Understandable given he has 17-20 ATC kids to fly tomorrow..
This front should move off the country overnight.
SW winds tomorrow.
Reasonably unstable air.
If you get started at 9am it should be a bit easier than later in the day when the wind and thermals should get up a bit.
The twist will be how much high cloud floats about.
The NOAA sqiggly lines graph shows quite a bit...therefore the RASP will over call the day.
The thermals will be a bit broken but if the high cloud breaks then expect 5-6 knots in good places.
15 knots on the ground at times but straight down 04/22.
Good for managing larger groups.
Good luck young grasshopper....
Saturday, November 30, 2013
How to utilise your Saturday to the max....
Doing my duty instructor day.
Turned up first.
No trial flights or instruction booked.
Waited.
2 members turned up so we rigged all the gliders that no-one else had had the time to do. Thanks Scott, Olly and John.
Taped and DI 'd said gliders...
Washed said gliders...
Waited.
Went and brought a spade handle...brought a hot sausage...
Waited.
Read some work papers...
Waited.
It's now 1 pm and I'd rather be swimming...
And the day looks like this....
Turned up first.
No trial flights or instruction booked.
Waited.
2 members turned up so we rigged all the gliders that no-one else had had the time to do. Thanks Scott, Olly and John.
Taped and DI 'd said gliders...
Washed said gliders...
Waited.
Went and brought a spade handle...brought a hot sausage...
Waited.
Read some work papers...
Waited.
It's now 1 pm and I'd rather be swimming...
And the day looks like this....
and we had this weapon at hand...
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Nth Is Regionals
They are underway...how do we know this???
Because the results are being posted on Soaring Spot.
http://www.soaringspot.com/nznr2013/
You don't have to navigate through the NZ Gliding main page to find out...and you don't have to wait until some-one else prompts you to go looking...word of mouth really.
I've said it before...and I'll say it again...to my comrades in Omarama...you really really really should move into the 21st century and post your results on the universally accepted central website for contests - here, there and everywhere (except the US of A - where perhaps the Homeland Act requires their results to be posted with the NSA...who would know).
So WHY should the mountain men use Soaring Spot???
Because then other people might find out what's happening down there.
I know you think it's paradise and I know many believe it's the centre of the universe BUT the rest of us do take an interest in what's happening down there...
So to the local contest. 23 entries...not bad.
No South Island contestants however I think 3 or 4 flatlanders travelled down to the Sth Is Regionals.
I see a contestant called Melissa Jenkins won Day 1 in the 15 meter class. I think that's the first time a female pilot has a won a day for some time. Outstanding.
We do have a contest pilot called Tracy Austin...but she's a bloke...who flies one of the best gliders ever built...GNM.
Looking outside I suspect today will be a no fly day.
Because the results are being posted on Soaring Spot.
http://www.soaringspot.com/nznr2013/
You don't have to navigate through the NZ Gliding main page to find out...and you don't have to wait until some-one else prompts you to go looking...word of mouth really.
I've said it before...and I'll say it again...to my comrades in Omarama...you really really really should move into the 21st century and post your results on the universally accepted central website for contests - here, there and everywhere (except the US of A - where perhaps the Homeland Act requires their results to be posted with the NSA...who would know).
So WHY should the mountain men use Soaring Spot???
Because then other people might find out what's happening down there.
I know you think it's paradise and I know many believe it's the centre of the universe BUT the rest of us do take an interest in what's happening down there...
So to the local contest. 23 entries...not bad.
No South Island contestants however I think 3 or 4 flatlanders travelled down to the Sth Is Regionals.
I see a contestant called Melissa Jenkins won Day 1 in the 15 meter class. I think that's the first time a female pilot has a won a day for some time. Outstanding.
We do have a contest pilot called Tracy Austin...but she's a bloke...who flies one of the best gliders ever built...GNM.
Looking outside I suspect today will be a no fly day.
Monday, November 18, 2013
South Island Regionals
Yes they have started...
You wouldn't know it if used SoaringSpot as means of following gliding contests (as 99.999% of glider pilots do...except those in the Mainland). Oh...actually the Americians don't in many cases either but that's hardly a compelling reason given they still measure distance in inches or pounds or some quaint unit...
I seem to remember that buried in the excellent report that Ralph Henderson wrote after the Nationals held in Omarama last summer...was the comment that the results need to be posted to SoaringSpot.
However if you want to experience the good old days...lets do the timewarp again -
And if some-one could suggest how I turn the "text" tracklogs into a "igc" file so I again re-play them in SeeYou it would be much appreciated. I just got to know how Trev Terry in a Duo beat Grae in a Ventus 2cxt....
You wouldn't know it if used SoaringSpot as means of following gliding contests (as 99.999% of glider pilots do...except those in the Mainland). Oh...actually the Americians don't in many cases either but that's hardly a compelling reason given they still measure distance in inches or pounds or some quaint unit...
I seem to remember that buried in the excellent report that Ralph Henderson wrote after the Nationals held in Omarama last summer...was the comment that the results need to be posted to SoaringSpot.
However if you want to experience the good old days...lets do the timewarp again -
And if some-one could suggest how I turn the "text" tracklogs into a "igc" file so I again re-play them in SeeYou it would be much appreciated. I just got to know how Trev Terry in a Duo beat Grae in a Ventus 2cxt....
