So what does a convergence look like???

Lower cloud on the right with an Easterly blowing across Taupo from the left. The convergence extended all the way down the side of Lake Taupo and probably on around Mt Ruapehu. Stay on the higher cloud base side and in front of the wisps...

Last day....

A good day at last...well so we thought. Only one person got around and the rest landed out on strips all over the place...

Day 4

Unbelieveable...it was drizzling in the morning, the forecast was for very low cloud bases and poor thermals, so we had a pilots meeting and tied the gliders down.

At 2pm they set a Task...whoops...mad rush to get organised.

AAT task out towards Bennydale, upto Arohena, across to Reperoa and home.

Good climbs, long glides...

An even tougher day

No-one expected a task be set. The sky was grey and the air was cold. The first task had us going down to National Park...whoa there - no way man. Task B was shorter - out past Whakamaru somewhere - down to Tihoi - up to Atiamuri (the turn point of death) and home. So off we went...GKM and I headed off into the gloom...a long glide into the valley of death...or at least grey/cold air with very few land-out options. GNM low at Mokai airstrip was the first radio call. Finally a thermal (1.5 knots - water ballast gone) then a small glide into the sun followed by a good strong thermal where we were joined by 8 other gliders. After that it was easier...good climb off the top of Titiruapanga out to Tihoi, a long long glide to Atiamuri, a good climb which GKM missed and a skinny glide home. Oh well onto tomorow.

A much better day for almost all...

At last a da worth remembering. Tasked out to Wharepapa Sth then down to Kuratau back to Whakamaru Dam and home. 280kms. Average speed 88kph. Fastest standard class glider did it at 107kph...I have a lot to learn.

Sad story of the day...GYR ground looped on a aero-retrieve...small amount of damage to the glider (it's only plastic afterall) but I suspect large amounts of damage to the pilots self-esteem. Don't give it away Paul!!!!

Track and photo attached

The Land-out Kings

Another day of struggling down low and landing out. Yesterday we had 10 or so gliders at Lochinvar and today we had five (including me) at the mid-Goudie's strip and another 10 up the road at upper-Goudie's.

Not great gliding weather, unfortunately, but good land-out practise.

Day One...finally

At last...how ever 8 or 9 gliders landed out on one strip...the farmer must have been most impressed. Interestingly the poor old club class got a harded task than the Standard class...go figure

One Day...please!!!!

Yesterday never got going. The Easterly stayed all afternoon...task was cancelled but a number of pilots decided they had forgotten how to fly and headed out around the area.

Saturday - looking only OK. Cloud bases probably only 5500ft in the high country...lower near the lake. No better out west towards Managkino. I'm guessing a task up to the North over the forestry and back south to Lochinvar and out towards Ataimuri.

First Contest Day

Looks like we will get a start today. Cloud bases of 6000ft around the lake and probably higher inland. Moderate southerly wind which should add some challanges.

Big inversion in place...a bit unusual for post frontal weather but it'll stop any overdevelopment.

Let's go go go...

Typical Contest Weather

There is a gliding contest on...just look at the photos...

Have a wee look at GDX...on the right. I think a glider like this is coming to a club near you. Doesn't it look pretty...plenty of cockpit room, good main wheel and brake, flaps for landing...

Always read the Instruction manual...

This manual clearly said "Don't get your trailer too deep into the water on the launching ramp". I think he succeeded...

Another wet looking day in Taupo. This system looks like it's going to take 3-4 days to clear off. I'm picking Friday as the first possible task day, and there is a another system blewing for next week. Must be a gliding contest on...

Practise Day

Clearly I need some practise...after giving the President of the Fijian Gliding Club crap about landing out in Goudies I decided I should check out the field myself. I was one of the very few who landed out...in fact I won a prize for the first land-out of the contest.

Things could be worse...an ASH25 hit a fence and a ditch landing out...ouch.

Rain...

Good for farming , bad for gliding. It's raining out side...yipee.

Forecast for the week ahead is patchy at best....no idea for the week after that.

Maurice got some land-out practise last weekend and I got some low level, high speed competition practise at the Tauranga Airshow.

Why did you land-out Maurice??? Look at that sky!!! Sure you don't want to enter the club class????

wednesday - 10th

Some suggestion of increasing high cloud...especially to the south. Light westerlies...could set up a convergence??? Thermals off the ridge...cloud base of 4500ft Probably not a great day, but suitable for some pre-nationals practise.

Last week it is water, this week it's cars...

Anti-cyclonic Gloom

That's what this is...grey skies, low cloud/fog in the mornings, hot afternoons. Don't expect cloud bases much above 4500ft inland and lower at the coast. Sea breezes. I haven't decided yet whether it'll be worth driving over the Matamata...

I wish...

