Airborn #225 Feb 2023

Many 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 Pres; ............................................. President Sec; ........................... Secretary/Treasurer

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.

MARLBOROUGH H.G.P.C. C/- mark@see-ltd.co.nz

Paragliding Safety Officer

Hang Gliding Safety Officer

Chief Flying Instructor Airsp; Airspace Officer

Ben Kellett and Leo Chelle near Lake Ohau Photo By Julia Jauss

ISSN 1170-9928

Published every three months for hang gliding and paragliding enthusiasts in New Zealand and abroad ● Subscription is by membership of NZHGPA (a legal requirement for all hang glider and paraglider pilots in NZ) ● For non flyer and foreign subscriptions please contact the NZHGPA Administrator for current rates, or see advertisement in this issue ● Actions, opinions, claims and advice expressed by authors and advertisers in this magazine are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by the NZHGPA or the editor ● Articles, photos and graphics are copyright to the author, photographer, editor or designer and may not be reproduced without their permission

N.Z.H.G.P.A. iNC., C/- Po Box 131, Matamata 3440, New Zealand www.nzhgpa.org.nz

AdmiNiStRAtOR

Karolina Bratek, C/- PO Box 131, Matamata 3440, 027 202 1806, admin@nzhgpa.org.nz

EXECUtivE COmmittEE; Governance through the NZHGPA Constitution; Membership, budgets, competitions, complaints & disciplinary, media (Airborn), land space issues, to the general well-being of the pilot and the flying community (that includes 11 affiliated clubs).

President

Ian Manton, C/- PO Box 131, Matamata 3440, 027 546 2832, president@nzhgpa.org.nz

vice President

Erica Caro, 021 978 524 eerieka@gmail.com

Executive Council

Ian Manton, 027 546 2832, krazymudd@gmail.com

Aaron Darby, 021 407 357, aarondarby@gmail.com

Emlyn Revell-Nash, 021 216 4322, Emlyn.Revellnash@gmail.com

Chris Chadler-Yates, 021 606 231, chris@knockingdemonfitness.co.nz

Kevin McManus, 021 134 0463, kamdfc@gmail.com

Erica Caro, 021 978 524 eerieka@gmail.com

Pete Helliwel, 021 0284 5170, pete.helliwell@sky.com

Landspace Officer

Kyla MacDonald, 021 056 2320 landspace@nzhgpa.org.nz

Communications team

Ryan Larraman, 022 658 3001, comms@nzhgpa.org.nz

Lorraine Johns, Warren Simonson, Bill Degen

Paragliding Competition Committee

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Hugo Castanheira

Hang Gliding Competition Committee

Dennis Thorpe (Chair) 021 112 1622, Hgcc@nzhgpa.org.nz

John Urlich, Tom Mulder

OPERAtiONS tEAm; Flying requirements under CAA 149 Aviation Certificate (HG/PG licence to operate in NZ). Administer, authorise and set standards for training, licensing, equipment, safety, AIRS, auditing, launch sites and WOF’s, as per NZHGPA Operational Procedures Manual (OPM).

Chief Executive Officer

Nick Taber, 021 420 742, ceo@nzhgpa.org.nz

Operations manager

Carlos Palmer, 027 487 7654, operations@nzhgpa.org.nz

training manager

Blake Round, 027 367 7679, training@nzhgpa.org.nz

internal Auditor

Sven Ericksen, 021 116 4558, audit@nzhgpa.org.nz

National Safety Officer

Nina Harrap, 027 844 3904, safety@nzhgpa.org.nz

National Airspace Officer

Rhys Akers, 021 177 7563, airspace@nzhgpa.org.nz

FRONT COVER: Louis Tapper in flying in Brazil

Chasing Sunsets

louis tapper sets the NZ overseas xC record of 405km in Brazil

For a long time the northeast of Brazil has been on the bucket list of places to fly. it’s a truly special place, with some of the most reliable flying on the planet and the most welcoming people anywhere.

This trip was my 4th time to Brazil, the first time 12 years ago to set a record of another kind, which still stands today, Kitesurfing solo for 2000km, the longest solo kite biv in the world.

Like many of you we have seen the big flights and world records, fly every day and into the sunset, or so says the marketing. Is this the reality? I experienced 4 different towing/retrieve providers on this trip and hope this article will give you a sense of the reality and challenge.

I didn’t initially arrive in Brazil with any delusions of world records or a particular distance other than the NZ record, which I had assumed, incorrectly, would be easy.

Earlier in 2022 (March) I had been flying in the south of Brazil and conditions for free flying/ competitions were world class amazing. Out of 3 major competitions and 21 potential tasks, 20 tasks were possible, something I have not experienced anywhere else in the world. It left me definitely keen to return to Brazil again.

The month of October and early November is the traditional time that pilots target the North East of Brazil for big distances. The first 1.5 weeks of October did not produce epic conditions this season and made me wonder what I was doing spending so much time and money in the NE of Brazil. Thankfully things progressed more positively as the month went on.

For the first 3 weeks the typical pattern was a 4:40am wake up with breakfast at 5am, in the vehicles at

5:30, setting up gear around 6 ready for a potential early tow at 6:30. On a good day towing up to a maximum of 1000m above sea level (700m AGL) was possible.

The first hours until 10am are about survival and staying in the air. On the good days there are 1-2m/s thermals and on the average days drifting in very light lift becomes the norm. Light drifting thermalling is a skill that gets well honed through necessity in Brazil.

Of course launching later around 8 or 9am does become more reliable and 200-300km flights leaving at that time, are possible on most days. Many of the world class pilots who were part of the Fly With Andy group, would land before midday if the average speeds were not sustaining a 500km+ flight or

a world record. Flights of 100km or less were usually considered a bomb out, resulting in lunch around midday and an afternoon chill out in an air conditioned room to escape the afternoon heat.

LOCATIONS

There are a number of launches and locations in the NE of Brazil that are commonly talked about. All of the sites can regularly produce epic flights on the right day. Of course there are many more than described below but the following are the most famous;

Quixada

The original site that made the NE of Brazil famous. It’s a foot launched site and has many videos online of sketchy high wind launches. As the paragliding distance scene progressed in Brazil, launches began

to move further east and pilots opted for winching starts, much safer in high wind.

Acu

This location is located closer to the coast and in the convergence zone between coastal air mass and the drier inland air. There is higher humidity closer to the coast and is a favoured spot in E to NE wind. In SE wind the Fortaleza airspace becomes an obstacle and the initial start may end up being cross wind to avoid the airspace.

Caico

Towing operations in Caico are run exclusively by Fly With Andy and are based off a sealed runway. It generally has an earlier launch and aligns better for flying in SE winds but most wind directions will work. It’s also the site that has the

Right; Pancas- South of Brazil flying the PWC

Above; Brazilian flying sunset Photo; Fly with Andy

most 500km flights anywhere in the world, mainly due to the earlier starts and quality of pilots. On some days the launch times can be up to an hour difference compared to Assu. This difference in timing is partially cultural with pilots’ decisions to launch early and partially inherent with the location further inland.

The general flying line in Assu aligns much better in the first 200250km with major highways making for speedier retrieves and an earlier retrieve return for flying the next day. Beyond 300km the retrive times are similar but will depend on where you land for both Caico and Assu. The quality of your retrieve team and coordinator (see below) will also be a significant factor.

Tacima

The final spot east is favoured for the serous Brazilian record chasers and those chasing the outright distance record. The infrastructure and town supporting this site is limited and the initial start committing. It was originally a foot launched site, but in recent years private towing up and soaring the launch has been the favoured option. It has a reputation for not being as reliable, or at least that’s what the Brazilians would like you to think.

If long retrieves and chasing distance are not your thing there are fantastic options to discover Brazil as part of a safari style towing, similar to what is done in Australia. The idea is to tow up and fly to the next location launching somewhere different every day. Hotels are organised to facilitate short retrieves and the same location for the next day. It’s a great way to discover more of the country and fly to multiple locations. As of writing Fly with Andy are the only commercial organisation that are offering this service.

ReTRIeveS

With every long flight comes a proportionate long retrieve. If retrieves are efficient you will be spending roughly the same amount of time in the car retrieves as you did flying. Of course this time can and does vary significantly depending on the following 5 factors;

- Ratio of cars to people

- Quality of the retrieve coordination

- Quality of the drivers

- How well you communicate your flying intentions to the coordinators and other pilots.

