Auckland Paragliding Regionals Round 2

Auckland Regional

Competition

Robbo Robinson reports on Round 2

News Bulletin, Covid 19 infection!

For any Aucklander a news headline like this can announce an unknown future for the weeks ahead. With the Auckland Regional Paragliding Competition on the following weekend it was news 40 pilots and others involved in the comps organising committee did not want to hear.

More so, a good percentage of the pilots were from out of town including a number from the South Island with increased costs.

A few pilots ventured out to Moirs Hill on the Friday pre comp weekend “just in case” the event was cancelled and all got to fly but Jacinda said they had it all under control and no increased alert levels were required. GREAT!

Johnny and Kyla had pre booked this event in the comp calendar months ago and with it being the first in the season it was well over subscribed. I don’t know how they predicted the weather so far out but it turned out to be near perfect with both days being comp task-able and good flights achieved by all.

Meeting at the Puhoi Pub at 10am, coffees were consumed and friendships rekindled the mandatory safety brief was carried out by Johnny. This was an opportunity to reflect on events that had occurred this year and the opportunity to participate in a one minute of silence to remember James Johnston who passed away after a flying accident in the United States, a sobering moment.

The decision was made by the Task Committee to fly from Moirs Hill, close to Puhoi Pub approx. 45 minutes north of Central Auckland. This site is one of the most flown inland thermic sites for local pilots. Equal distance from both the West and East coasts the scenery is spectacular from take off and if you are fortunate to rise further into the sky it is beautiful with the Hauraki Gulf Islands to the east and Kiapara Harbour to the west for all to view. Day one

Task one was set heading North with a goal at Mangawhai Heads some 42kms in distance with a turn point east over Matakana (a local pub suck spot). A race to goal with 15 minute start gates to help ease congestion over take off. With the majority of pilots getting away on the first wave, the latter had issues with the wind picking up on take off and stories of spending an hour flying in front of take off before getting away were common with a few pilots.

With airspace opened up to 4500ft

Above; Soaring at Moirs

Above; The trophies; Left: Auckland Regional Paragliding Champion (Louis Tapper) Right: Auckland Fun Class Champion (Nick Buhaets)

Above; Pilots getting high on day 1 Right; On the convergence at 4500ft over Warkworth

GPS Moirs still can be a tricky spot to get away from and find your second and essential thermal. Timing and ‘luck’ play a factor at times with many pilots not getting “lucky” and not finding the crucial second thermal. But some pilots are ‘luckier’ than others with many reaching the first turn point but then finding a Northerly headwind and decking it at Matakana (pub suck?).

A small few with great flying skills and better ‘luck’ pushed on with three reaching goal. Louis Tapper won the task for the day and well deserved as it would have been very technical flying the second part of the course into a head wind. For more results please refer to Highcloud.

With the East and West Coast so close together this area generates great convergence which unfortunately 9 pilots (24% of pilots) found out to their detriment by exceeding the GPS Airspace of 4500ft, but not barometric altitude of 4500ft. Some by no more than a few feet but as the current rules state, these pilot lost all their distance points for there flight.

A couple of stories emerged that evening back at Puhoi Pub where pilots unloaded their adventures for the day. Two in particular need repeating. As I wrote earlier the mixing air and convergence at this site can give a pilot the occasional scare. One such pilot was Rhys Akers who decided to carry out his own SIV course not far from launch and confessed looking at his reserve handle three times during the event but also his altimeter and had “time” to sort his bundle of washing above him out, however he decided enough was enough and landed shortly after. More amazing was Graham Surrey who while trying to stop a massive surge forward and frontal collapse extended his reach and his shoulder “popped out”. He then reset the shoulder in flight and carried on with the task, although he did remove himself from the second days task due to “soreness”. Hope you feel better by now! Day two

Task two turned out to be very similar to day one but with more westerly wind expected. A return to Moirs was made and with the task committee seeing an opportunity to break the Auckland site record an open task of 100kms was set. Advertised at the task briefing as the “longest task set in New Zealand” everyone was excited but a few of the experienced Auckland pilots viewing the Westerly winds increasing later on in the day and no record breaking convergence up the centre of the island north around Whangarei Airspace knew it would be hard for the ‘guns’ to take the record.

With the launch open, the air quickly became a wonderful spectacle of colour, the occasional call out by pilots concerned with gaggle flying conditions (wings getting too close) was heard from the ground but then all of a sudden a large upwards force propelled them to altitude and the launch was cleared and quiet once more.

To the North of Moirs is the local town of Warkworth, beyond that a dividing range of pine forest and bush stretches out across your path, crossing this range usually requires a 3000ft start point, without the central convergence (it was more to the east) pilots got caught out low and either scratched over these low hills or landed near Warkworth. Some scratched along east but still could not cross the divide but a few made it over with some local pilots heading towards the east coastline where you could see the convergence building, knowing that Mangawhai Heads was achievable in the current conditions.

For other pilots crossing the divide to the west, a blue hole appeared to greet them. Not ideal. The task was

Below; Task briefing at launch

won by Jeff Ripley who flew over the center of the divide then went east to catch the coastal convergence (local knowledge) then on to Mangawhai Heads closely followed by Evan Lamberton and me! (0 points for me though, yep! Convergence suck airspace issues).

