Motivation

At last I got organised and dragged GNM out of the garage and went flying.
2 hours in weak thermals and some ridge lift in Matamata.
Not a day to write home about...or write to anyone about.
I spent half the flight flopping about in 0.5 of a knot close to the ground...yip that's fun.
However eventually we made the hills for a weak-ish ridge day. Wind was 10-12 knots so we got little actual ridge lift but ridge induced thermals...3 knots instead of less than 1.

BUT...I got to try out the LX V7...first impressions...
It's still cool...
Although the sound gets a bit of getting use to. Quite different from the old Cambridge.
There is so so many sound options that i've yet to sort what works best for me.
However the LX final glide agreed with the final glide on my SeeYou Ipaq.
And the averager on both also lined up...that helps.

I also manged to run both my old IPAQ and the new PNA I brought recently. The new screen is a mile better than the old trusty 3970 IPAQ. It's also far brighter than the Oudie as well...and a third the price.
So I now need a cable to connect the PNA to the V7...clear as mud???

Cumulus Soaring to the rescue...cable and shipping all for NZ$50. Great.

I nearly got to get my check ride in the new Duo GYL...but the tow plane disappeared so that will need to wait until another day.

Interestingly while I was in the Clubhouse waiting to pay I discovered a picture on the wall of the local Tow-plane BZA...taken in 1967 (when I was 3 years old)...it must have been 20 or so years old then. So here we are 45 years on and we are still towing behind 1940's technology.
I'm off to Wellington in the morning...would I rely on a DC3 to get me there???
Would I use a car built at the end of the war to get me to the airport??
Would I pay in pounds shillings and pence?
Would I eat 65 year old sandwiches for lunch??

Surely one day we will find a modern solution to this inequity????

What's up longer than it's down?

The sun, of course...as of today we get to see the sun for longer than 12 hours...summer is coming...just as assuredly as increased charges at the local club.

BUT - who has a BBQ at this time of the year??? Who really needs that extra hour of daylight at the end of the day...it only serves to remind you of all the jobs that need doing about the garden.
However in 2 weeks we get to move to that antipodean tradition of Day Light Saving.
Oh well...I guess I can expect the curtains to fade at a faster rate...

Pre-season Stuff

I was meant to go skiing today but we called it off because all the wx sites suggested it would be fairly average....how wrong they were...bodgery is term that comes to mind.
SO...with time on my hands I headed off to get a WoF for the Trailer.
I learnt that the tyres were different sizes...and had been that way for at least the last 5 years...suddenly it was a big issue...these chaps who issue pronoucements on the state of your vehicle do make you chuckle from time to time. Whilst taking a trailer in for a WoF is a waste of time and frustrating...try taking a truck in...

But the other more exciting news in my new gadget arrived. A PNA with SeeYou loaded as well as LK8000...with a screen significantly brighter than an Oudie. Thanks to Jerry from Canterbury.
Actually Navitar are going to carefully think about their long term strategy...while the Mobile software is quite cool...so are the free versions like XCSoar and LK8000.
Not only that but the PNA they are promoting (the Oudie) has been surpassed. A new business model is required.
However credit where credits due...the SoaringSpot site is very useful...as is  the contest scoring software...the trick will be delivering this while still making money from the basic PC and Mobile based software. I don't understand this stuff but something doesn't add up.

I'm clearly struggling for content at present but there are signs that that's about to change.

Textbook Land-out to start the season.

Our friendly Australian pulled off another textbook out landing.
Let's not quibble about why he had to land out...cloud base of 5200ft and big strong thermals all the way to Auckland (I know this because I flew overhead in a Q300 an hour earlier).

Let's focus on the important bit...choosing to go flying is voluntary, landing is compulsory...therefore land outs are part of our DNA.
But I should also note that a few of our club members have been critical of our antipodean friend's out landing skills. I should also point out that these constructively critical members (because most criticism at a gliding club is constructive...NOT...this is also in our "DNA") claim not to read this blog...so we are on safe ground.

What's important in a land-out?
Finding a good paddock or airstrip, landing in the right direction, plenty of room in the planning and execution phase, not hitting any sheep, and taking some good photo's afterwards.
So we can see the track...downwind, base and finals.
We can note that from turning final to landing was 25 seconds.
We can see he was 600ft above his airstrip mid downwind.
He landed up hill.
There were no sheep in the paddock...or if there were he has photo-shopped them out...
From where he took the photo he had been offered a cup of tea.

