In da house...

And what a house it is...overlooking the cloud hills and up into the Ohau's.
It's good to back in the Mackenzie...
It only takes 1200 kms, 16 hours in the car, 4 hours on Cook Strait, 12 cups of coffee, $200 of fuel, and 8 CDs to get here.

Spent yesterday in Christchurch. I might have spent 4 years in the Garden City but its now really hard to find your bearings. So many buildings are gone...really sad.

Wave and high cloud in Omarama today. Rain tomorrow by the sounds of the forecast so it'll be a chance to do something else.

However it sounds like rain almost anywhere you go in NZ tomorrow.

The Heika Parata approach to consultation...

There is a nice little parallel between the bumbling performance of the Minister of Education and my local clubs High Command...
Try to ignore the issues and maybe they will go away over the Xmas break...fat chance sweetie's...

The public won't forgive the Minister and she'll be for the chop sometime in the New Year whilst we and all the reporters are at the beach...
And I'm not about to let this change in club direction from promoting activity to counting beans drop.
And I'm not a solitary aggrieved, single issue, grandstanding, loony (well maybe a few of those) but I'm not alone...so thanks to those who have noted these strange goings on...

And while I'm on farcical, out of touch organisations...the National Rifle Association believe arming teachers and putting armed police officers in every American School is the solution to their out of control gun culture...
If they want the constitutional right to bare arms...take your bloody shirt off you total nutters...

I'm still here...just.

So the Mayan's got it wrong...it's the 21st and we 're all still alive. Problem is the Mayan calender doesn't say whether it's the 21st GMT, or NZST, does it allow for daylight savings? And if they were so good with their predictions then why did they cease to exist as a civilisation???

However here in Tauranga my patience is being tested by the local High Command.
In October I communicated to the then club president that I would subscribe to the Club's option of taking a hanger space for 6 months at the listed price - $120.
Now I've been told the deal has changed mid-way through the term. The last 3 months have been cancelled and the price per month has gone up 4 fold.
Clearly they are struggling with the Fair Trading Act, Contract Law and maybe the concept of integrity as well.

Whilst the sum of money isn't material to either the club or myself, this goes to the bigger issue. Should the over-riding thrust of the club be left in the hands of "bean counters" or activity promoters?? Along with the hanger rental increase, the tow charges have been increased, and despite a number of members suggesting the Duo charges are a major dis-incentive to people flying said aircraft no reductions could be expected.
I suspect the "bean counters" main arguments will be;

1) we need more revenue to balance the budget - true but more activity always delivers a better outcome for all...but raising charges will just decrease activity. In fact the best profit outcome for the club is to have no activity at all...but remind me why we are here, and why we are a club??? It's also worth remembering that we generate a surplus of $50-60k each year from the shops...so we are hardly "strapped for cash".
2) we don't like spending on promotion because we can trust to trial flights to bring new members - a strategy that has failed to work for 20 years and won't work post Part 115
3) the charges at other clubs or hangers about the airfield are higher - irrelevant because we aren't competing in that market, its about what works for us.

Alas things are not well...sadly.
The upshot of this new policy regime is I have removed my glider from the hanger therefore the club will get;
a) no more rental income, and there isn't a que of other aircraft waiting for space so little chance of a replacement
b) less tow income as I now have GNM in a trailer and may choose to fly elsewhere...the benefactors are likely to be Piako, Taupo or Omarama.
c) the possibility of no annual subscription either as this total lack of integrity means it would be best if I shifted clubs. I also know a few others contemplating a similar move as well..
d) no newsletter editor...although I suspect one of the "bean counters" is dying to take over this role...

I guess it's not too late...an apology from the High Command might be a start.

Given that the total membership continues to decline, general activity per remaining club member also continues to decline, and there is no plan for promotion and fostering gliding, then can the last person out please turn off the lights...

Is this my last post???

The end of the world is nigh...yeah right.
Although the concept is quite interesting...

Is it worth buying Xmas presents?
Sorry...but why am I bothering to mow the lawns???
If you only 6 days left what would you do?