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Friday's convergence
As expected a warm day and little opposing wind saw the sea air push inland.
It stalled at about 4pm 20-25 kms inland.
It stalled at about 4pm 20-25 kms inland.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
The RASP!!!
It proved rather less than accurate last week.
As did metservice.
However a quick look at this mornings RASP indicates a large convergence from the Waikato all the way down pass Mt Ruapehu.
7-9000ft cloud bases and 7 knot climbs.
Very little over-development.
A converging sea breeze from the west coast colliding with the light S to Se winds.
We will see.
As did metservice.
However a quick look at this mornings RASP indicates a large convergence from the Waikato all the way down pass Mt Ruapehu.
7-9000ft cloud bases and 7 knot climbs.
Very little over-development.
A converging sea breeze from the west coast colliding with the light S to Se winds.
We will see.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Two poo...or perhaps the Central Plateau Contest
Thanks to Taupo Gliding Club for yet again hosting another fun week.
Points to note;
The weather didn't quite live upto its normal standard.
My older Duo, which is a re-build from various bits and bobs, is clearly much faster than the clubs flash new Duo XLT...and a JS1 as well...
Weather forecasting is a Black Art. I under called one day and over called two others.
On the plus side I had to exit the contest for 2 days as work got in the way and had thought I'd miss at least 1 great day of flying...both days were write offs...good for me...not so for others.
Day 1 saw a pilot of huge experience part with his little Discus, having owned it for 27 years (that's longer than I've had to tolerate children), and drive off with an 18 meter Ventus. It's trend we might see more of as the standard/15 class slowly dwindles away. It could take 20 years to dwindle away all the same. Which provides some lucky club the chance of acquiring a mighty Discus B. In my humble opinion the best single seat glider a club can own. Easy fly, rig and maintain. Still competitive in the standard and club class. Lots of room. No vices in the air.
On a day that was too hard to task due to the uncertainty of holding the fleet up around the start area, the organisers allowed free flying and scored the day on the OLC. What a brilliant idea...especially since yours truely managed to win the day!!!
I was beaten on the last day by my old Discus GNM. Fantastic.
All my Co-pilots were great, none were air-sick (quite the achievement for me), and I hope everyone had fun...I did.
Sleeping in a tent was better than I remember it...although the fireworks on the last night was an added extra we could have done without.
I've decided I'm getting older. The climb up Mt Tauhara took 60 minutes...that's 10 minutes slower than 2 years ago...bugger.
Tauranga is now 4th on the inter-club NZ online contest. I'm finished flying for the meantime (due to a calling to investigate Canada's ski-fields), so it's up to the rest of you...mentioning no names. Remember it's distance that matters, not time in the air.
Its way way cheaper flying in Taupo than Omarama. I paid $420 total for the contest...entry fee, tows etc. That's about one days worth down south. Yes I know the flying in the mountains is really really great but the difference in cost is starting to get out of hand...I think.
It's so hot today I commissioned our pool and went for a swim...a short swim...
Points to note;
The weather didn't quite live upto its normal standard.
My older Duo, which is a re-build from various bits and bobs, is clearly much faster than the clubs flash new Duo XLT...and a JS1 as well...
Weather forecasting is a Black Art. I under called one day and over called two others.
On the plus side I had to exit the contest for 2 days as work got in the way and had thought I'd miss at least 1 great day of flying...both days were write offs...good for me...not so for others.
Day 1 saw a pilot of huge experience part with his little Discus, having owned it for 27 years (that's longer than I've had to tolerate children), and drive off with an 18 meter Ventus. It's trend we might see more of as the standard/15 class slowly dwindles away. It could take 20 years to dwindle away all the same. Which provides some lucky club the chance of acquiring a mighty Discus B. In my humble opinion the best single seat glider a club can own. Easy fly, rig and maintain. Still competitive in the standard and club class. Lots of room. No vices in the air.
On a day that was too hard to task due to the uncertainty of holding the fleet up around the start area, the organisers allowed free flying and scored the day on the OLC. What a brilliant idea...especially since yours truely managed to win the day!!!
I was beaten on the last day by my old Discus GNM. Fantastic.
All my Co-pilots were great, none were air-sick (quite the achievement for me), and I hope everyone had fun...I did.
Sleeping in a tent was better than I remember it...although the fireworks on the last night was an added extra we could have done without.
I've decided I'm getting older. The climb up Mt Tauhara took 60 minutes...that's 10 minutes slower than 2 years ago...bugger.
Tauranga is now 4th on the inter-club NZ online contest. I'm finished flying for the meantime (due to a calling to investigate Canada's ski-fields), so it's up to the rest of you...mentioning no names. Remember it's distance that matters, not time in the air.
Its way way cheaper flying in Taupo than Omarama. I paid $420 total for the contest...entry fee, tows etc. That's about one days worth down south. Yes I know the flying in the mountains is really really great but the difference in cost is starting to get out of hand...I think.
It's so hot today I commissioned our pool and went for a swim...a short swim...
Another Duo on task...albeit a much slower one...
See slower...and lower...OK enough showing off...luck played a big part.
A very bad photo of Huka Falls
A nice evening as a thunder storm departs the task area.
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