- Where you end up landing, either next to a main road or in the boonies away from main roads.

Where all 5 of the above factors are not in alignment, retrieve times can double and is a common cause for complaint when I was doing research for this trip. I have experienced a worst case scenario, 11.5 hour retrieve after flying a little

over 100km. Be sure to check what the car ratios are as well as the experience of the retrieve team/ coordinator, cheapest is not always the best. Retrieve providers who work with other companies for the longer flight retrieves, may lead to a better outcome for all.

TOwINg

My prior experience towing had been mainly back in NZ in low wind situations over a lake and had never consequently needed a cobra style launch, common for the high wind launches in Brazil. Not every day produces high winds and is generally accessible for a range of pilot levels. To make the most of your time in Brazil it is worth having a solid cobra launch and a tow bridle you are familiar with before arriving. For me personally there was some initial apprehension having never done a cobra launch off tow before. That apprehension was well founded as launch one resulted in twisted risers and an aborted launch that had the potential for injury. The next few days I had multiple laps on the winch and really honed it until it was comfortable.

I spent a total of 2.5 weeks in Caico with Fly With Andy and a week in Assu with a variety of providers so I experienced the best and worst of what’s on offer.

An important element to making the experience good is the towing setup and the heights they can consistently tow to. The equipment varies so

Upper right; Doing a Cobra launch at Assu Right; Retrieve after Marcella Uchoa set the womens declared record of 457km

Right; Quixada Photo; Fly with Andy

be sure to check if providers have modern well maintained setups.

Fly With Andy have by far the best service overall (tow and retrive) with the most experienced team for combined towing and retrieving. The service does come at a premium price so the budget conscious will likely find more options in Assu.

Rentmywinch run by Swiss/ German pilots Roland and Falko also provided a solid winching service in Assu, with tows consistently over 700 agl. In Assu there were at least three people on the launch mat experienced at managing launches. This made the launches stress free and relatively easy.

As group numbers increase for a towing provider, so does the wait time to launch on a good day. Providers with more than 2-3 winches able to simultaneously launch, will result in a higher but not guaranteed chance of flying in a group.

If you do intend on flying as a group, pick your flying partners well and have good communications. Group flying is challenging to do in practice with varying wing/skill level, also where motivations are different and communication is poor.

I found getting away off tow from

Acu slightly easier and more reliable. This may in part be due to the later starts and my improving skills over the month in Brazil.

weATHeR

Brazil is one of the most reliable places in the world to fly big distances. But why is this?

The math for flying a big distance is simple; go to a place where the long day and fast average speeds are possible. The average speed is largely dictated by one thing, strength and direction of the wind at all levels through the day. In many places throughout the world the wind direction starts bending after 200300km and it’s difficult to maintain a straight line. The wind that makes Brazil famous for kiting, also makes it good for flying long distances in a relatively straight line.

The maximum length of day is around 11 hours in Brazil due to it being close to the equator and supports launching super early, around 6:30am. Starting times, in practice, vary from day to day and on the good days you will see a wave of clouds popping as the coastal moisture and wind moves

inland. There are lots of theories as to why it works so early, but it does like magic, earlier than you could ever have imagined.

I have been following the weather in the NE Brazil for the last 4 seasons, trying to reverse engineer what a good day looks like. In truth the weather forecasts all look the same from afar, but now having experienced it first hand the following is what I have observed as being important for the big days; wind of 25-30km+ at all levels and all day. Very high base days don’t always translate to better wind at all levels. The wind doesn’t seem to get much

stronger than 35kmh so outright records above 600km have been out of reach so far, despite the very best in the world trying over a sustained period of time.

Strong wind allows you to make distance even when thermalling and also gives free speed on glides. Much more than 35kmh (especially low down) will likely impact the ability of thermals to stay cohesive and add to the spice and safety on landing. On the best days I have managed 6:40am starts and averaged over 50kmh for the first 2 hours.

The Swiss pilot Michael Sigel created a spreadsheet that calculates

Right; Landing safe after the first NZ record of 386km

Above; Epic cloud street in the Serato Brazil

wind at different levels along the course of the day and predicts a theoretical maximum for the day. It’s a crude calculation which doesn’t always result in being there for the best day, although it’s roughly right.

The calculation doesn’t take into account any other factors like cloud, thermal strength or wind direction. The forecasts are less reliable about predicting humidity and cloud coverage, although the blue days sometimes seem obvious in Skysight, my weather provider of choice. There’s a fine line between having enough clouds and too much causing overspread, so the usual approach is to try every day if it’s really windy and hope that it’s epic. Every day a sea breeze from the north and east pushes inland to varying degrees. A strong line of convergence forms at this point but is not always useful as it transects the unnecessarily big Fortaleza airspace. If the Brazilians ever manage to get notams for the Fortaleza airspace in the future, flying would become truly epic and more consistent for both Assu and to a lesser extent Caico. Like NZ, it would require a multi-year

Above & right; End of day convergence

Right; Launching in Caico

lobby timed for any airspace review and engagement with controllers, regulators, tourism ministry and airlines.

How much the wind turns at the end of the day appears to be affected by the strength of the sea breeze and Meteo wind strength/direction. There are often weaker lines of convergence that run further inland as indicated on Skysight, but lining up with these is not easy and requires some tactical decision making a couple of hours ahead to anticipate the right line. The track and strategy most take is simply heading direct downwind and hoping for the best.

NZ ReCORd

The last day of the trip produced a flight of 405km but it didn’t all go smoothly. It was a stressful start with the towing provider for the

day operating on Brazilian timing, not the Swiss/European influenced discipline I had become accustomed to. A broken tow line on the first winch added to the stress, as did the low battery on my new Air3 instrument, which beeped at me all day long showing low battery.

Eventually I managed a late start of 7:30am. The first 200km was marked by clouds and flown relatively efficiently with a local Brazilian pilot Fabio Kogout. He landed in the middle of the day after a missed low save. It’s easy to miss a line/thermal or lose concentration, putting you on the deck early. Low saves in the middle of the day can be spicy requiring full attention and this day was no exception.

In my head I refused to land and went into hyper low save mode,

which paid off and got me high again. Flying on my own I went into conservative mode, to negotiate the increasing blue holes on the route.

After 9 hours 6 min in the air I landed safely with more than 1.5 hours sunlight left in the day, at what I thought was 390km.

Over the month, motivation had simply moved to flying until sunset and maximising the day. Chasing a number on XContest has progressively over the years become well down on the priority list and not something that motivates me any more.

To keep the motivation true, there is a question I ask myself which is, “if no one knew what I was doing would I still be happy with the flight?” The answer for this day was a resounding yes, as I had managed to safely eke out the best I could for the conditions, on what was a good, but not epic day which started late with some stress.

The following day after checking my second instrument, the flight ended up being 408km with a straight line distance of 405km

and a New NZ record. See www. xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:

yakernz/29.10.2022/10:23

Like my previous experience kitesurfing, the distance flying was not really about a number and was more about stretching my own personal limits and mindset.

In the end, staying in the air and not landing, resulted in the biggest flight of my life. I’m yet to experience the full sunset and may have to return again. Who is keen to visit Brazil early or late 2023?

Above; Louis cruising above the Serato Left; Brazilian sunset Photo; Dino Scheidegger

Below; Skysight forecast showing a good day with consistent wind direction and strength

Words and Photos by Warren Simonsen

Exploring from the Craigieburn Range

the Craigieburns in Canterbury is a fantastic place to fly and it’s on the back door of the Southern Alps.

The Alps provide a power playground of amazing terrains creating memorable highs which last for weeks recalling parts of a good flight. Lakes, bush gullies, glaciers, snow, waterfalls and a lot of rock against the blue sky makes every glide to new places that’s just

fantastic to take in from a higher horizon that otherwise would take you a long time to see on foot.

On each revisit you see something different, and even the cloud formations can vary a lot making each day to be a new level of challenges. The more you explore the wider your playground becomes. The race is the time you have the sun and the direction is changeable after each climb.

Even more rewarding is to see other pilots sharing the same air and climbs that make the end of day

Above; Gaining a little more height to fly over Mt Rolleston & Arthurs Pass

Below; Mark Nichols taking off

Typical view after take-off with the tops of the Craigieburn range

debrief a chatter of experiences and stories to tell.

Every aspect of flying will challenge you in the Alps. The more you see the more you’ll want, and the rewards are forever.