Go buy a gun and shoot up the local school...when will that country learn that whilst the National Rifle Assn claims that "guns don't kill people...people kill people"...THE GUN HELPS...you have to wonder about the collective IQ of "greatest democracy on earth"...oh well, I guess a country that finds it acceptable to launch drone strikes against schools in Pakistan isn't going to put much effort into stopping disturbed kids getting access to Uzi's.

Unfortunately we won't need to sweat these decisions...or maybe we should...

Top of mind at present is where is my Spot Tracker??
If the world ends I want the big fellow to be able to track my movements...
Actually it seems I've misplaced it...bloody thing, you'd think being bright orange I could find it in my office...I suspect this reflects on the state of my office as much as anything...

Gearing up for Omarama.
Glide is packed...then unpacked cos I forgot to remove the batteries, then repacked, then unpacked cos I decided to put the parachute and stuff in the cockpit etc etc
Airspace and Navpoint files up to data...spare radio, hat and so on.
Getting slightly nervous...I haven't flown in those mountains for 2 years...
But no Spot...bugger.

I watched the club's LS4 launch yesterday into a strong sea breeze convergence. Turns out it was the Bald One...it looks like he made it home...unlike last year.
We launched into a great sky last Xmas Eve...only to have to spend the evening travelling around the Matamata area trying to find wally...sorry Roy.

 

And I should sign off now as this is starting to sound like a Facebook page...

See you on the other side...of Cook Strait that is...

What a great day...

It turned out fairly much as forecast.
Launched at noon. The sea breeze had already started in Tauranga and had moved 10 kms inland. A tow to 3000ft (cloud base) and a dash inland resulted in a 4 knot climb in front of the convergence. Bases inland were 6000ft but slowly got higher and were 8000ft by the time we returned home.
Best climb was 8 knots but most were 3-5 knots.
My colleague got into a spot of bother near Bennydale and we had to wait while he struggled back up.
The plan had been a 300km out and return (as far as I know no-one at Tauranga has done one in thermals...wave is cheating). We didn't quite make the bottom T/P.
However saw a few others out and about...a Ventus from Auckland and a LS6 from Taupo.

Airways vectored a A320 between myself and Roy at Tokoroa. Here I was looking out for a Q300 and this really big piece metal cruised through. I'm guessing the heavy metal guys were worried. However they were at 7000ft...I'm at a loss why they would want to be any lower over Tokoroa...which raises the question why Airways feel the need to control the airspace all the way down to 4500ft. If you were a A320 pilot heading into Rotorua would you really want to be that low over tokoroa flying into rising ground and 40 kms out from Rotorua Airport???

Sunday. Looks as good albeit with less cloud. Plenty of strong climbs however the sea breeze will move quickly.
GNM is in it's trailer ready for the trip to Omarama.

It's a long long way out...But...

Saturday looks like a decent badge task day. A good 300km thernal flight should be possible...and maybe even a 500km...Maurice.

I'll update late tomorrow.

However if it's looking ok I pull GNM out for a practise/badge flight.

Update - Saturday - not looking quite so good...there will be thermals about and once you get into the high country cloud base is expected to be 7-8000ft. However the instability will allow some quite heavy showers form in the afternoon.
Therefore an element of chance will enter the equation...

The space we need...

Not the bit between your ears but the bit between the ground and outer space that we need to operate in.
I got the sense late last week that various members thought we had successfully seen off Airways for ever...think again young grasshoppers...
This from an editorial I wrote in our club magazine in 2008...

Changing subject for a moment and in reference to a previous editorial regarding Airspace, it is regrettable the once again our CFI has had to fend off Airways totally misguided attempts to increase the regulation of a public resource – airspace. The folly of Airways approach is that with limited resources and controllers they seem convinced they need to control more and more of the skies. Logic would suggest controlling less and less airspace would allow better management of those areas left under their control. But logic and bureaucrats don’t make good bedfellows…

 

And later that year I also made these somewhat prophetic comments;

 

Experience the freedom of gliding…yeah right. Not when Airways are involved. The gliding movement has lost its attempt to preserve unfettered airspace up to 6500ft in the Waikato for the enjoyment of the general public rather than be at the behest of commercial IFR training and airline organisations.

