. “When I was three years old my father started to fly, so I am from a paramotoring family.”He was joined on the podium by teammate Marcin Bernat (POL), the only two Polish pilots in the Paramotor competition. “We like to fly together and we train together,” he said.

- FAI

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03 326 6411 021 247 2676

■ Paid up NZHGPA members may run one advertisement per classification for free in each issue ■ Please send your written advertisement to the editor, quoting your NZHGPA PIN number ■ Commercial operators, dealers, and non-members must enclose payment of $0.50c per word with their advertisement ■ All advertisements are deleted for next issue unless repeat request received ■ Buyers are advised that all used hang gliders and paragliders should have a NEW fitness check (WOF) when sold ■ It is dangerous to fly a glider or with equipment that is above your rated ability ■ PARAGLIDERS OZONE and Advance paragliding equipment at Infinity Paragliding. Check out all the latest Ozone and Advance paragliding equipment at www.infinityparaglding.co.nz.

Infinity provide the most extensive range of paragliding equipment in NZ for every skill level, including a full line up of beginner, intermediate, advanced and lightweight mountain gliders and harnesses. www.infinityparagliding.co.nz for all the specs. Drop us a mail or give us a call to secure the best deal on a new glider. info@infinityparagliding.co.nz 021 0228 2939.

UP Trango XC 2. 2012. EN C. Small 60-80kg. Well loved. 116 hours. Blue/White. This is a really nice wing to fly. Sporty and responsive. Owner upgrading to the new Trango X Race. $990 o.n.o. 021 182 4243 tjbro137@gmail.com

OZONE Speedwings at Infinity Paragliding. It’s winter, time to speedride and speedfly!!

Check out the sweet range of Speedwings at www.infinityparagliding.co.nz from the Firefly 3 and Zero 2 to the great intro to speedflying the Fazer 3 and onto the legendary energy from the super dynamic Rapido. Rip into it!! Drop us a mail or give us a call at 021 0228 2939 and we will hook you up with the best deal. info@infinityparagliding. co.nz 021 0228 2939 NOVA Paragliders - www.nova.eu - exclusively by SkyWings - www.skywings.co.nz - email alan@skywings.co.nz

NOVA Phantom - www.nova.eu/en/gliders/phantom/- a new class in paragliding - top end Triton 2 performance with low B safety - 99 cells - very expensive, very special - phone Alan 09 570 5757

EMPLOYMENT TANDEM Pilots wanted for 115 Operation. PGTC preferred. Professionals only please.

CV2 wanakaparagliding@gmail.com.

CORONET Peak Tandems Ltd, Queenstown, are looking for tandem hang gliding and paragliding pilots. Call 021 220 5932 GENERAL WINTER Special A brand new Mac Para Eden 6 Size 28 heavily discounted for one lucky pilot- first in secures. Mac Para Australia New Zealand have an exceptional range of quality performing paraglider and paramotor wings at fantastic prices, check out the new ENB Illusion, ENC Elan 2, Pasha 6 Tandem. For paramotoring the Charger, Blaze GT, Paradox Racer, trike flying T-Ride. Like us on Facebook @macparanz or www.macpara. co.nz Email: Nick nick@macpara.co.nz phone +64 3 545 0766 Mobile: 021 420 742 INSTRUMENTS Flytec/Brauniger, Digifly, Aircotec, Oudie flight instruments, basic varios to full GPS flight computers. Large range and new models in stock now. Phone or txt 021 247 2676, email aero@xtra.co.nz RESERVE PARACHUTES RANGE of reserve parachutes for hang gliding and paragliding. Bridles, Front containers, Maillons, Swivels, Hook knives etc, in stock at HG & PG Supplies, Phone 021 247 2676 or email aero@xtra.co.nz

NOVA Mentor 5 - https://www.nova.eu/en/gliders/mentor-5/EN B - first sizes are here - email alan@skywings.co.nz

ACCESSORIES Helmets, No Limit, Insider, Loop, Breeze (adjustable) and PlusMax. Range of colours & sizes, No Limit visor option, PlusMax chinguard option, phone 021 247 2676 email aero@xtra.co.nz

SPEEDFLYING specialists - and dozens of great XC wings - happy to trade - all kinds of harnesses in stock as well - www.skywings.co.nz or phone Alan 09 570 5757

Lost & found AIRCOTEC XC-Trainer Easy vario/GPS, serial number 1473. Went missing from the Blenheim area approx two years ago. Phone 03 577 8886 or email john.urlich@nzdf.mil.nz

MOTOR Paragliding BLACKBIRD Paramotor. NZ designed and made. High performance comfort. Intro pricing $9350 email: paradynamics@xtra.co.nz www.paradynamics.co.nz Ph. 03 325 4540.