The coastal flight above the white sands south of Mangawhai is outstanding and even though not 100kms the task set in distance was just as much fun. I recommend landing at the 18th hole at the local golf club where a beer is promptly

Right; Johnny Hopper

Above; Convergence at Moirs Hill is influenced by proximity to the Hauraki Gulf to the east...

pushed into your hand before getting out of your harness. Final Results Fun Class Winner - Nick Buhaets Female Winner – Kinga Masztalerz Auckland overall Champion - Louis Tapper; The trophy leaves Auckland for the first time ever! Full results in Highcloud at http:// xc.highcloud.net/task_overview. html?comPk=304 For the first comp of the season Auckland had lucked in with great flyable weather and it was a fun event (as is every one of Johnny and Kyla’s comps). It was great to rekindle friendships, everyone was so friendly, helping each other out. As an Auckland Club member myself I would like to thank those from out of town for attending the event especially the South Islanders! This event did raise some points for discussion, in particular how do newer pilots get the opportunity to compete seeing as all comps, local and national are so over subscribed. Luckily for this comp, all the new pilots who signed up (and didn’t then cancel) got a place... nobody actually missed out at all, the wait list was empty by the start of the comp. Food for thought! Enjoy the photos these were donated by several people at the event, they know who they are. Thanks for a wonderful weekends flying.

Below; ...and the West Coast and Kaipara Harbour to the west Above; Pilots climbing out on the second day

Auckland Regionals Jesse Dhue Gives a New Pilots View

it was a standard Thursday evening lap up Coronet Peak for a sleddie while driving up nico said, “yea i’m going up to Auckland for the competition this weekend,” that sparked an idea and a response that went something like, “You reckon i could enter?”

Sure enough that night Johnny Hopper had accepted my entry, on the back of an endorsement from Nico that I was up for it, I was buying flights and on a plane the next day.

Being a pilot at a competition is usually enough to make you anxious. Add onto that to the stresses of it being your first competition, you have only been flying a total of 6 months, it’s a new site far away from home and the terrain that you are used to flying and knowing everyone on launch is far more experienced than you are. Am I supposed to be here?

If you are lucky like I have been since I started flying you will have been encouraged by some of the best people to get involved, so as you stand there at briefing trying to put in your second ever task into your instrument and stressing about whether you have done it correctly, you know you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Driving out to Hoppers Happy Hens I am certain that I remarked multiple times on the fact that there were no mountains in sight, safe to say I was a little disappointed when we rocked up on Dill’s Hill for the first task looking at the 500ft elevation difference between the launch and the bomb out paddock. Usually I have at least 2500 ft to make mistakes and try to correct them... not today.

Being set up and ensuring you are prepared would be one thing that I would recommend everyone be on top of prior to entry. Make sure you know how to enter waypoints and airspace files and set a task as this will make the day much easier, however there are always people around that are willing to lend a hand if you need it. My only real plan for day one was to not be the first to bomb out, easily done if you are patient which I am not usually.

I managed to harness all the patience I had, and launched at the best opportunity there was all day, within a minute of all the competitors who made it to goal. Many had already bombed out. I hadn’t yet. As soon as I was airborne all the somewhat overwhelming feelings disappeared so now I had to make the best of the opportunity I had.

The conditions were tricky to say the least, super overcast with tiny breaks in the clouds just enough to get a cycle or two going. As I moved around launch trying to obey all right of way rules (which I had refreshed in the car with Nico on the way to briefing) I found myself climbing above launch, I couldn’t believe it, trying to observe what the other pilots were doing I followed them into the best pockets of lift, but as I cruised back and forth in front of launch I had noticed I was potentially getting in the way of pilots launching. Not wanting to cause inconvenience I didn’t turn back in front of launch in order to follow the pilots who had now started really climbing, instead I headed to where someone had previously had a good climb. I couldn’t find it, but eventually found myself in the paddock along side multiple other pilots.

So I packed up hiked up the hill and went on retrieve.

Day two rolled around with the same morning routine, wake up, ensure I had everything sorted and devices charged etc, a stop in at the Puhoi general store for food and briefing then on to the launch site. Task briefing showed an 80km goal. My longest flight to date was 17 km so I knew I wasn’t making it to goal but I also knew that wasn’t why I was here.

There is a lot of benefits to new pilots flying in competitions. If you are able to handle the crowded airspace and gaggle above launch, you can now start to learn and observe from pilots with a much greater bank of experience than you. Why is he flying there? That guy over there is climbing far quicker than I am, or the opposite, don’t go over there it looks sinky as.

After you bomb out the first few times jump in the car and go follow the guys who got away from the hill. They always love it when you rock up with cold drinks and a ride back and in return are always happy to share their flight, how and why they did what they did and even give you a few pointers. They may not know who you were or what wing you were flying but they will be able to share on the things specific to the day and conditions.

I bombed out both days with a total of 26 minutes flying combined. I went from Queenstown to Auckland for the two of the shortest sled rides I have done to date; people may wonder why I wasted my time and money. But the experience of flying in a gaggle, flying new sites, the opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zones and learn from some of the most experienced pilots in the country alongside the social aspect that comes with flying in a competition were enough to rope me in. The experience that I gained from being involved in this competition better prepares me for my next competition the Southern Fun. Wish me luck.

Above; Ridge soaring in thermic wind cycles for the guys lower in height, before hopefully breaking into the thermal above Moirs Hill with the guys above Thermaling overhead at Moirs Hill before going on glide Left; Programming the task into instruments for task one