The changes may not directly affect local flying in Tauranga but it will impact on those attempting to fly out over the Waikato, and especially those going south beyond Te Poi/Tirau. Whereas all airspace up to 6500ft was uncontrolled in the greater Waikato basin, now that level has been reduced to 4500ft. In a concession the airspace above and North of the Waharoa airfield can be opened to 6500ft on advise (i.e. you call ATC and they have 15 minutes to open it – no exceptions), but the area south is on approval. And we have all experienced what “approval” means…any busy days, any glitches in radar coverage, or any other pseudo excuse will result in problems.

Can we live with this?? We don’t have much choice, but clearly the established practise of meeting with Airways on their terms during airspace reviews doesn’t appear to be very

fruitful. Our leaders in the gliding movement attended lots of meetings, and we should thank them for their time and effort, but maybe a more “political” approach might be required next

time…headlines that read “Government body seeks to remove public freedom” might be a better method. And will there be a next time??? You bet there will be. If one looks at the new airspace map you can predict next airspace theft will be to lower the whole region to 3500ft in line with the airspace around Rotorua and Hamilton airports. This could also impact on areas Alpha and Bravo. What can we do???

Use the new upper areas in the Waikato as much as possible. Go cross-country as often as possible. Always open GAA 255 and GAA 254 when you intend to go west of Area Bravo,

document the reasons (busy, lack of staff, bad hair day etc) that Airways deny access to GAA 255 (the approval airspace south of Tirau).

If we don’t use it we are going to lose it…

We will need to be on guard for the next infringement on our Airspace.

Like...whatever...

The forecast suggested a nice afternoon. Certainly it looked great at 12 noon. Light westerly, clouds that looked like they marked 6 knot climbs, very little high cloud...it should be great...Yeah right.

It was a struggle to get over the hill...which is where I wanted to be.

It took me three attempts.
The first ended at 1800ft out of glide range of home...bugger. Surprisingly, and thankfully, and luckily I bumped into a 5 knot climb but by then I'd drifted all the way back to the city.
So try try again...or so said that Scottish chap - Robert Bruce.
Attempt two ended in the bush about 4 kms short of the ridge with a dash back to the Poripori strip (which I checked was clear of stock)...followed by a very poor climb to stay airborne.
At this point I was about to give up and go home, mow the lawns...however I heard both GOI and GKM launch. So pride, ego and mana was at stake.
Surprisingly attempt 3 was a piece of cake.

Once over the hill it was OK only.
However the trip back was interesting. I left the ridge at 4500ft. 20 kms later overhead the airfield we were at VNE still at 4000ft.

For the first time in living memory the Northern Regionals had a fully flyable week. It might have been ridge based without a truely great thermal day or two...but I can't remember a regional contest that didn't involve sitting about telling stories.

Gliding is happening in Omarama...how do I know this??? If put your glasses on...and stare at the picture below...

North then South

The latest issue of "North and South" has a great article on our local hero, long time club member, swimmer, surf life saver, skier and all round good guy....SupaSid.

Well done old chap...

The article closes with a sentence about being young of mind...not of body.
Reminds me of another club member, and my fellow partner in some crimes...the "bald one".

I need to remind myself when the crap piles up...every day is a new chance...

We won the battle...

Against the infringement of our airspace by Airways NZ.
Well done to the 18 glider pilots who submitted against this nonsense. The "Heat Map" developed by Tim deserves special mention...excellent stuff.

But will we lose the war?
Our freedom to operate in the Waikato area has been retained for the present but I expect Airways to "come again" sometime soon.
These cardi-wearers have little regard for their mission statement "Freedom to Operate" for anyone other than commercial interests.
So they will "re-group" and have another go in a changed format that sets out to achieve the same outcome. Less airspace for us, but more for them to control with less staff...a visitor from Mars would see the obvious...its totally flawed logic.

Today looks too blue to do much. I might trundle down to the local club and drag GNM out for a spin. GYL is out of action for a week or so.

Scott...if you read this blog...I'm being bombarded with bogus e-mail messages from your Facebook account. Take heart...from time to time some-one hacks my Xtra e-mail account and sends messages out of our "Vacation response" option. Bastards...you'd think there would be better things to do...