Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Capex on GNM

Next time you peer through the canopy of GNM you will see a few changes...
The trusty Cambridge GPS-Nav and L-Nav have come to the end of their useful life.
In its place will be;


The vario is quite cool...does heaps of stuff and takes up very little space. The nano sits on the dashboard, is the GPS engine and datalogger. Both will be connected to my IPAQ...which acts as a backup datalogger.

I did think about one of these...a Butterfly Vario, but its very early in its development and I've learnt that being first with technology is risky (be a fast follower instead), and it'll cost more cows...about 2 more... Still reading the spec's it looks like a really cool piece of kit...however one is due to arrive locally this summer so I'll get to either smile or grimace depending on the outcome.

And like my old system I'll be able to run two final glide solutions at once (the LXNav vario has a basic final glide back to your start point) which is quite useful as you head out over the bush either south of Tauranga or over the Kaimai's. Can I make the otherside...or can I get back.
Usually I spend the day with one final glide fix set on a landable and aero-towable strip...Tauranga A/F, Piako, Tokoroa, Te Kuiti etc etc.

All it took was cash...

Friday, May 25, 2012

Desperately Seeking Sanity

Part 115...the story so far...
6 months since the introduction of the regulation (which CAA and the Gov't assured us would make Adventure Aviation safer and wouldn't add significant costs) we can see some earlier signs of what a total "balls-up" this will prove to be.
The parachute fraternity are in disarray. Many haven't been able to complete all the paperwork required by the cut-off date and some are finding the costs significantly more than "significant".

Since the introduction of 115 CAA have changed their stance over the cost issue...we have a letter from the Minister (using data provided by the Department) claiming it would $300 per entity...now we read from a CAA spokesperson arguing that cost is irrelevant and safety is the prime issue. If clubs/organisations can't move from a hobbyist approach to a professional approach they shouldn't participate...which in other-words means it'll cost heaps to register and CAA don't care...cost is irrelervant.

I know of one Gliding Organisation that has so far invested (if thats the right term) 102 hours of some-ones time to try to get the paperwork together...which at CAA's charge-out rate (it was $115 per hour but I think it has increased) is $12k...a far cry from $300.

Alongside all this we have some interesting commentary from Mai Chen (constitutional Lawyer)
who puts the cost of introducing new regulations at over $500,000 (CAA claimed less than this last year) but given the time its taken we can safely assume the total taxpayer cost of Part 115 will be well north of $1mill.
She also points out that the new reg's may result in the dismise of significant parts of NZ's Adventure Tourism market due to the added costs making NZ uncompetitive. I tend to agree.

And as for safety...the aviation sector has a very long history of using "Safety" as the blunt instrument...whether it be for Airspace, Training, Maintenance, or Regulation. Part 115 is no different.
I can not prediction 115's influence on other sectors in adventure aviation but I can suggest it will have no impact whatsoever on passenger safety in the gliding sector. We don't have a trial flight safety problem to start with (using both our and CAA's figures) and the regulation has no impact of maintenance, instructor training and/or competence, and flight requirements.

So whats been achieved???...well you judge yourself...but I for one have been dismayed at the total lack of common-sense that has been displayed through this process...you'd think heads would roll...but they won't

Monday, May 14, 2012

Wave...of sorts

Well...we got some wave...of sorts.
The first trial flights were in clear rough-ish air but by the third we managed to get a climb from 1200ft back to 2000ft and it was starting to feel rotor/wave-ish. At this stage the passenger felt less than wonderful - I'm guessing it's my flying.

While this was happening Scott and his partner arrived with the Duo in its trailer. After finding a few willing helpers we rigged it. Well done Scott...well done indeed cos you rigged the glider, taped it up and then left it for me to fly.

So after bending the elbow of my fellow instructor we hopped in and climbed into wave over Matakana Island. A quick trip upto Waihi beach and back..it took 15 minutes to fly back and land...average speed of about 90-100knots.

However did did observe some interesting wave clouds...more like a breaking sea wave...see picture.

Later wave flights were less and less inspiring...

Friday, May 11, 2012

Wave day gone feral...

What looked like a reasonable wave day tomorrow is looking increasingly less likely. What is it about the RASP that the closer you get to the day the worse the forecast...
I'm instructing tomorrow...so be afraid, be very afraid...
However if you want to get really inspired check out the video posted on the GNZ website...25 knots up in the Hakatarmea Valley...