PARAMOTORING - exclusive Miniplane and PAP motors - SkyWings for courses and equipment - www.skywings.co.nz or phone Alan 09 570 5757 HANG GLIDERS ENTERPRISE Wings Desire 151; Has WoF from last year and happy to gain one this year if I find a buyer. Good condition for age and well looked after, includes manual and wheels on base bar. Two spare uprights $600 ono. Phone 021 806 390 Reece, or email Reece Fisher r_fisher33@Hotmail.com

WANTED to buy: Beginner glider for 65-68 kg pilot, Phone 027 670 8301 e-mail skyriderag@gmail.com

WILLS Wing U2 160 Excellent condition glider. Great handling and performing intermediate/advanced wing. Has had one careful owner, flown approx 150 hours since purchased new in 2012. Recent WOF. Dacron sail with Hydranet trailing edge, sail is tight and flying in perfect trim. Well looked after, sail is still crispy with UV/weather coating application, Phone 027 670 8301 email skyriderag@gmail.com

SKYFLOATERS; New and used sales; Fun, Falcon, fully strip checked, test flown and trimmed, trade-ins considered, contact Bill at 03 326-6411 or aero@xtra.co.nz for more info.

LIGHTSPEED S4 Parts; White PX inlaid Mylar sail in very good condition, Near complete set of 7075 alloy battens for sail, 1x pair carbon outboard leading edges with alloy dive struts fitted (large diameter ones). All reasonable offers considered.

Guy Williams 027 242 8328 Kiwi Flyer complete apart from 2 damaged leading edges. Everything else in good condition. To sell for spare parts. Make an offer. Phone 03 326-6411 or 021 247 2676 or email aero@xtra.co.nz.

MOTOR HANG Gliding MOSQUITO NRG motorharness, very tidy with very low airtime, electric start, plus folding carbon propellor, stainless auto carabiner, extra fuel tank, and reserve parachute if required. Phone 021 247 2676, email aero@xtra.co.nz INSTRUCTION NELSON Hang Gliding Adventures HG training course Beginner and Novice rating.

Call Glenn to register interest. 03 548 9151 or 027 275 1022, gmeadows@clear.net.nz HANG Gliding/Skyfloating. Experienced instruction in Christchurch using the latest skyfloater hang gliders and equipment, Phone Bill 021 247 2676, 03 326 6411 a.h., email aero@xtra.co.nz and www.hgpg.co.nz

30 A i r b o r n

Keep in touch with the NZ hang gliding and paragliding scene, the latest developments, events, new and used equipment...

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All NZ hang glider and paraglider pilots are required by law to be members, and receive Airborn magazine as part of their membership but non flyers and overseas pilots are welcome to subscribe.

For Airborn SUBSCRIPTIONS please contact; NZHGPA Administrator, 3 Ashdonleigh Grove, Stoke, Nelson 7011, New Zealand

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A4 size issues $4.- each 2017 issue numbers 2016 issue numbers 2015 issue numbers 2014 issue numbers 2013 issue numbers 2012 issue numbers 2011 issue numbers 2010 issue numbers 2009 issue numbers

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For Back Issues; send your order with payment to; Airborn Back Issues, 99A Panorama Road, Christchurch 8081, NZ

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OZONE Paragliders www.flyozone.com - Awesome new models - 25 years bringing you the best wings - email alan@skywings.co.nz

T

he PCC has been busy preparing for the coming season. · Cameron Kennedy has resigned from the PCC so that he can concentrate on becoming a helicopter pilot, which is fair enough! Wayne Rohrs has joined the PCC. Thanks, Wayne! · Our new platform for the NZ Cross Country Paragliding Championships (www.xcontest.org/ newzealand) is working well. We are interested in having bloggers from the various clubs to help add content to the news feed on the front page. Please get in touch if you will like to contribute. · Our existing ladder system is flawed, and needs modernisation. We have been working hard on the software and parameters around creating a new version, called NZPRS, which is similar to the way that WPRS works. This is not simple. We are almost there but there are still some issues to resolve around how we score nominated overseas FAI sanctioned competitions that are not classed as overseas league events. Completing this would open the door to all sorts of improvements, including FTV scoring, and we would love to get it ready for the coming season – but it’s important for us to get it right. Meanwhile, we continue to work with the existing ladder format, and you can find the latest version below. · A new rule version (19) has been created which includes various improvements. This should be official by the time you read this. · We are looking forward to the PG Open in Wanaka in 2018, and we thank Mark Hardman who has, once again, put his hand up for the considerable work load of making this annual event a success. The PG Open in Rotorua, last season, was worth an unprecedented 35.7 WPRS points – something that Mark is, no doubt, hoping to better at the Wanaka event. · The PCC encourages competition organisers to set up Regional Competitions and we are happy to help with that. Please get in touch if you would like to run one. Overseas leagues can also be nominated if 6 or more NZHGPA pilots attend. Currently the Canungra Cup is nominated, and there is likely to be an Auckland Regional Competition in December.

Thanks, see you in the bomb-out.

