GNZ Newsletter February 2022
From the president
Welcome to the February 2022 GNZ newsletter.
Wasn't January a great month for achievement.
So many I can't list them all.
Well done to all those pilots and helpers that got out there and made things happen.
Camps, comps, club flying and socialising.
The weather has been great and the best thing of course is we are only in the middle of our soaring season, so much more yet to come.
May your vario's sing you happy songs of summer.
Fly high.
Steve Wallace
GNZ President
Congratulations
TERRY DELORE and ABBEY DELORE
Bluff to Cape Rienga, soared the length of New Zealand
They did it! Leg 2 of the journey complete on Jan 11th. Drury to the Cape and back again. Amazing flight!
Georgia Schofield
What a month! XCP complete. FAI Silver Badge done. First contest entered. Day wins (x2) at the Sports Class Nationals.
DAVE RATTEE
Congrats, first solo! 80 minutes in a vinatge K7
REEGAN TOCK
First solo, age 14 years. Well done Reegan!
KATRINA MERRIFIELD
First solo! Congrats Katrina.
TAYLOR BARRY
First solo! Congrats Taylor.
MARTIN FOREST
Re-solo after 25 years away from the sport
WILLIAM KEEDWELL
XCP complete! Nice work William.
FELIX HARPER
First paddock landing.
HARVEY FRIZZELL
First solo!
Michael Strathern
Tow pilot rating!
Wild Track
Tracking your glider has never been easier
One of the biggest innovations in recent years for safety and for the interest of those on the ground is the ability to live track gliders as they make their way around the countryside.
With the Btraced app no longer being available for iPhone our very own Tim Bromhead has written a new purpose designed tracking app. Available for just $5 so no excuses.
Red light, Green light
Kevin Clarke's view of what the traffic light system means
Our month in photos
Moody sky at Matamata
Not your average turn point
Not your average gliding club site.
Summer evenings are the best
Where would be without our helpers
Contest Director Karen Morgan in action
Action men, Keith and Dave running ropes
Up and coming glider pilot Charlie running wings and learning the ropes
Pam and Nolene, radio, retrieves, flight following
The iconic 'Tree of Rememberance' outside the Matamata Club House
Words from Noel Johnson "There was sufficient left over - almost - for Ann and me to purchase a silk tree from the Garden Centre next door to us in Tauranga. This tree was planted one afternoon with a small group of people (including Tony and Julie Timmermans and Rae Insoll, widow of Piako member Raef Insoll) in attendance. It was planted not far from the clubhouse with the intention that, years to come, it might provide a shady place on a summers day - a place to sup a quiet ale at the end of a days flying. It was planted as The Tree of Remberance in memory of those pilots that we had known who fly no more."
The Trev Terry Marine
Multiclass Nationals
Hot off the press
A hugely successful contest with 8 flying days (including the practice day)
38 entries flown in three very competitive classes
And the results are...
Winner of the Open Class - Patrick Driessen
Winner of the Racing Class - Steve Wallace
Winner of the Sports Class - Murray Wardell
The full results can be found here:
https://www.soaringspot.com/en_gb/new-zealand-multiclass-nationals-matamata-2022/
Special thanks to Georgia Schofield for the media coverage, great photos and live streamed grid walk.
2022 Youth Soaring Development Camp
Omarama
Roger "Ramjet" Read Reports
The twenty-two YGNZ members who attended enjoyed ten fantastic soaring days. There was a good mix of wave, ridge, thermal and convergence soaring with some having wave flights up to 20,000 ft and thermals to 10,000 ft. We are sure all have been inspired to continue to advance their soaring skills.
Some quick stats from the camp:
439 flights were flown during the 10 day camp; (229 Winch launches; 210 Aerotow launches)
398 hrs gliding were flown with 74 hrs being flown solo;
There were 8 First Solos and several re-solos after last year;
8 To Solo Cert’s completed; 1 FAI Silver Duration and 1 FAI Silver Height Gain;
Numerous single seat conversions and type ratings; Instructor training and Tow Pilot training.
Jack McLellan first solo!
Fred Grant first solo!
Aminee Heoberigs fist solo!
Youth learn not just how to fly but engineering and repair too. Below a busted Duo bit being repaired with Ados.
We need a new ROO
Regional Operations Officer (Southern)
This is a contracted position in which all your travel and associated expenses are paid.
If you like the idea of getting out and about around the South Island clubs and being part of the Operations Team at an exciting time of change or you would like to nominate somebody who you think would make a good southern ROO then please contact Steve by email at [email protected]
Are your wings on properly?
From the desk of the NAO
Just a note to everyone from your NAO to everyone who is doing a DI on a Grob glider as I have found some that are not being done properly.
A DI is not an annual inspection but should be a really good look at everything that could have gone wrong since its last flight. Hangar/trailer damage, flat tyres, mouse nests, cameras left on the floor and are the wings on tight. And it is the last one I would like to bring to everyone’s attention
Are the wings on properly??
It is part of your daily DI on a Grob to check the wing locking sleeves comply with the drawings below. (It is even the second item on the DI list in the Flight Manual. Have you read it lately?)
From the drawings in the Flight Manual you can see on the older design of sleeve, the gap between the steel dowel item 2 and the sleeve must not be less than 5mm to the end of the slot. On the newer design the locking sleeve which uses a knurled threaded nut the gap between dowel item 3 and the sleeve is a minimum of 1mm. (to be honest any gap at the end is good but no gap is not)
Ive recently seen a few that do not comply at all with these figures yet they had recent annuals signed off and signed off daily DI’s!
It is clearly stated in the Flight Manual under the DI section item 1b to check the wing connection every DI, so if you find this gap is outside of the specs below (check your actual glider Flight manual as this is the Nelson GC Grob 103 Twin II) please contact your friendly engineer as your wings rely on these little sleeves and ball bearings to hold them on. (not much is it!) I would just tweak them manually and check they are tight at every DI as they can rattle loose a little with use especially the older design sleeves. There’s no need to tighten them up with a grip of steel, just firmly like you would putting a jam jar lid back on.
The photograph shows one of the older design sleeves that has reached the end of its travel, and “someone” decided wing tape would be fine! (This glider is currently under repair to fix this)
Keep safe out there and do proper DI’s please!
Mike Strathern - National Airworthiness Officer
Incident Reports
From the desk of the NOO (National Operations Officer)
Brief Review of Incident Reports for January 2021 to January 2022
- tow rope dangling behind a landing towplane startles cyclists about 100 m away
- two spur-winged plovers in a flock strike wing of glider 5 seconds before touchdown
- winch cable blown back over winch due to burst of tailwind after glider released
- undercarriage collapsed on landing - attributed to lever not being correctly locked down
- accidental airspace breach during contest - airspace warnings on GPS had been turned off
- controlled airfield - glider towed to launch point before clearance became effective
- landed on river stopbank after attempts to start sustainer engine proved unsuccessful
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.
OPS 10 link: http://gliding.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/OPS10v7f.pdf
In the case of an accident, asap please phone: 0508 ACCIDENT (0508 222 433)
Thanks for reading
All contributions, pics, videos and opinions welcome
EMAIL: [email protected]