Take a look at the number of chances you get each year to go exploring places and you find they rarely repeat the same way. As long as you can land safely, a bit of a walk and carry out is always worth the experience, besides, they often make the best stories. Your internal topographical thermal map will expand and make the next glide in a similar direction easier.

Hang gliding for me and my better half has been the main reason why we go to many places to explore. Even on a day that becomes limiting, you don’t have to go far to land in a meadow for a picnic or a walk in some quality countryside.

Whether its left or right at the top of a thermal, be tempted to take the move that you won’t regret, as getting the same chance again is rare. So pull on the VG and never let a chance go by...

Above; Unforgettable views before reaching for the plains

Left; West side of the Torlesse Range producing a wall of vertical cloud up to the next cloud base

Left; A rewarding hour long glide with great views to end the day

NZ Womens Open Distance Record!

1/12/2022;

the weather forecast showed an epic, really cold day with a lot of wind. So i packed all my bivouac equipment and clothes and hiked up to the launch being really nervous: my first flight in a new area, with a lot of wind and the chance of landing in the middle of nowhere with the need to hike out for several days.

Only a couple of days before I arrived in Queenstown and got to meet the local legend and also Ozone Team pilot Benjamin Kellett. We made a plan to fly one way to Mt. Cook, which is inside an MBZ. So I tried to get the airband radio exam done last minute the day before but couldn’t find someone to sign off my practical exam.

We took of early and flew to Wanaka pretty fast, already freezing after the first kms. I arrived really low after the crossing to Mt Maude and was already on my landing approach, Ben and Leo already at cloudbase again and crossing Lake Hawea. I thought it was over, but slowly I managed to get up and even catch up to the others. What a relief!

The wind got stronger and we all thought that flying into the flats was looking much better than staying in the mountains. Turned out to be the right

In the end we split up, right before the MBZ. I carried an airband radio but did not want to take risk going there without the practical exam. Actually I really got excited by the challenge of flying around this airspace. So Leo and Ben continued straight and I managed to fly around the MBZ!

But in the end I had to land. Suddenly there was a strong easterly wind (seabreeze) that pushed me toward the airspace with every turn. So I had to land after 176km. The others continued and broke the Coronet Peak record with 198km.

Apart from one little hike and fly, it was my first time flying together with Benjamin Kellett and Leo Chelle;- and we managed to fly together for the whole time! For me there is nothing more special than to share this experience and make memories like this together. Crossing 4 lakes and landing at a fifth one - what an epic experience!

I still can’t believe I broke the New Zealand Womens Open Distance Record on my first XC flight in the area. It would have never been possible without Ben & Leo!

Flight Report and photos by Julia Jauss

Left; at launch on Coronet Peak

Above; Leo Chelle at Ben Ohau decision - others tried the other options and bombed out. The flatland worked unbelievably good.

Ben Kellett with the blue wing and Leo with the orange one at lake

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Grant tatham escapes the NZ Winter in Australia

St George

igot a call from i an m iller sometime in July 2022, he said he was keen to go to a fly-in at St George. i said, “Where the hell is St George? But i could be in.”

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s I was based in Perth and spent most weekends over 3 years static line towing an hours drive inland. I really enjoyed it but it gave me my fill of hot dry conditions with flies. So I haven’t made a habit like some to get to Aussie, but I thought maybe this time I should go. It’d been a long time with very little flying for me after shoulder issues so I took Ian up on it.

St George is a town of about 3000 people, 7 hours inland from Brisbane. One very keen hangie, a certain Don Cramer AKA Dogstar happens to live there. Don had advertised a fly-in over a long

weekend and Dalby happened to be on the way there.

The cunning plan was to spend a weekend in Dalby, have a couple of days sightseeing then fly in St George for 5 odd days. Unfortunately the weather slightly upset our plans. Saturday at Dalby dawned fine. I know this because we were at the

aerodrome to see it! The plan was for Ian to do some tows to achieve his aerotow rating early. Ian had bought a Moyes wing from Geoff Christophers which he hadn’t yet flown. It took him some tows to get tuned in, the first couple were a little wild but there was steady progress till he was tracking pretty good behind the Dragonfly.

And I felt I needed some calm air tows so we both missed flying on the best day, the Saturday. All the regular Dalby crew were there and made the most of the day, heading off downwind some 100km or so.

Sunday dawned nice but alot more stable and neither Ian or myself were able to do much but practice tow. Some of the guys were proving it possible though and climbing out OK.

The Dalby club is quite extraordinary - definitely the most experienced

aerotow crew I’ve known. I learnt a lot about the finer points of aerotow in the short time I was there. And you won’t find a group of people more hospitable or accommodating. Too many names to single out but they’re a great crew.

On to St George on Monday but the weather was closing in - rain was forecast. Here I was in Aus thinking it doesn’t rain here? Hmmm. Don decided to cancel the fly-in. Pretty hard to fly from a boggy paddock. But Don had a back-up in mind - a small jaunt down to Manilla (must have been at least 6 hours drive, no small commitment). But it allowed us to outrun the rain band for a couple of days. We left St George the next morning when most respectable people were still sleeping to get to the hill in time to fly that day.

I’d heard a little about Mt Borah but didn’t realise it really wasn’t that high, roughly 800ft. It made some of our local sites here actually look

photos by Grant tatham and Ian Miller

Above; Grant, aerotow launch in the Icaro

Left; Dalby, locals towing up, cumulus to the horizon

quite good! But it is obviously pretty reliable most of the time. The main launch faces west, wide enough to launch a half dozen gliders simultaneously, (not that you’d want to do it), and is covered in artificial turf. There’s also an east and NE launch so directions are fairly well covered. The three of us had an afternoon fly off the west launch, Ian drawing the short straw and after working light lift for a good while went down in front, Don and myself slowly climbed out and enjoying a tiki tour over the back to the farm, landing on the pristine mowed grass at Godfreys campground.

Don had booked us into the Manilla pub in town. I don’t think you’ll find a more genuine classic aussie pub. A bit of local beer sampling and some good food completed the day.

The next day was forecast to be pretty reasonable and it was, though the hill proved it took no prisoners. This time both Ian and Don succumbed to the sink after looking like getting up. I managed a climb-out and tiki tour back to the far side of Manilla, taking a nice uphill landing by the road. Cloud cover beat me, and while I saw it happening, I couldn’t outrun it. While derigging I was buzzed by some clown in a plane - turned out Ian had scored a ride in a local pilots machine, a very slick motor glider.

The weather was catching up with us again though and it started raining that night, so it was a cruisy drive back to St George the next morning.

The next few days were spent having a go at various sports and experiences. I think us kiwis proved we could hold our own at smallbore target shooting, but the tennis matches that evening was where the Cramer family showed their strength. If it’s suggested you should partake in a friendly game of tennis with Don, look out!

It turns out that St George is in an area of fairly intensive agriculture, nothing like I was expecting. The area is one of the biggest cotton growing regions, and we got to have a real good look at the surrounding area, not by hang glider but by Gyro. Just one of Dons many toys but a very impressive one at that. Anyone who has flown in a gyro can attest to the weird ability to do a 180 degree turn on a dime. Freaky, scary but undeniably a cool fun machine. Way too soon it was back to Coolangatta and flying back to NZ but with some pretty cool memories. Many thanks to the cool group at Dalby, Viv for the flights on your beautiful green machine and especially Don the engineer extraordinaire for looking after us at St George.

Right;

Below right; Seems like you have to own a landcruiser around here? Carpark, Nindigully Pub. The oldest pub in Queensland and just down the road from St George

Left; 3 hangies at Borah

Right; Borah west launch, local paraglider showing it’s on

Above; Ian and Don in the Gyro

Ian went for a ride in the motor glider, a local pilot friend of Dons

Below; Don showing us how it’s done at the local gun club

Understanding The Sky

Sport Pilots Weather by Dennis Pagen

Who would have thought that this masterpiece of sport flying condition knowledge could be improved. Well, the folks at Cross Country have done it. Dennis Pagen’s original book with its basic black and white sketches, clear as they are and his understandable prose have been updated and enhanced with a modern full colour layout, hundreds of colour illustrations based on the originals and numerous superb colour photos, as well as benefiting from new editing, though text content and sections are practically the same.

The format is in Cross Country’s semisoft gloss cover and quality binding which makes it cheaper and lighter than hardcover and more durable than the original soft cover. The size is about 15% taller and wider too.