- Johnny, Tim and Wayne at the NZHGPA PCC

N Z H G P A B OO K ROOM The art of Paragliding

by Dennis Pagen. Instruction manual for beginner to intermediates. Large format 374 pages $80 Hang Gliding Training Manual by Dennis Pagen.

Ultimate guide to Beginner to Advanced hang gliding flying skills $80 Performance Flying by Dennis Pagen. Hang gliding for intermediate to advanced flying skills, includes competition, cross country, towing $80 Understanding the Sky by Dennis Pagen. Sport aviation weather and micrometeorology for hang glider, paraglider and microlight pilots. $60 PARAGLIDING, BEGINNER TO CROSS COUNTRY by Sollom Cook. From basic techniques to competition flying $60 A PILOTS TRAINING MANUAL (PG) Includes zone free, 80 minute DVD with 9 chapters including; forward inflation, reverse inflation, manoeuvres, soaring, flying thermals to landing methods.

Only $65!

NZ Hang Gliding Training Handbook Essential Beginner/ Novice instruction information for NZ hang gliding students learning to fly. $15 NZHGPA Hang Gliding Tow Manual All aspects of towing with clear photographs and step by step instruction $15 NZHGPA Aerotow Manual In depth detail of aerotow procedure as authorised by MAANZ and NZHGPA $15 NZHGPA Paragliding Tow Manual This manual outlines requirements and procedures for towing $15

NZHGPA Logbook With rating record $15

NZHGPA MOVIE LIBRARY FLYING OVER EVEREST, DVD, Angelo D’Arrigo and the story of his flight over Mt Everest.

PLAY GRAVITY, DVD, Extreme paragliding, snowboarding, BASE jumping, freeriding and speedflying in the most awesome settings.

EAST WIND, DVD, German pilots fly hybrid recliner bike/ paramotors 1632 kms across eastern Europe; Hanover to the Black Sea. DYNAMIC DECISIONS, DVD, Shows how different DHV paragliders react when flying the most dangerous manoeuvres.

THE RACE, DVD, A race between climber and pilot in the Italian Dolomites. Winner of 4 world film contests.

Paragliding Learn to Fly, DVD Tutorial for PG Performance Flying, DVD by Jocky Sanderson Never Ending Thermal Pura Vida Flying Security in Flight & The Speed to Fly Birdmen of Kilimanjaro The Red Bull X Alps Managing Risk in Aviation CAA Red Bull X-Alps 2005 Check the NZHGPA web site for the latest special offers In order to cover the high cost of importing HG and PG DVDs, cost of hire and postage is $10 for 10 day loans Postage and GST is included in price.

Please send your order with payment to;

B OO K ROOM

NZHGPA

PCC Writeup

Ewen Tonar 23A Brookview Court Chartwell Hamilton Phone 07 855 3969 ejtonar069@gmail.com

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Visit our webpage for our weekly special and list of gliders and harnesses in stock.

Don’t see what you want? We’re ordering all the time.

www.skywings.co.nz

www.nova.eu

Exclusive Importers

We stock all Ozone Miniwings - Ultralite 4 - Zero - Litespeed - Firefly 3 - Rapido - Fazer 3

ION 4 EN B Once again, Nova bring the most performance you can get to a School safe glider. And also the most dynamic handling you can have in a first glider.

NEW MENTOR 5 IS HERE!

MINI WINGS Twice the fun, twice the flying, half the price!

Perfect your groundhandling skills. Huge fun for soaring and strong day thermalling. We are the specialists with 20 years on the smallest wings

EN B

The Nova Mentor story is simple: it has led the class by delivering EN C performance with EN B safety. And now the best gets even better!

For many years the Mentor has been setting the standard for XC-intermediate wings. It combines impressive performance with a high degree of passive safety.

The Mentor 5 shows a marked performance increase over the class leading Mentor 4 with excellent precision and agility in the handling.

Weight optimized - all the benefits of a light weight glider and full, heavy duty longevity combined.- only 5kgs for 80-100kgs.

Early indications - performance may be on the level of the Phantom!

PARAMOTORING SPECIALISTS Miniplane - under 20kgs NZ’s most popular motor

NEW NOVA PHANTOM EN/LTF B PHANTOM – the most advanced EN B glider ever created! The PHANTOM offers the safety of a basic intermediate with the performance of a top-end wing.

This has been made possible through probably the most complex construction ever used in a serial-production wing.

The Phantom is a new, completely revotionary paraglider with a similar aspect-ratio to the ION and with 99 cells, it combines the safety of the Ion series with the high-level performance of the EN C Triton 2.

Exceptional directional stability as well as unique precision and simplicity with excellent handling.

27 years motoring & teaching Our level of experience means everything when you learn to motor www.papteam.com www.miniplane.net

HARNESSES Importer of Sup’Air, Nova and Ozone harnesses like the Ozone Ozium - 2.5kgs

MENTOR 5 EN B

Ph: 09 570 5757 Cell: 0274 98 2345 email: alan@skywings.co.nz

www.skywings.co.nz