RASP Introduction

By Kris Ericksen

Www.rasp.nz is a very useful weather forecasting tool for hang glider and paraglider pilots.

The RASP BLIPMaps acronym stands for Regional Atmospheric Soaring Prediction Boundary Layer Information Prediction maps, and is a specialised weather analysis tool for pilots who utilise thermals. The tool that generates the maps was written by “Dr Jack”, a USA meteorologist and glider pilot and provides a wide range of forecasts, including Thermal Updraft Velocity, Surface Wind, Convergence and Soundings. If your computer ever shows something similar to these two screenshots drop everything and go out flying.

The NZHGPA funds 50% the computer running costs of NZ RASP BLIPMaps, in conjunction with the Matamata Soaring Centre (25%) and the Omarama Soaring Centre (25%), and that translates to about 40 cents of your annual membership fee, so IMHO excellent value for money.

The New Zealand RASP website is administered by a small group of volunteers, and if you want to want to get involved please check out the contact details on the home page.

This article is the first in an ongoing series of short articles on RASP and other useful resources on the web. 23 November 2018 Thermal Updraft Velocity forecast. Benjamin Kellett flew 91.6km from Roys Peak on this day. Source: http://rasp.nz/rasp/view.php?reg ion=NZSOUTH_S&mod=%2B0&date=20 181123&file=wstar_bsratio.curr.1400lst. w2.png&section=thermal.params

15 March 2020 convergence forecast. Jeff Ripley flew 98.2 km from Moirs Hill on this day. Source: http://rasp.nz/rasp/view.php?reg ion=NZNORTH_N&mod=%2B0&date=2 0200315&file=wblmaxmin.curr.1400lst. w2.png&section=wind.params

nZHGPA on drone Airshare App

After two years of collaboration with Airways, HG symbols now represent HG/PG launch sites across NZ for drone operator pre flight planning and avoidance.

Big thank you to NZHGPA Airspace Officer Nick Taber and to Southern paraglider pilot Peter Greive for mapping work. All drones must land if in close proximity to HG or PG aircraft. To report an incident or accident; get as much information as possible about the operator and drone, photos, name of operator address, telephone number, registration details/make of car etc; if serious call police and or CAA Freephone 0508 ACCIDENT (0508 222 433), report the incident on line at CAA. Report any incident or accident to your club safety Officer. Updates on access issues on public conservation (doC) land

the NZHGPa is affiliated to the Federated mountain clubs of New Zealand, who advocate on our behalf for recreation on public conservation land.

Recently, FMC has gone in to bat for NZHGPA members, when DOC rangers tried to suggest that flying from the ‘Parachute Rocks’ above St Arnaud was against a bylaw of the Nelson Lakes National Park management plan. FMC researched the issue, and successfully argued to DOC that the particular bylaw was actually inconsistent with several higher tier laws and policies, and so now DOC is in the process of amending the bylaw.

Earlier this year, NZHGPA and FMC jointly authored and submitted an application to DOC for a ‘global concession’ for NZHGPA Members. Technically, the Conservation Act requires the pilot of any aircraft to hold a ‘concession’ to take off or land on public conservation land. We’ve successfully argued that the black-and-white definition of non-motorised hang gliders and paragliders as ‘aircraft’ is at odds with the guiding principles of the laws and management plans which encourage low-impact recreation.

DOC are processing the application, and it might take some time, but when we’ve been taking off and landing without problems for decades, why does it matter now? When the Aoraki-National Park management plan came up for review in 2018, the draft document clearly signalled the intention to enforce that old, unworkable rule on free flight pilots. As other plans get updated, holding a global concession would stop us getting shut out of some of the most beautiful flying sites in NZ. Also, as pressure on sites and access continues to build, holding the concession gives us extra credibility as legitimate users of a place, and makes it that much harder to argue us away or restrict our sport.

FMC has a quarterly print magazine, detailing its current advocacy battles, as well as news and articles from around the outdoor community. It also offers a discount card, with over 50 discounts, including 30% of the DOC Annual Hut pass.. As an affiliated organisation, NZHGPA members can get both posted to their home, for $20 a year. Visit www.fmc.org.nz/D2U to sign up. discounts from federated mountain Clubs for nZHGPA

Do you normally get a DOc annual hut pass? If so, then check out the Fmc special offer to save you some money.

The NZHGPA is affiliated to the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand, who advocate for recreation on public conservation land. FMC has been active recently for NZHGPA members getting DOC to begin the process to fix park bylaws which technically prohibit flying from Parachute Rocks (St Arnaud).

FMC has also been working with NZHGPA to advocate for pilots on issues like proposals to expand the Southern Alps Mandatory Broadcast Zone, as well as progressing our Global concession to properly legalise PG and HG take-off and landing from public conservation lands.

FMC has a quarterly print magazine, detailing its current advocacy battles, as well as news and articles from around the outdoor community. It also offers a discount card, with over 50 discounts, including 30% of the DOC Annual Hut pass.. NZHGPA members can get both posted to their home, for $20 a year. Visit www.fmc.org.nz/D2U to sign up.

kiWi JoHnston

22 SEPTEMBER, 2020: More details have been released about the search for NZ pilot James ‘Kiwi’ Johnston following his flying accident in Nevada, USA last month. Searchers found Kiwi’s body last Friday after a four-week search.

Kiwi, 53, went missing while on a paragliding XC flight in Nevada on 22 August. A large search failed to find him, but his glider was spotted by a member of the public on Wednesday 16 September. A search team on the ground then found Kiwi’s body on Friday 18 September.

The conclusion reached by the team that visited the site, which included the local sheriff and experienced paraglider pilots, James Johnston on launch in Roldanillo, Colombia, January was that Kiwi would have died instantly. The 2017. Photo: Hugh Miller reserve was not deployed and the glider was not attached to the harness. His Garmin InReach satellite tracker’s screen was smashed. The condition of his other flight instruments has not been made public, but they are being investigated to see if any data can be recovered from them.

Kiwi was found about 2km from where his wing was found. He was underneath a tree, and although the area had been searched at least twice from the air he was invisible from above.

The wing was initially spotted by local mining workers. It may have been rolled around by the wind, making it more visible, according to one of the searchers involved in the rescue, Rob Whittal.

Rob said: “I flew over the spot in a helicopter twice and it was so easy to not see something. It was not flat, easy countryside. The glider matched the colours of the terrain. “It was not through anything other than major bad luck we missed it. Every effort was put in to seeing it. Our eyes were peeled and I never saw it.”

The Eureka County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement on 21 September which attributed cause of death to “multiple blunt force trauma due to high elevation fall.”

Pilots involved in the search suggested that Kiwi probably had an incident at height, which led to a spiral dive and loss of consciousness. At some point in the air the glider’s lines failed. Report by Ed Ewing and Andy Pag - Cross Country magazine

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