LX S80/Flarm

Finally got the S80, Flarm and Flarm57 installed in the Duo - GYL.
What a great piece of kit. We must rip the old Cambridge GPS-Nav out...it's current use is to fill in an empty hole in the panel.
The vario is as good as the V7 I had installed in GNM plus with heaps of extras.
It's very very readable in all light conditions...and given my slowly receding reading range (not hair line) it should out last my gliding career.
It had detected the wind speed and direction by 600ft on tow...I was a bit sceptical given we were on-tow however it was right on the mark. That was a surprise.

The S80 holds Turn-points and airspace, plus can be used to task. I could enter a task while flying at 100 knots bumping about in ridge lift.

Couldn't test the Flarm as no one else was flying. It's a power flarm so should detect ADS-B in powered aircraft as well...albeit powered traffic is usually of academic interest.
 It did re-enforce how lonely it was out there yesterday with only a PW6 to beat up.

Bog standard ridge day.

Wave day tomorrow

Enough said

This and that.

It seems I'm migrating off blogs and onto Facebook. Even through I vowed I wouldn't...
However while I'm here;
I see Piako Tim is having fun in Omarama in GXP. Today was practise day for the Sth Is Regionals and it appears only 4 or so gliders took to the air.

This looks suspiciously like a wave flight with T/P's in the Omarama Saddle and Tin Shed

Tauranga's Duo is in Oma as well. The one shot I have received so far would suggest lots of wave days.

Rant Alert. However you would little idea what's happening down there!!! For some reason (or words like stubborn, resentful, obstinate, recalcitrant) Sth Is contest news and results are posted on an obscure website usually only known after the contest has finished. Get with the program.
Despite numerous requests, a Nationals CD contest report that specifically pointed out the need to upload to Soaring Spot, and a directive from the SRC, access to the results is by secret handshake.
Perhaps the post is still delivered by pigeon.

Onto to more positive events. Taupo...which you can view on Soaring Spot...well done Robbie... http://www.soaringspot.com/cpnz2014/
Was fun however the weather intervened somewhat. Snow on the mountains, hail, rain etc.
Team Tauranga did OK. Our greatest success was scrapping away from hillsides, forestry blocks, paddocks, valley's and the like.

Tihoi...I think. 

Looking towards a better sky

See that white dot...the other Duo

Karl Barrie...who flew really well on the last day.

The JS1 flotilla is almost here. Ironically they arrived at the Port of Tga only to be trucked to Auckland, to be later delivered to Drury, and to be followed by being towed back to Tauranga. Go figure. Haven't quite formed a plan for this summer. Cancelled a trip to Omarama as Jan got filled by other stuff. Looks like I will only get one day at the North Island regionals (work...my choice I guess) so I'm planning a couple of days in Taupo between Xmas and New Year. A house full of in-laws is a great motivator.