This is a book you will go back to for revision and clarification as you learn the many aspects of flying weather. To help with that, it has a detailed contents, index and glossary. As before there are twelve chapters covering various subjects with each chapter containing sections of up to 20 subjects.

The pages are now in more easily readable text with the optimum 7 words per line in 2 columns, rather than the original 18 odd words per line. This helps you to read and recall if you are new to flying and there’s many pearls of knowledge for experts too.

The book starts by explaining the global physics and moves onto more relatable subjects including; Clouds, Micrometeorology, Wind, Turbulence, Soaring Conditions, Thermals Thunderstorms and Forecasting. Included are many tips and examples from Pagen’s own experiences.

Each chapter has a photo or two and the cloud chapter gallery has the most relevant examples. The numerous illustrations are an improvement on the originals, all are now in colour and many are as simple as the originals, even the newly detailed versions are clear in what they explain.

Understanding The Sky is a must for any paraglider, hang glider, balloon, sailplane, microlight and even fixed wing pilot. This version was published in June 2022 but due to demand, the book is in reprint already.

Available from flight retailers, schools and www. xcmag.com for £39.95 including shipping to NZ.

dUST devILS

Tight cores of swirling wind will pick up dust, leaves and other debris to become a visible ground disturbance or towering column of brown dust in areas of bare ground. Such whirlwinds are known as willy-willies in Australia and dust devils elsewhere.

Dust devils occur when a thermal lifts off in superadiabatic conditions (see figure 181). The air rushing in to fill the area below the thermal usually has some turning motion due to the Coriolis effect if it has been flowing for some time. When this air comes together its spin is exaggerated just as a skater spins faster when his or her arms are brought in. This spinning air would soon lose its impetus except for the accelerating thermal “stretching” the air vertically and bringing the rotating column tighter as it gets higher, much like a column of thick syrup gets thinner as you pull the spoon out of it.

From the foregoing we can make a rule:

Dust devils are formed when thermals rise in a superadiabatic lapse rate. Dust devils lie under the rising thermal, mark its track, size and often height as well as duration.

Dust devils sometimes reach up into a thermal cloud, but usually stop well below this level, being typically only several feet to several hundred feet high (up to 100 m). In some desert areas however, they can tower over sev-

eral thousand feet (1,000 m) when fine dust and strong continuous thermals abound. In these areas the height of the dust devil will indicate the minimum height of the thermal as well as its duration. However, at times the dust devil lasts past the production of usable lift as many unhappy pilots diving for a devil have found out. Watching the climb altitudes and rates as well as the duration of dust devils helps you judge the duration of the thermals creating them.

From observation, the vast majority of dust devils turn counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Perhaps due to slight curvature of the flow due to the Coriolis effect. The few devils that turn in the opposite direction are probably artifacts of rotation that began through turbulence or moving past a bluff. There is some conjecture that dust devil action spins the thermal air, and indeed, rotating thermal clouds have been seen on rare occasions. It is likely that the air continues to spin above the dust although it probably stops its spin due to drag when the thermal leaves the superadiabatic layer. On this basis, it is reasonable to expect a better climb rate when turning against the flow of the dust devil (clockwise or to the right in the northern hemisphere) when in the strong lift of the superadiabatic layer. The reason for this better climb rate against the flow in spinning air is your rate of circling is slower so less bank angle is required to offset centrifugal force. Less bank angle gives you a better sink rate.

▲ FIg. 181: THeRmALS CReATINg dUST devILS Dust devils occur when a thermal lifts off in supertadiabatic conditions.

The following is an excerpt from the chapter on Instability and Thermals...

It is also important to enter a dust devil thermal going against the flow for safety reasons. If you join the spinning air in the same direction as the flow you will experience a sudden strong tailwind which may stall you. If you enter against the flow you will experience an increasing headwind, as shown in figure 182, which will provide improved maneuverability. A dust devil is a stable entity in that air from the outside cannot join the dust devil along the column and dilute it. Outside air can only enter it from below where the spin is slowed close to the ground as shown in figure 182. The air on the outside of the column is spinning and rising as shown while inside the column downward flow can occur due to lowered pressure.

An example of this action can be seen in a stirred cup of coffee with up flow on the outside and a depression in the middle. The center of the dust devil is generally clearer than the sides. The death of a dust devil occurs when the supply of warm air feeding the thermal is exhausted or some terrain effect blocks its progress. Dust devils will of course move up a steep mountain and are in fact quite common on heated slopes. A dust devil may continue a bit past the life of the thermal, but the devil soon looses energy and collapses. Witch doctors in Africa had a good business destroying dust devils by running through them, leaving the populace in awe of their demon-defeating powers.

The top view in figure 182 shows the track of a dust devil in relation to the wind. If a thermal moves with the wind or rises straight up above

the ground wind layer it will be generally to the left of the dust devil track in the northern hemisphere and to the right in the southern hemisphere. This knowledge can help you locate thermals based on dust devils. Figure 181 shows how a dust devil snakes up to a thermal. Very tall dust devils can be seen to follow various undulating paths in different winds. The reason the dust devil travels at an angle to the wind direction is that the friction at the dust devil leading edge where it takes in the most air pushes it to the side.

Dust devil strengths can be quite variable according to their size and rate of spin. Indeed some dust devils have blown apart house trailers just like tornados. Although dust devils look like mini tornados, they are caused by ground conditions and rise from the surface while tornados develop from instability aloft and come from the clouds down. A circulating wind of around 15 mph (24 km/h) in a dust devil 100 feet (30 m) across is typical and perhaps reasonable for sport aviation purposes.

Using dust devils as thermal markers and sources of lift themselves is not without its hazards. If the ground surface consists of larger, heavier particles, the thermal and associated turbulence may be too strong for safe flying down low. On the other hand, there are areas we have encountered that have dust like talcum powder on the ground, and this dust will rise with the slightest thermal puff. The flats near Chelan, Washington have the “moon

▲ FIg. 182: THe NATURe OF A dUST devIL Enter a dust devil going against the flow for safety reasons. If you join the spinning air in the same direction as the flow, you will experience a sudden strong tailwind which may stall you

dust,” as do some areas in Mexico near the well-known sites of Valle de Bravo and Guadalajara. Within the confines of the dust devil severe turbulence can be found (as well as a serious sanding of your leading edge). This turbulence has broken some aircraft and sent others out of control. These dire possibilities lead us to formulate the following dust devil safe flying rules:

• Do not enter dust devils below 1,000 ft (300m) above the ground.

• Do not enter dust devils below the top of the visible dust.

• Do not use excessively large and violent devils at lower altitudes.

• Do not use dust devils in areas with larger, heavier ground particles.

• Use a turn direction opposite to the dust devil spin.

• Locate a thermal based on a dust devil to the left (northern hemisphere) or right (southern hemisphere) of the dust devil path.

• Newly formed dust devils are more reliable thermal markers than older ones.

Dust devils are most prevalent and powerful in desert areas. Some of these monsters can be 1/2 mile (1 km) or more in diameter. In greener areas dust devils are rarer, shorter lived and lower in extent. Part of this reason is the lack of dust to carry aloft. This author once flew in a thermal in Pennsylvania at 5,000 ft up with scores of corn leaves circulating in the thermal like a flock of hawks. We call this a leaf devil. On another occasion we witnessed a dust devil created on a rock outcropping in New Hampshire that had no

dust to pick up but made a sound on the rocks like fizzing fireworks.

One other matter we should mention is water devils which occur when dust devil type swirls move over the water. These are usually shortlived and do not rise very high but they indicate good thermal conditions. In Florida, you can often see swirls on the surface of ponds and lakes that indicate a thermal passing by. Many competition pilots have used these thermal indicators to find lift.

IdeAL THeRmAL CONdITIONS

Air masses moving into an area play a great role in the stability and thus the thermal prospects. Warm fronts and warm air masses in general are not conducive to thermals because their load of humidity cuts down surface heating by scattering the sunlight. The humidity itself accepts heat directly from the sun and warms the air before thermals can develop.

It has been found that even in very humid conditions the humid layer is near the surface, not extending above perhaps 2,000 ft (600 m). The reason for this feature is the humidity comes from ground evaporation. Because the lower humid layer can get very hot during the day at its top, it can develop thermals. These thermals tend to be weaker, but more regularly produced than ground thermals. To reach them a pilot has to tow up, power up or launch from a site well above the humid layer – 2,500 ft (750 m) or more.

