Summer is officially over, nights are now longer than the days and daylight savings is coming to an end tomorrow!
April however is still normally a very good month to go soaring and we have an Easter break coming up with four days off to do just that.
So what do you have planned?
Plenty was achieved in March by plenty of our pilots.
April adventures await!
Steve Wallace
GNZ President
Congratulations
CRAIG BEST
50km cross country flight done and XCP complete. Well done Craig!
KAZIK JASICA
50km cross country flight , 5 hour flight and a 1,000m height gain done! Let's hope the paperwork is correct for a Silver Badge!
SONDRE LANGVIK-OWEN
XCP complete and age just 16. Well done Sondre!
OWEN BIELESKI
First solo in a glider! (he flies bigger, noisier things for a job)
NICK VYLE
Welcome Nick, GNZ's newest member!
GNZ AGM
The dates are new this year.
Gliding New Zealand Conference and AGM
Saturday 25th June - Sunday 26th June, 2022
These dates are slightly later than normal.
Please put them in your diary now!
Air Training Corps
and
GNZ
AC 2-12 updated
Many gliding clubs have relationships with their local Air Training Corps squadrons and regularly conduct cadet air experience flights. GNZ in conjunction with ATCANZ and the New Zealand Cadet Forces have revised AC2-12 to now encompass all forms of ATC gliding and in particular the organisation around cadet air experience days. If your club works with your local ATC squadron please read the updated Advisory Circular by clicking on the picture below.
Pics of the month
Tim goes flying when he is meant to be working. Be like Tim.
Outdoor dining combats the COVID threat.
Rainbow community.
Glider tow ratings for holders of microlight rated pilots. This request has only been with the CAA for four years now...
Reegan Tock finally gets to fly the Arcus. Nice one Reegan.
Bob Gray's DG heads South during the Central Districts comp.
Amazing early autumn photo of Mt Taranaki by Suzy Bevins
Omarama sky by Clive Geddes
The MSC Grand Prix
and
Sports Class Contest
A successful contest flown in six days of amazing weather
To safely manage the numbers, the Grand Prix was divided into two Groups, hence the shared trophy.
Winner Group 1 - The FatSmeg Cowboys (Sam Tullet & John Robertson)
Winner Group 2 - Steve Care (left of photo)
Norm Duke the Contest Director is giving out the trophies.
Lastly some wise words from Gerard Robertson in his contest report:
No record of a competition is complete without acknowledging that there is about one support person per 3 or 4 pilots. This includes the contest director, the admin person, the tow pilots, the launch grid team, the radio person and, bearing in mind that glider pilots fly on their stomachs, the caterer. As is so often the case, Marion Moody worked like a Trojan in the kitchen to feed everyone - including working on her birthday. Iggy Wood, towmaster and handyman extraordinaire, was awarded a special prize for being such a great contributor. Thanks to everyone who helped.
Engineering Courses
Up skill and refresh
From the NAO - Mike Strathern - keep an eye out for these via your club newsletters
On behalf of the GNZ I am planning on running several glider engineering workshops around New Zealand over the winter of 2022 (July/August is the target dates). The key aim of these weekends is to up skill current suitable class 2 engineers and refresh class 3 engineers.
It is not aimed at new engineers.
The plan is for a mix of classroom and workshop and the course will run Saturday and Sunday 9-4pm both days.
Places would be limited to about 10 people maximum (as its just me running the workshop) and strictly by application only. Selection will be made by reviewing the engineers past log of work.
Umbrella Trust
Applications deadline.
Club committees and course organisers are reminded that the Umbrella Trust next meets to consider funding applications during the GNZ AGM, 25 - 26th June, 2022. The deadline for receipt of an application is 31st May, 2022.
The GNZ Umbrella Trust has funds available to help your club purchase a new glider, host a course to train students in competition flying, x-country flying or instructing. Specific funds are also available to assist those pilots selected to represent New Zealand at contests overseas.
The trust does not fund equipment for gliding clubs or trial flight courses for potential new members.
Unsure if what you want to fund will qualify? Before applying you can drop a quick note to the UT secretary Karen Morgan and the trustees will endeavour to give feedback in a timely manner.
The Umbrella Trust would also like to welcome onboard our newest Trustee - David Tillman.
Battery Fires
What would you do?
Pilots are reminded that Lithium-Ion or Lithium-Polymer batteries and power packs do have a history of spontaneously catching fire - remember the Samsung cell phones a few years back.
Last month we talked about the dangers of 'heavy' loose objects in the cockpit, like cell phones, battery packs and portable flight computers. While these objects need to be securely stowed, they also need to be in reach because if they start to smoke you will only have a very short amount of time to get them out of the glider before you are either overcome by fumes or will need to depart the glider yourself!
(note the first incident report below)
Incident Reports
From the desk of the NOO (National Operations Officer)
Brief Review of Incident Reports for January to February 2022
Oudie caught fire after landing and removing from glider - burned 8-10 mins, lots of smoke.
Duplicate inspection after rigging - picket found in the belly of the glider behind main wheel.
Tall pilot in back seat, moderate turbulence on aerotow, head struck canopy and cracked it.
Main wheel retracted on single seater during landing roll - gear had been locked down.
Outlanding in mature crop 2.4m high - no injury but significant damage to glider.
Potential tow upset - glider climbed high behind tug - glider released before rope became tight.
Glider descended vertically and crashed onto ridge shortly after release - suspect stall/spin.
Glider on tow behind car - wingtip caught on fence - significant damage to glider and car.
Pilot failed to visually confirm aerotow rope had released before turning away, rope broke.
Glider on winch launch came close to another glider circling in a thermal 2/3 way up launch
You can access all back copies of the Ops Team Talking newsletter. These have been placed on the Gliding NZ web site under News > Safety Bulletins
A link to the GNZ incident reporting form (OPS 10) can be found in the very top menu bar on the GNZ homepage, just to the right of the 'Classified Adverts'. You can now fill this form out on your phone at the airfield so no excuses.