We can also see the Mount in the background...so if the airstrip was 800ft AGL and we know he started downwind 700ft above the strip why didn't he simply fly back to the big strip at Tauranga Airport??? Maybe because it was 22 kms away...I must ask...

Excellent.

Weather Warning

The RASP predicts today might actually work...as in thermals will be sighted.
Predicted cloud base over the Waikato/Tauranga area upto 7000ft.
Thermals of 6-7 knots...but before you get too excited the wind will be quite strong from the south.
20-25 knots...which will rip the thermals apart.

However if was about (and I'm not) I'd be getting organised.

 

8500ft cloud bases...really...too good to be true...

What are these people looking at??

The Piako Gliding Club Start of Season Briefing.
A great idea for three reasons;

It engenders some enthusiasm ...I got so enthused that I broke into the hanger storing the Duo I've agreed to buy into...and touched it. Actually I've flown the glider before...5 or so years ago in Omarama before it became the center of an accident.

I got to catch up with a few chaps and chap'ess that I hadn't seen in a while.

Oh and lastly, we were brought up to data with any changes about the place, or in the sky. The most notable is the closing of the local parachute operation due to Part 115. Whilst it will be nice not competing with a jump plane, a grumpy JumpMaster, and looking for chutes in the circuit area, the bigger issue is the total overkill of recreational aviations future. It's parachuting today, but in May 2013 it will be gliding.

I've said it before but I need to say it again. The total identified cost in accidents/injuries/deaths in gliding over the 8 years CAA reviewed was approx $18k. Some one may have tripped over climbing out of a glider and broke an ankle...for example. And in attempt to "save" the general public from themselves we (Gliding) will pay a huge price...gee thanks CAA.

Yes yes...I need to build a bridge and get over it...
Back to the briefing. Tim talked about the new gadgets that can/could be used in the cockpit. Most of this revolves around cheap and small GPS chips embedded in most new phones/tablets, the availability of cheap touch screen gadgets, and better batteries. I looked up a Nexus 7, there are real possibilities here although currently much of the new toys run with Android rather than MS. But give it time...

A westerly spring/summer beckons...time to find the EDS batteries, clean the spiders out of the O2 gear and find some warm socks.

The changing face of sport...

A survey of college kids sports intentions is quite interesting. Increasing numbers are reluctant to sign up to team sports or sports with a large and regular time commitment. Rowing comes to mind...or rugby etc.
It appears that as there are more options on offer and motivated teenagers are participating in a wider variety of activities they don't want to be tied down to a single inflexible sport. Think back young grasshoppers to the 50's, 60's, and 70's (I can recollect at least one of these decades)...what was on offer...rugby, cricket, maybe rowing if lived in a urban area, horses in the country, and ballet (for the girls apparently). Commitment wasn't a problem...what else were you going to do on the weekend???

My gaggle of teenage girls are involved in music, drama, dancing, skiing, Amnesty International, school plays, debating...and that's only one of them. This is not uncommon...

Where am I going with this you might ask??? Well gliding is a time consuming sport that requires commitment and persistence to go X-country (going solo should not be the target). Are the modern teenagers willing to commit their weekends to sitting about a windy airfield, doing endless "Duty" days on the off chance of getting a flight?? Some will...most won't.

How do we change our approach at traditional gliding club to meet this challange? Because surely we want young enthusiastic people in the sport...not old grumpy buggers.
Youth glide is a great start...but I fear not a long term solution...
Getting them out on the field, not sitting doing timesheets would also be benefical.
Teaching them to fly in sexy new gliders not beat-up old K7's, Blaniks, Twin Astirs etc
Doing the techy stuff...facebook, web pages or whatever is the current fashion...

Any other ideas???

Good golly Miss Molly but these posts are getting wordy and boring...I should be out doing fun stuff...oh that's right I have been...last Friday was one of the best days I've had at Whakapapa this year...out skied both kids (but this could be the last year I can do that)...and met 12 cousins on the field for lunch...excellent.