Cold air masses are generally good thermal producers. This is because they usually bring clear,

dry air and become unstable when their under surface is heated. This isn’t always the case as we have seen in the discussion of the sea breeze air mass which is stable. But cold fronts from the poles are almost always bearers of thermals.

In the eastern US and northern Europe such fronts are welcome for the fine soaring they bring. Unfortunately they are also driven by high pressure systems and thus the trailing air mass is gently subsiding. The vigorous thermals push up through this sinking air, but they are slowed slightly. The real problem is that highpressure dominated air masses create inversions due to the subsidence of the air and thus a lid on thermals. Therefore it is normal in the eastern US for thermals to stop in the inversion around 6,000 ft (2,000 m) AMSL and 12,000 ft cloudbases are a rare sight.

On the other hand, desert areas are in prime soaring form when a low pressure system sits over the area. The slightly rising air in the low reduces the stability aloft and aids thermal progress. It is not unusual for thermals to rise above 20,000 ft (7,000 m) in these areas because an inversion is usually not present. Most lows in the desert are heat lows (see Ch 4). Lows are not often thermal producers in moister areas because their rising air creates clouds and rain. Pilots in green areas must settle for highs and lower altitudes. In moister areas dryer conditions are sought after. On the other hand in the desert a little moisture is desirable because the added humidity in the thermals helps make them lighter so they rise better higher up. Moister thermals also produce clouds which are great thermal indicators at altitude. We can summarize good thermal conditions:

• Clear skies, bright sun, light to moderate winds

• Cold front, high pressure systems and dry days in moist, green regions

• Low pressure systems and some moisture in desert regions.

LIFT IN A THeRmAL

Once a thermal leaps into the sky and organizes itself it ideally takes on the shape of a mushroom turning itself inside out like a smoke ring as shown in figure 183. The air rising in the core or center of the thermal is moving upward about twice the rate of the top of the thermal. Thus it is possible to be near the top of a thermal (“top of the stack”) and climbing slowly while other pilots are climbing up to you from below. It is not always their better thermalling skills at work in this situation, but their position in the faster rising air.

As the thermal rises it pushes the air above it up and out of the way creating sink and turbu-

▲ FIg. 183: CROSS SeCTION OF AN IdeAL THeRmAL Once a thermal starts to organise itself in the sky it ideally takes on the shape of a mushroom turning itself inside out, like a smoke ring.

lence along the sides of the thermal. An area of turbulent mixing occurs at the leading edge of the thermal as shown. This sink and turbulent area are often what announces the thermal to a searching pilot.

As our ideal thermal rises it continues to expand as it takes in more air and encounters lower pressure. It is fed from below as long as the supply of warmed air lasts and also pulls in air from the sides which may aid the thermal strength if it is a warm residue from a previous thermal or dilute the thermal if the air is cold. Some vortices and calves of the thermal are left behind in its wake as shown in figure 184.

It is probably a sure bet that the ideal thermal exists in nature judging from the thousands of pilot reports depicting textbook lift patterns in the thermal. However, there are also occasions when cores are elusive, multiple and varying in strength. We’ll look at the variety of thermals in nature in Chapter 10.

THeRmAL SINK

In unstable conditions we know that lifted air wants to continue rising. We should also know that air given a downward push wants to keep moving down since it continually remains cooler than the surrounding air in an unstable lapse rate. This sinking air acts like a negative thermal.

In good thermal conditions sinking air will be abundant. Usually the stronger the thermals the stronger the sink. However, because thermals

inhabit typically 1/10 of the sky or less, the sinking air is usually more spread out and not as organized into strong vertical slugs.

Inter-thermal sink is usually strongest higher up where thermals are larger and more able to start a wider area sinking. If thermals are organized by a mountain, other terrain effect or streeting action the sink can also be more organized and widespread. Sometimes the best policy when immersed in sinking air for a long time is to turn 90º to your course in hopes that you were flying along the long axis of an elliptical sink area and can thereby escape the sink.

SUmmARY

We seek to prolong our adventures aloft by hopping a free ride whenever we can. One of the best vehicles a soaring pilot can find is a thermal. These conveyances are like hot air balloons rising to the heavens. The only trouble is they are invisible for the most part. Thus we have to study their behavior so we can make the best guesses possible as to how, when and where to find them.

Thermals are abundant and found practically everywhere at various times. They are variable in all their properties: strength, turbulence, size, duration, reliability and height. Only experience, study and a little luck will afford you the ability to find the best thermal in the conditions at hand. We now have a good background in the basics of thermal behavior. Next we learn the deeper secrets of thermal lore.

▲ FIg. 184: mIXINg, SINK ANd LIFT AROUNd A THeRmAL As the thermal rises it pushes the air above it up and out of the way creating sink and turbulence along the sides of the thermal.

CeO selected Accident & Incident Summaries

during this three month reporting period 1st October to 31st dec 2022 there were 19 Incidents or Accidents. For those that were unfortunate enough to have an accident, I wish you all a speedy recovery and thank you for your honesty in reporting.

Looking back on 2022 there was one stand out report in February, that was so well written with multiple lessons to learn from the pilots own advice, that I asked if I could share this incredible breath taking story with the wider flying community. It is often said there are multiples factors leading up to the accident itself, read on:

date: February 2021 experience: PG3 1000+ hours phase of Flight: In Flight XC location: Canterbury equipment damage: Helmet pilot Injuries: None I was on a thermic XC flight on the port hills in Christchurch. Left Gondola in shady conditions. Cloud base was low (~1000m). Was conservative leaving climbs well below base, but climbs were reasonably localised to the thermals. Arrived at Gebbies Pass, got low and pushed out towards harbour where there were good landing options. Wind in the pass was slight SW. Picked up a 0.1m/s thermal low (200-250m AGL). Scratched in thermal for a while, NE drift back towards pass. Found a strong release and climbed in a smooth +4.5m/s. I resisted the urge to leave the climb earlier as previously I had been too conservative given that base was low, area shady and I would arrive at next climb low. I turned a few more times and then headed towards harbour where there was air clear from cloud.

Normally when there is the possibility of entering cloud I use my second flight instrument which runs LK8000 and has a cartographical display. This instrument plots a trail of the path my flight has taken on the screen. I make sure I fly straight in the intended direction whilst in the clear thereby laying a straight line on the instrument from which I can use to maintain my course if I end up in cloud. However, I had left this instrument at home due to it having a flat battery. As I flew out of the thermal and towards the harbour I continued to climb. I soon entered the cloud and then lost all visual contact with the ground. I was in white out. Not having my other instrument, I looked at the electronic compass on my other instrument. Although I had used this many times in normal flight when not turning I was unsure of it’s accuracy and lag when turning. I saw the compass indicate my course was moving to the south and I wanted to go east. I tried turning to the left and felt like I was rotating to the left and the compass continued to show that I was rotating in the opposite direction, eventually heading west. I did not know if I was in a continual turn (it felt that way to me) and the compass was just laggy. I struggled to reconcile what my body was telling me and what my instrument was.

The wing I was flying has limited capacity to ‘big ear’. However, I tried this but due to the low reduction in climb and the turbulent nature of the air I abandoned this attempt as I preferred to be actively controlling the glider with the brakes which is not possible on big ears. My rate of ascent slowed, and I decided to try and spiral. I entered a spiral for a few turns but felt the g-forces quickly build so I exited the spiral and deployed my anti-G drogue chute. I then re-entered the spiral however I was quickly uncomfortable not having the horizon as a reference to use while spiralling (I had not thought about it previously, but I now realise that being able to see the horizon and ground is essential for gauging ones rate of turn and aspect in a spiral). Therefore, I decided to exit the spiral and find a strategy with the instrument that I had to fly straight and eventually exit the cloud.

However, due to the fact I could not see the ground I misjudged my exit and while I thought I was exiting in a controlled manner I must have exited hard. I felt my body go weightless at the top of a pendulum and got ready to break the resulting overshoot. However, I must have suffered a collapse on the right hand side of the wing which resulted in some slack lines as the wing passed

overhead. Some of these lines then managed to catch in my goggle keeper tab at the rear of my helmet. The wing overshot and I braked as much as I could but was constrained by the caught lines. Due to the caught lines my chin was pinned to my chest. Rotating my eyes as far up (in my head) as possible I saw that the wing (now seemingly with it’s surface in a vertical position, pointing towards where I thought the ground was) continued to be braked on the right-hand side and started to twist the lines. At this point as I started to rotate with the wing, and I pulled my reserve. The reserve seemingly opened straight away, although I could not see it. I then tried to undo my helmet to free my head (and throat which was under quite a bit of pressure from the chin strap). Not being successful I took my glove off which fortunately had a keeper strap around my wrist. I was now able to see the ground.

