GLIDING ?

8th Nov - great day

Convergence

Janus sale?

Some people are suggesting that the club sell their second Janus.  Crazy idea – what is the point.?  What would this achieve – absolutely nothing.  I suspect that the Janus has been flown the most over the last few months – Ill be checking it out and reporting back.  It’s a great machine – very capable of extending x-country flights.  I’ve personally flown it 475km in one flight and it performed brilliantly.  Its been successfully used to introduce many to the joys of x-country flight and is half the price of other aircraft available.  I just cannot understand the motive and reason for suggesting its sale.  It is costing the club nothing – definitely not $5k as claimed.  We have spare hanger space and maintenance cost would be less than $1000 pa.  It isn’t insured – no cost there.  The club has independent income – being the envy of other clubs - no need to reduce debt. Why on earth suggest it be sold?   It can accommodate 2 people enjoying soaring and be used to pair flying and Trail flights – or what they will be called after 115.  Its is pretty good condition – no majors cost on the horizon.  So what is the motive?  Why sell anything?  If anything needs to be sold – which it doesn’t – then sell a PW5 and a basic trainer and buy another single seat glider – perhaps an ASW20.

Just please - replace the seat cushions.

Well its my daughters 11th birthday and the "season" is over - but that it a bit of a joke really. The season, in fact the last few have been spectacular wipeouts at least in this part of the country - principly due to La Nina. Only 2 good xcountry flights for me - the better one being a very nice wave flight to Port Jackson and back - about 350km. Have buggered legs doesnt help but next season - El Nino and new legs -I cant wait. Maybe next season Ill get into a spot of xcountry instruction with the Duo. Currently I doubt I would be able to get into and out of it . (bi lateral hip replacement surgery will return me to my 20's in terms of agility and good looks ;) )

30 yrs flying gliders

Just for the hell of it ...
type ratings..

Ka6, Ka7, Ka8, ASK13, ASW15, ASW19, ASW20, Nimbus2, Skylark3, Bocian, Blanik, IS 28b, Twin Astir, Astir CR, JanusB, Salto, DG101, DG400, Grob 109, Ronlerhe, Std Jantar, PW5, LS4, Pucharz, DuoDiscus

Gold C #190 19-2-87 ASW15 - Matamata
Diamond Goal #211 19-2-87 ASW15 - Matamata
Diamond Height #256 17-1-88 Janus - Omarama

C Cat Instructor 1982
B Cat Instrcutor 1983

1477hrs...TT
Instucting ..approx 700hrs
Outside glide slope.. approx 715hr

Got a hell of a lot more to learn - but a good start

Since this thing is more about recording my own experience and no one redas it anyway .
Not politically correct

this is cool

Coromandel Wave

Great flight last Saturday ... wave to Port Jackson (ie. top of the Coromandel Peninsula) and return and a bit South of Tauranga.  360km .
Wave was strong and clear - wished I had been a little more organised as would have been a 750km day!
wind 50kts from222deg.  at 10'000. 
Spectacular veiws all the way and was very straightforward.  10,000'-11,000' all the way with very cooperative and interested ATC staff.  A very pleasant day out .  Unfortunately no camera and the track is still in the GPS.
What happened to La Nina forecastes?

Storm Front

Recall years ago diving into such a cell in a Competition in the ASW15- through various zones of rapid sink, lift and turbulance - Got the turn point and progressed to land out near ridge finishing 1st of the day.

Niwa Seasonal Forecaste - LA NINA

good name for it I think "anticyclonic gloom"

 

Background

Following the La Niña event over July 2010 to April 2011, the tropical Pacific returned to neutral conditions. However, over the past 4-6 weeks there is mounting evidence of a transition back to La Niña conditions. The Southern Oscillation Index has become more positive, sea surface temperature anomalies have become increasingly negative in the east-central equatorial Pacific, and the easterly trade winds have intensified near the Date Line. There has been a major shift in the consensus from global climate models which predict El Niño-Southern Oscillation conditions. The majority of these models are now forecasting further development of La Niña patterns over spring and a continuation through the summer of 2011/12. At this early stage, we cannot be confident about the intensity of the event.

BOP Wave

awesome

Another La Nina - Oh Great!

Well doesnt look good - just read Niwa's forecasting another La Nina for the summer.  Might take up fishing .

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10755932
also;-

http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/16954-another-la-nina-summer-likely.html


"A warmer and drier end of spring and start of summer was expected for most of the country due to the La Nina weather system, according to Niwa's seasonal climate outlook."

Airstrips near Rotoma

Jensen Rd above

Rotoehu Strip - a very good one though sloping uphil towards the south.

Both these airstrips and a lot more are contained in the database I have developed which I have asked to be loaded into the duo system.  IF anyone wants a copy I can send the file which can be load into SeeYou or directly in Google Earth .

Great video

Savage Cub. from Arturo Polo_Ena on Vimeo.

Wave View

View from a recent wave flight ;)

definately need oxygen at this height !!

Shit I must be getting hypoxed!!

 

well actually taken from the International Space Station - ISS
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/clickmap/

First Flight to Top of Coromandel

This is SugarLoaf Rock - the top of the Coromandel taken from Janus GTG 17/11/2000 from about 18,000ft.

Its position on See You.

Sugar Loaf Rock circled in this image from ISS - note also the very good ridge line that produces very good wave lift .

Volcanoe

This picture is amasing ... in Chile, South America

S39 25 13 / W71 56 22
Volcan Villarrica (Chile)
Nimbus 4DM

DuoDiscus GXT

Took the new Duo for a flight yesterday - wave to 100km up the Coromandel, to Whitianga. Great machine and brilliant systems. All worked very well and comfortable. The wave was average until the return trip when the classic Kaimai wave was pumping - 10knots in places and plenty of sink -18.3knots at one point. Love the See You programme so have been studying it also love the fact that I can take my own Airfeild database on a microSD card and bring home the track for anaylsis on my PC.

A great decision to purchase this machine - glad to have been on the subcommittee to make the aircraft recommendation. So what if it isnt aerobatic - we are about soaring in my mind - if you want to aerobat - go and get into one of the basic trainers..

The Mount