Forgotten what a good day in Omarama looks like? I stole this picture from Phil Plane...sort of makes you home sick... No gliding today...Why...because our strip is closed because they are setting up for the airshow. No one else's activities are being disrupted...just us. Over the years this airshow has gone from only disrupting one weekends gliding and offering a share of any profits, to closing us down for 5 days and no compensation is on offer...how did this happen??? Did our committte not think through the issue? It's not about being a good airport "citizen", it's just making sure the Airshow organisation are cogniant of the disruption they are having of us. I bet we were even consulted! Are we being walked over again? More from Maurice...Q from the US of A; Will we be able to see Kangaroos on the street? A patient Maurice from Tourism Oz replies; Depends how much you've been drinking.

Rain Rain

Maurice Weaver and the Philosopher's Stone...

You will recall how Australia's roving tourist guide, Maurice Weaver, has been helping geographically challanged Americian's with their questions...here another one; Q from the USA - Which direction is North in Australia. A helpful Maurice replies - Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions. One wonders how these guys ever found mainland America in the Mayflower all those centuries ago. Although they did leave from Plymouth England and arrived in Plymouth Massachusetts..."alright everybody back on the boat...we're gone round in a big circle..." It's raining...good for farming, bad for gliding. I desperately need some practise time before the Nationals. Here's an idea...Maurice in the club's LS4 ang myself join Paul in his ASW20 in the Club class. Make it a real contest in the club class as Roy only has 4 entries... We would then need to put pressure on the contest director to instruct his task setters to set bigger tasks. I know he doesn't agree but he's being a bit of a "big girls blouse"...come on Roy, just get them to put bigger circles around the Fast classes turnpoints.

Gliding this weekend...forget it.

More of Maurice's trials...you will be aware that Maurice is Australia's unoffical Offical at the Fijian Gliding club, here is some of the questions he has been required to answer by budding tourists to Australia... Q from the USA - Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? Maurice - A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not ... Oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked. Another Question from our Geographically challanged friends who like the Bush family - Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? A considerate Maurice replies - Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is ... Oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Friday...

A small inversion is starting to appear at 6000ft. Should stop the thermals from over-developing into TStorms. Anybody who is keen cloud base should be 5000ft-6500ft inland. Light Easterlies and probably an early sea breeze about the coasts. If it gets to 26 plus degrees around Taupo it'll really "go off" but will then probably degenerate into towering Cu's or TStorms. I'm busy again but some-one should have a go... As Maurice is Australia's unoffical Offical at the Fijian Gliding club here is some of the questions he has been required to answer by budding tourists to Australia. Q from the UK: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? Maurice: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die. More to follow...

For Maurice

Why is it crappy at present???

The squiggly lines graph shows low cloud bases...3000ft max around Tauranga, sea breezes and very high cloud tops. That's why metservice has been forecasting thunderstorms. I'm guessing today will blue around the coast with 8/8's cloud inland.

We need a total change of airmass. Can't see much on the horizon for a few days yet. No good for practising for the Nationals.

Oh and if anybody is interested, I have had NO part in the debate about club trips away. I wasn't planning on going anyhow. But for some reason I seem to be getting all these E-mails...I my humble opinion bulk e-mails to all club members should be banned...I don't maintain a list of e-mails to club members except to those I fly with or need to communicate with one on one.

If you get an E-mail from me you should be honoured (I my opinion...)...

Tried...and failed.

Full colour version (B & W version further down for life members who have forgotten their spec's)...the forecast was right and, at the same time, wrong. Cloud base was 3500ft, that part was right. I had forecast some strong thermals that might generate towering Cu's, got that part wrong. Metservice had suggested sea breezes, they got that wrong. The westerlies stayed strong enough to generate broken wave. Poor day all round really. I did 1 hour and tossed in the towel.

The forecast was right and, at the same time, wrong. Cloud base was 3500ft, that part was right. I had forecast some strong thermals that might generate towering Cu's, got that part wrong. Metservice had suggested sea breezes, they got that wrong. The westerlies stayed strong enough to generate broken wave. Poor day all round really. I did 1 hour and tossed in the towel.

Am I this desperate??

Light westerlies. 10 knots at ground level and maybe 15-20knots at 6500ft. There is some signs of wave about at present. Interestingly Metservice is forecasting sea breezes in the Bay?? I'm not convinced... The squiggly lines graphs for here, Matamta, Taupo and Mangakino aren't that encouraging. Maximum cloud baes late in the afternoon of maybe 5500-6000ft in the southern areas and only 3500-4000 about Tauranga/Matamta. If the thermals get too strong things will explode and we will see heavy showers. There is no signs of any inversions in place so once things get going T/Storms are possible. I think it'll be a late start to the day with some ridge effect, showers about the ranges, and some big gaps. If you hit a good thermal it could be quite strong due to the strong heating on the ground at this time of the year. Let's see...