Once I had my glove off I was able to remove my helmet and then free the lines from the back of the helmet. I put my helmet and glove back on. I then tried to ‘kill’ my main wing. I found this very difficult but eventually I managed to get it into a state that, whilst not in my hands, stopped it from fighting my reserve. I felt the reserve attachment points on my shoulders take my full weight and my body hang vertically. I removed my feet from the harness and performed a PLF rolling backwards as I had about 4 or 5 kph of ground speed backwards. I tried to contact other pilots in the area with my radio (one had landed not too far away) to let them know that I was OK but there was no answer. I sent out a message on WhatsApp to the pilot’s group and some who I was flying with responded there. I also called my wife. A farmer whose wife had seen me came to see if I was ok and gave me a ride back to the farmhouse. however once there I had no cell reception and I had not given my wife my location, so I resorted to using my InReach satellite messenger for that. pilot Advice

1. If you choose to leave a piece of equipment at home, make sure you have an alternative for everything that you use that for. (in my case the instrument that I have an alternate instrument for all aspects of flight except getting out of cloud, I could have had a screen or such on my other instrument as a backup.)

2. Think about what has changed, I was climbing at 4.5m/s and previous climbs were 1 or 2m/s. I should have recognized that I was in convergence and should not climb so close to the cloud.

3. If I had listened to my first urge to leave the climb lower I would have been fine.

4. Be familiar with descent techniques and what they require in terms of environment. I had not thought about needing to see the horizon for a spiral

5. Given that the cloud was higher than the terrain on all sides I could have persevered with my instrument and remained in level flight and I would have eventually exited.

6. Carry a hook knife to cut lines to kill the wing.

7. If you have a cell phone signal don’t assume you will still have it if you move position.

8. REMOVE ANYTHING FROM YOUR HELMET THAT COULD CATCH A LINE.

removal of Helmet Goggle Clip

CEO notes: In addition to this report and as was carried by this pilot; if going XC and out of cell phone range, consider carrying some form of satellite emergency device to alert emergency services and your loved ones.

50th Anniversary of Hang gliding at Paekākāriki

During the last quarter of 2023 it will be the 50th anniversary of the first hang glider flight from the Paekākāriki escarpment. It will also be the 43rd anniversary of the first foot launched canopy or “paraglider” flight in New Zealand - see the flight record here from Ian Drinkman.

The Wellington Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club is planning on having a celebratory dinner at Paekākāriki, possibly having a static display of hang gliders and paragliders in a local park one afternoon, and, if the weather gods cooperate, flights from the escarpment. Dates and events have yet to be finalised, but if you are interested in participating please register your interest and preferences using this link: https://tinyurl.com/WHGPC50

How to report an accident or incident

what to report?

You must report as soon as practical anything that is defined as an “Accident” by CAA rules. That is anything that caused significant damage or serious injuries while the aircraft is being used. Club safety officers and other pilots can help out here by reporting even basic information about an accident for pilots that are unable to do it themselves.

We also want reports for incidents or accidents that aren’t so serious. The biggest benefit comes from the reporting of the smaller incidents and near misses. How small? Well, if good luck is all that saved you from an accident then it’s probably worth reporting.

Your personal details will be kept confidential. How?

To make a report go to the NZHGPA website and click on ”Safety”. www.nzhgpa.org.nz/safety

Then the button to hit for starting your report looks like this;

Your description of what happened is the most important part and makes up the majority of the reports we publish but other details are used to help with statistics that show trends so please complete as much as you can. Please include the location so we can send the report to the local safety officer and the club president for any follow up they need to do. Don’t worry, our policy is that we do not use the reports to lay blame or for any disciplinary action. They are for safety and learning.

Finally if you want to see other reports then click on this button;

Bluebridge Ferries - Special NZHgPA membership discounts 2022/23

Bluebridge Ferries have done it again for another year - supporting our Free Flying Community with fantastic discounted ferry prices

What’s more Bluebridge have sponsored the Presidents Good Sorts Award to the tune of $500.00 travel vouchers for the third year running!!

How to Book

For NZHGPA member discounts and benefits, or to book using the special promotional code SAIL2GLIDE at bluebridge.co.nz/NZHGPA Or quote the promo code when you call 0800 844 844 then simply pop in the sailing day and click next.

The system will pre-populate the discount and display your negotiated pricing.

Please note: You must present proof of your NZHGPA membership when you check-in. If not presented, the standard fare will be charged

For other NZHGPA membership sponsored benefits visit the NZHGPA Members Area.

Want a better magazine?

Airborn needs your articles and photos. We’d like to read about your flights, frights, sites, experiences and techniques. Anything 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 others do.

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 or even typed directly into email. it’s not digital, clean laser or typed copy is fine.

INCLUDE PHOTOS, of the people, places or gliders involved and one of yourself to make the article more interesting. Everything is now full colour and with digital photo editing, it’s amazing what we can do to enhance ordinary snapshots. Digital images must be high resolution (300 dpi or more but do not upscale low resolution photos). Photos in MS Word files have reduced resolution, so please supply photo files separately. I can help with emailing large files. Contact Airborn for help.

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 with your complimentary copy.

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

It is with sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Mike Lissington on 25th November, 2022, aged 57. Loved partner of Debbie. Much loved son of John and Marion (deceased). Brother to Karen and Julienne. Uncle to

Cherished by Floyd and Jack. You will leave such a big hole in our lives. Soar with the wind Mike.

Safety Checks

Karpofly Xalps 3 and 4 Paraglider harnesses leg straps

Sample test number: PH 045.2013 (Number was assigned by the test center www.para.test. com for the model Xalps 3)

On a Karpofly Xalps 4 harness (unit test 2018), the seam on the seat surface with which the length adjustment of the Get Up leg straps was fixed had opened in flight. Due to the omission of this fixation, the leg straps pulled open over their entire length under load. This led to the student pilot sinking so deeply into the much too long leg straps after takeoff that the control lines were pulled strongly and there was a risk of a stall. The student pilot had to let go of the control lines completely and steer the paraglider by shifting his weight. He was finally able to pull himself onto the seat board with a pull-up and safely complete the flight. Basically, there is a risk of suspension trauma when hanging in the leg straps for a longer period of time.

Pilots who use these harnesses (Karpofly Xalps 3 and Xalps 4) are requested to check the affected seam. In the event of damage, the seam must be professionally repaired. This safety measure must be carried out before the next flight.

- DHV 02.12.2022

Supair walibi Lite parachute container

Request to check the extraction of the rescue parachute on Walibi Lite harnesses manufactured before 2019.

PROBLEM: A Walibi Lite harness produced in 2017 showed an inability to extract the rescue parachute. The parachute pocket was stuck to the rescue parachute pod making extraction impossible. The fabric coating had degraded and made the inside of the parachute pocket sticky. This degradation can occur when the fabric of the reserve parachute container is subjected to extreme temperature and humidity conditions (+ 60 ° C and a humidity rate of 95%).

Only certain Walibi Lite harnesses in sizes S and ML manufactured before 2019 are affected: You can find the date of manufacture on the label in the back pocket of the harness.

CHECK that the rescue parachute can be extracted and that the inside of the parachute pocket does not stick to the rescue parachute.

- If extraction is possible, and the parachute pocket does not stick; no risk, good flights!

- If the rescue parachute can’t be extracted or the inside of the parachute pocket sticks and interferes with the correct extraction of the reserve parachute Contact Supair: sav@supair.com

Baylee, Hannah and Bella.

NZ Ha N g glidi N g XCo N test

Cross-Cou N try C H ampio N s H ips

January 1st to december 31st

April 1st 2022 to march 31st 2023 Top scores on 23/1/2023

XC Championship Open Distance

Omarama Hang Gliding Cross Country Classic

saturday 11 February to sunday 19 February 2023

Flying around Omarama is always spectacular; expect 9 or 10,000ft and an easy 20km to over 100km depending on your skill and weather conditions.

The Mackenzie country around Omarama is a great place to beat your Personal Best; height, distance etc, move up the XC Champs table, fly legally to 13,000ft or maybe even fly to Mt Cook!