Looking skyward...the westerlies are here...at least for the next 10 days. There should be a wave day in there somewhere. I saw a "Spot" track for a Ventus 2cx in the Kaimai wave yesterday...I'm guessing the ridge was working quite well...

Finally....

Some-one has taken to the club website with a new broom.
The old photo of GNM beating up the crowd at the airshow 3 years ago has gone...excellent.
The club minutes are loaded...for reference.
A couple of new photos...always good for interest.
Some one has written an outstanding and helpful article on your first trial flight...what a chap he must be...give him a pass from being on the roster forever...
Keep it coming...

These days I believe a club website is the front window to whole shooting match.
The public "google" it to find out where the nearest club is and how to get there, what aircraft we have, the procedures, the costs and who the people are.
Just try going to the website of a club you know and see how it grabs you...I went to Darling Downs Gliding Club (sorry guys..I needed an example) a number of years back. For a long time the club site was dated, unchanging and the news was so old you wondered if gliding only happened once a year...did that inspire me to go back??? You bet it didn't... Then some-one has updated things...much better.  Does that inspire me now??? Well not really cos I'd rather go somewhere new...but you get the picture.
 Or go to the GlideOmarama site...similar story. No changes for 4 months...

Piako has some-one writing a "blog-type" entry each weekend about the flying, club issues and individual peoples achievements. I don't know hardly any of the people mentioned but its fresh and interesting.
Sure...we are all volunteers and a good website requires an enthusiast but the old days of newspaper adverts, signage, and hoping trial flighters will convert to members are over.

Go and troll through any number of others sport clubs websites (I know you won't) and ask yourself...what grabs you? What can we learn from this???

So well done whoever you are in Tauranga...

Oh and tomorrow might see the return of that weather phenomenon called wave...probably better in the morning...
The weekend looks like crap so I'll go over to Piako for the early season briefing...I have 2 spare seats in the big blue bus.

I'm back...

Been skiing and traveling with work over the last week or two.

However amongst it all I attended a seminar in Wellington run by SportNZ (the old SPARC) on behalf of GNZ/Clubs (which is why I'm not always instructing). Such a beautiful Wellington day to be stuck either inside or on a plane.

A couple of really interesting bits;
Did you know that the NZ Rugby Union's Facebook page has 1.7million followers? I didn't...mainly because I didn't really care...however they can potentially sell this database to the next WorldCup (where ever that is). And Facebook sites have traded for upto $20 per follower...you do the math.
More importanly its a way of generating interest (and for them ticket sales) and keeping fans up to date.
We here in gliding haven't used this method much (we're all too old and stubborn...new fangled interweb stuff...it won't last...etc)...but maybe it's worth a look. And for those worry worts...there is a protocol for dealing with the unwanted stuff...The United States Air Force Negative Attack Tactical Response Plan...I kid you not...they really do go after you with a Predator Drone. But seriously there is such a plan...

Go have a look at Equestrian Sport NZ (the horsey people) as another example...

VolunteeringNZ...another group that could help our clubs deal with Duty Pilot stuff. I intend to go visit the local branch and have a wee chat about what options are available. Apparently there are 1.3 million volunteers in NZ...which means the other 3 million watch TV I guess...
The interesting thing about volunteering is some people do the visible and obvious stuff (instructing, club committee and so forth) and others work behind the scenes...but it isn't a contest its a group effort.

The other interesting observation about the group of National Sports Organisations represented in Wellington last Wednesday is most of them are full or part time employees of their respective sports. Sports like boxing, Pony clubs, table tennis, Water Polo, Synchronised splashing, Australian Football ( that weird sport played in very short shorts by even stranger South Australians), Archery, and even Gliding.

Change of subject...I'm about to recieve a new PNA. I've discovered a source that's way cheaper than the advertised options, with a better screen and the chap will load either SeeYou or LK8000. Excellent...my IPAQ is getting a bit tired, although the screen is still better than the Oudie's. I'm yet to be impressed with the Oudie option...

So with all this new stuff, and a share in a Duo to be finalised, I'd better start looking skyward...
And the very last gadget I just tripped over is a HD camera that links live to your phone so you can operate, record and store the video's on your smart phone. Stick the camera on the tail, or wind, or where ever and start/stop and see whats recording on your phone. All this for $300...