This summer, our usual Waitangi date was nabbed by the HG Nationals so we’ll go for the week after so people can go on to Omarama after the Nats for more excellent flying. This time of year gets the most flyable days with the least strong winds and turbulence, but it’s still hot and dry so gives the most XC flying opportunities. Launch and landing areas are massive and the event is stress free; there’s no queues or waiting.

Don’t be put off by stable forecasts, it’s usually better than on the forecasting apps, sometimes there is wave and a stable day at Omarama beats coastal flying. Strong winds are more common in November to January, so if it’s not too windy, it’s on.

Fly open distance, in any direction from any site in the Omarama area. Enter any number of flights and improve your personal best flight. Scoring is by GPS or you can use witnessed launch & landing positions and you can use XContest or other online scoring as always.

Fly the whole week, just the weekends or just the days you want, when you want; it’s up to you, only your best 3 flights are scored. You decide if, when and where to fly and a couple of unlucky flights won’t ruin your total.

There’s no pressure and you can make it as safe as you want. If you don’t like the conditions; don’t fly, you’re not penalised for being careful or sensible.

The object is to get cross country flying and learn from others but there’s awards for best total of 3 flights, best single flight, most

improved personal best and for best driver. Accommodation; free camping, cabins, caravans, motels and hotels are all available. The gliding airfield campground is recommended as it welcomes hang glider pilots, has weather briefings and a cafe that’s often open late.

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

The tracks up local mountains do need 4WDs with low ratio gearing for safe descents or brakes will burn out. There’s usually plenty of 4WDs and a spare place or 2 but best to team up earlier if you can. To maintain the Magic Mountain track we ask pilots for a donation but the competition is free of charge. Buscot and Twinburn sites are just as high but less scary for drivers. All the same its worth having a spade on board plus good tyres and a spare!

Bring; spare glider parts, a driver that’s comfy with steep mountain tracks, radio, (airband for the MBZ if you want to fly to Mt Cook), camelback, spare sim card, satellite messenger. Bring your mountain bike and kite/windsurfers for days off.

If you don’t have a driver, pilots can take turns: this results in expert drivers and a welcome rest day for tired pilots. There’s often time for more than 1 flight per day too.

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

Club Competition

Rigid Wing

The web site for scoring and uploading your track logs is at: www.xcontest.org/newzealand/

NZ Competition Organiser’s Responsibilities

It is the Comp Organiser’s responsibility to;

1. Obtain a list of current members from the Administrator.

2. Ensure every competition entrant is a current NZHGPA member.

3. Sign up any non-members. Any competitors found to be nonmembers will be listed and scored as ‘disqualified’.

NZ Hang gliding National Champs 2023

Registration is open for the HG Nationals. Tom Mulder is organising with Shane McKay and Steve Cronin. Matt Barlow has stepped away from organising the Nationals this year.

Murchison 2023 Hang Gliding Nationals

Competition Dates:

Practice Days: 2nd - 3rd February 2023

Competition Days: 4th - 11th February 2023

Registration: https://airtribune.com/nzhgnats23/info

NZ Paraglidi N g XCo N test

NZ p a R a G l I d ING XC ONT e ST

C ROSS -C O u NTR y C H amp IONSHI p S

Cross-Cou N try Cham P io N shi P s

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

April 1st 2022 to march 31st 2023 Top scores on 23/1/2023

XC Championship

Open Distance

Wandering Kiwi

Club Competition

Bordairrace Hike & Fly 2023

In the 16 years of its existence, the Bordairrace has become the most popular hike & fly race series. Places are usually booked within a few hours after the registration opens. In the 2023 season, the 33 hour, non-stop races will take place at two familiar venues and one new location in the high Alps.

It starts on 5 to 7 May in Aflenz (Styria) in the scenic Hochschwab group. From 2 to 4 June, the well-known paragliding hot spot of Koessen (Tyrol) will be the venue. From 30 June to 1 July, it’s off to Pfunds (Tyrol) at the foot of the three-thousand-metre peaks in the Oetztal Alps. The reserve date is 1 to 3 September. More information at www.bordairrace.com.

The Bordairrace is an out & return Hike & Fly competition, in which athletes have 33 hours to cover the greatest possible distance between the starting point and the turning point and to reach the finish line again in time. In doing so, they may only fly with a paraglider or walk. The participants themselves decide in which direction they move and where they set their personal “turning point at the limit”.

That means, Bordairrace athletes should not only bring along enormous physical fitness and

wanaka Hike and Fly

excellent piloting skills. The race also requires a high degree of tactical skills, good weather knowledge and the ability to identify where your personal limits are. It also takes a lot of brains! Whoever wins here has got what it takes. No wonder that many participants in the Red Bull X-Alps qualified via the Bordairrace. Depending on the weather, distances of 200 kilometres and more will be flown and over 100 kilometres with 3000 metres of altitude gain or more will be covered on foot: all within 33 hours! So far, there have been the Overall, Ladies, Rookies, Tandem, Unsupported and Fun Category (gliders up to EN B).

New for 2023 is the Masters Class for athletes who are at least 50 years old at the start of the respective race!

As the starting places are usually taken within a very short time, you should register immediately and transfer the entry fee. The registration form on www.bordairrace.com opens four weeks before the event.

There is a Bordairrace playlist on YouTubeideal for whetting your appetite: www.youtube. com/playlist?list=PLQlzEsyW0PogktQM6nNz ijcT_6j9Jweal

thu 9 - Mon 13 February 2023

The 2023 Wanaka Hike and Fly will take place (rain or shine) over 9-13 February 2023. Organised by Kinga Masztalerz, this event is open to all keen paragliders, whether they are racing for the top spot or just want to enjoy the friendly vibe.

Come hike, fly, and socialise with us at this top notch event! The race briefing will be held on Thursday 9 February at 6pm in Wanaka with the race taking place over three days from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 February. In the event of bad weather, we will race from Saturday 11 to Monday 13 February, with the race briefing on the Friday.

For more information: https://wanakahikefly. nz https://www.facebook.com/wanakahikefly/

Contact: Lorraine Johns lorraine.johns@ gmail.com +64273130073

The web site for scoring and uploading your track logs is at: www.xcontest.org/newzealand/

Hawkes Bay Paragliding Regional XC Comp

8am tues 21 - sun 26 Feb 2023

Come fly in the beautiful sunny Hawkes Bay on the east coast of the North Island, where you can fly all day and drink wine and beer at one of the many world class vineyards in the area. We will be holding a FAI cat 2 event over 5 days in the middle of our awesome flying season. Organised by Aaron Chesterman, the competition will be held at any number of our inland sites depending on weather.

The event is 5 days, Feb 21 -25, but we have allowed an extra day (26th) as a backup day in case weather is really bad at the start of the competition and we want to get that extra task in. Decision will be made during the comp on whether the extra day will be needed.

First briefing is in Havelock North, 21st February at 8am.

Contact Aaron Chesterman: 021 0248 4730 Follow the link to airtribune for more information and registration.

https://airtribune.com/hawkes-bayparagliding-xc-2023/info

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, 09 432 9333 or 021 072 0357

Email: skywalk@hotmail.co.nz

PARAGLIDING

Ferg’s Paragliding & Adventure

Mike Ferguson

Phone: 021 995 682

Email: fergsparaglidiing@gmail.com www.fergsparaglidiing.com

AUCKLAND

HANG GLIDING

Sean Oliver Phone: 027 670 8301

Email: skyriderag@gmail.com

FaceBook: @Skyrider

PARAGLIDING

SkyWings Paragliding

Hunter Hawker

Phone: 09 570 5757, 027 498 2345

Email: alan@skywings.co.nz 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 www.wingsandwaves.co.nz

WAIKATO

HANG GLIDING

Sean Oliver

Phone: 027 670 8301

Email: skyriderag@gmail.com

FaceBook: @Skyrider

PARAGLIDING

Bruce vickerman

Phone: 07 862 4919, 027 498 9941

Email: seehigh@slingshot.co.nz

thames Coast Paramotors

Rick Hawkeswood

Phone: 021682766

Email: rick.hawkeswood66@ outlook.com

HAWKES BAY

PARAGLIDING

Airplay Paragliding School

Barry Sayer, Phone: 027 451 2886

Email: barry@airplay.co.nz www.airplay.co.nz

BAY OF PLENTY PARAGLIDING

Kiwi-Air

Mike & Aniko

Phone: 07 929 5807, 021 104 6208 http://kiwi-air.co.nz

mount Paragliding

Darrell Packe

Phone: 027 249 2702

Email: darrellpacke@gmail.com

WELLINGTON/WAIRARAPA

HANG GLIDING

Wellington Hang Gliding & Paragliding Club

Grant Tatham

Phone: 06 379 7322, 027 636 3491

Email: tathams@xtra.co.nz

MARLBOROUGH PARAGLIDING

High Adventure New Zealand

Russell Read

Phone: 027 448 0888

Email: russread@ihug.co.nz

NELSON/TASMAN

HANG GLIDING

Ash Win

Phone: 021 220 8302

email: ashswin556@gmail.com

Nelson Hang Gliding Adventures

Glenn Meadows

Phone: 027 275 1022

Email: Gmeadows@xtra.co.nz

PARAGLIDING

Nelson Paragliding

Stew Karstens

Phone: 028-446 3930, 0508 FlyNow

Email: paragliding@xtra.co.nz

www.nelsonparagliding.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH

HANG GLIDING

Canterbury Hang Gliding School

Bill Degen

Phone: 03 326 6411, 021 247 2676

Email: aero@xtra.co.nz

www.hgpg.co.nz

PARAGLIDING

Cloudbase Paragliding

Grey Hamilton

Phone: 027 532 4874

Email: cbparagliding@gmail.com

www.cloudbaseparagliding.co.nz

ParaPro (paragliding & powered paragliding)

Dave Dennis

Phone: 03 328 8255, 0508 548 323

Email: info@parapro.co.nz

www.parapro.co.nz

WANAKA

PARAGLIDING

Paraventures Paragliding School

Mark Hardman

Phone: 021 809 275

Email: info@paraventures.co.nz

www.paraventures.co.nz

QUEENSTOWN PARAGLIDING

infinity Paragliding School

Chris Connolly

Phone: 022 676 5599

Email: info@infinityparagliding.co.nz

www.infinityparagliding.co.nz

Extreme Air Hang Gliding & Paragliding School & tandems

Lisa Bradley

Phone: 021 156 3256 or +61 45 728 7200

Email: lisa@extremeair.co.nz

www.extremeair.co.nz

DUNEDIN

HANG GLIDING

Aorangi Club

Tom Mulder

Phone: 021 148 1831

Email: tom@mulder.co.nz

■ Paid up NZHGPA members may run one advertisement per classification for free in each issue ■ Please email or post your 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 ■ include your email address for the online issue ■ Please notify when your items are sold ■ Buyers are advised that all used hang gliders and paragliders are highly recommended to have a full check as well as a new WOF when sold ■ It is dangerous to fly a glider or with equipment that is above your rated ability ■

PARAGLIDERS

GRADIENT Aspen6 size 26. 85-105kg. EN-C. Less than 20 flights. Mint condition. $1500. Phone Angus 021 2205932, info@tandemhanggliding.com

COMPLETE kit for sale. After long and difficult consideration I have decided to retire from paragliding due to recurrent back issues. Having flown for many years in the uk, 3 years ago I picked the sport up again and bought the following, all of which has seen very little use and is in excellent condition. Phi Tenor size 23 paraglider. EN B 90-110 recommended weight range. Altirando 3 harness, Reserve parachute - Fluid Lite M, Flymaster varioaltimeter, Phi Viola, used as speedwing plus lightweight/minimalist harness. 2 helmets (one open face the other full face). Flight deck and probably a few other bits and pieces. To be sold as one lot. $4000 ono. which I think is less than half the total cost to me 3 years ago. Call Nick on 027 949 0093 for more details or email at whittingham.nick@gmail.com

AIRDESIGN Rise3, Enb cert.xs, 60-78kg, 80 hours, great condition, Call Rene 027 433 2541, nzrenegade@gmail.com

MANTRA SIX, ML, 90-105kg, purple/white, as shown in Ozone website promotion photos, excellent condition, still a bit crispy! Always stored flat, one owner, 162 hours. Includes XL Ozone backpack, as new, and saucisse bag: $1800 ono. Enquiries bud.hauser.nz@gmail.com

HANG GLIDERS

FALCON 4 tandems for sale. 4 to choose from. Contact Angus on 021 220 5932 info@ tandemhanggliding.com

AIRBORNE C4-13 with a few spares. White mylar upper, yellow & lilac under. $1500 ono. Tom, 027 245-6777, nz_flyboy@outlook.com

U2 160. Dacron sail, Mylar/Hydranet LE/TE, speed battens and raked tips. 2012, great condition, has flown approx 300 hours. email - skyriderag@gmail.com, phone 027 670 8301

KIWI 170 mint/new condition. Manufactured mid ’90s, unused. Test flown - Good Nov/ Intermediate first 70% double surface lower aspect ratio glider, No VG new WOF, $2000. email - skyriderag@gmail.com

LITESPEED S 4.5, $2000, Phone 027 670 8301, Email: skyriderag@gmail.com

MOYES Litesport 4 (149 sq ft) for sale. DOM 2004. Airframe really good but sail is worn but serviceable. Mainly white sail with kevlar leading and trailing edge. White and mid blue lower surface. Recently purchased but too small for me. Comes with manual, batten profiles and spare uprights. Will be sold with new WOF. $1200. Contact John King at 027 751 3192 or jonstoys53@yahoo.co.nz

HANG GLIDER HARNESSES

WELL made backframe harness, with front entry, red, in near new condition, front reserve container, sliding 2 riser type that actually works for easier launch & landing, fto it around 5’10 medium build, Phone 021 247 2676, email aero@xtra.co.nz

POD harness; Old style and well worn but a cheap first prone harness. Goes vertical better than current back frame types, fits around 5’10 medium build, steel carabiner included. Chute container, storage pockets and storage bag. $100, Phone 021 247 2676, email aero@xtra.co.nz

RESERVE PARACHUTES

RANGE of reserve parachutes for hang gliding and paragliding including Charly’s super compact DiamondCross in steerable PG versions and HG version with built in swivel. Woody Valley Quadro are similar and sized in between. Bridles, Front containers, Maillons, Swivels, Hook knives etc, in stock at HG & PG Supplies, Phone 021 247 2676 or email aero@xtra.co.nz

INSTRUMENTS

OUDIE N instruments in stock at best price ever. Full featured GPS/alti/vario/flight computer, with high resolution colour maps and airspace that automatically updates, wind direction & speed. A range of Naviter, Aircotec and Digifly instruments in stock. Phone 021 247 2676 or email aero@xtra.co.nz

ACCESSORIES

HELMETS, No Limit full face (visor option), Insider, Loop (visor option) & the new lightweight Vitesse, phone 021 247 2676 email aero@xtra.co.nz

BUSINESS

HANG Gliding & Paragliding Supplies will be moving soon to a new address a bit closer to Sumner and Taylors. There will be some stock clearing specials. Check www.hgpg. co.nz for news, phone 021 247 2676 email aero@xtra.co.nz

Photos: Neil Brown, Ross Gray

THE COUNTRY CODE

We are all dependent on good relations with the farmers who own the land we fly from. Here are some guidelines to ensure that you and other pilots will be able to continue to fly.

ALWAYS CHECK with local pilots before flying at new sites.

ALWAYS ASK PERMISSION to fly unless you are absolutely certain that the owner allows use of the site without asking.

CHECK AGAIN at Springtime as most farms have pregnant and newborn stock that can easily be frightened and injured.

DO NOT show displeasure or abuse an owner if permission is refused. This could hamper getting permission in the future.

ALWAYS GET PERMISSION to take a vehicle onto a property. Ensure that vehicles without gliders are not taken onto the property. Put all gliders on one car rather than have a convoy crossing the property. If stock is near, drive slowly.

LEAVE GATES as you find them, gates may be closed to keep stock in or open to allow stock to feed. Ensure that all pilots and drivers understand.

USE STILES and gates where ever possible, if you must cross a fence, cross at a post or strainer post.

AVOID hay standing or cut unless permission has been given to cross it.

AVOID landing in paddocks containing crops or stock. Carefully move off crops to avoid damage.

DO NOT LIGHT FIRES at any time.

DO NOT SMOKE during fire risk times.

DO NOT TAKE DOGS onto any farm or property.

DO NOT disturb plants or machinery, move around it.

LEAVE NO RUBBISH.

Donald McDonald took this photo of a hang glider over a lupin patch lining the highway in the mackenzie. After years of people sowing lupin seeds they became too abundant so were removed.

Proud supporters of the HighSide flight park community project.