I can't believe it is June already. Only another 20 days until the shortest day which means before the month is over the days will start getting longer again. Which means the new summer soaring season is not that far away. Which means it is time to start planning what your going to do this coming season!
The SRC has certainly been busy trying to organise the events calendar for this year and next. It's a big task (no pun intended) but it is very exciting to see what is in the planning.
In the meantime it is lecture series and working-bee season at most clubs. Please make sure you get stuck in and help out with whatever tidy up tasks your club has planned.
Cleaning a trailer is more fun when you do it with friends.
See you up there.
Steve Wallace
GNZ President
Congratulations
MATT KERRIGAN
Experienced in power but now 1st solo in a glider.
GRAE AND DELLY
Not sure if I should be congratulating Grae for finally getting arounf to taking Delly for a glider flight
after 32 years or Delly for finally hoping in a glider with Grae?
ALISTAIR CROSSLING
1st Solo. Congrats! (he's on the left of course - gum-booted instructor is Stewart Barton)
MARTIN MONCRIEFF
1st Solo. Exstatically happy instructor is Mark Wilson.
Poet's Place
For some the artistry of gliding extends beyond the stick and rudder and onto paper and pen too.
Photo's of the month
this one of wave from Levin by Tim Bromhead
Piako winch launch
Going Up
Shadow racing
Fly by wire
From the desk of our NAO
National Airworthiness Officer - Mike Strathern
Dear glider owners and operators.
It’s that time of year for many of you to get you glider annual inspection and service over winter. As you can imagine, it is very important this task is carried out with diligent, capable, qualified and glider minded people following all the GNZ and CAA rules. Your safety and that of others may well depend on their work.
To clarify a few things the ONLY people who can carry out any work on your glider are people who hold a specific GNZ issued glider engineer rating (class 2, 3 or 4). No other people can work on your glider, not even a LAME can unless they are also registered with the GNZ and hold the correct material rating for your glider. A LAME with an IA however can carry out your review of airworthiness and of course an avionics engineer can do avionic work and the biennial checks but if you want some glass or woodwork, refinishing, control adjustments, addition of electrical instruments (yes even to fit a stand alone FLARM there are CAA rules to follow!) it has to be a GNZ engineer and signed off in the glider logbook correctly.
If you are the glider owner there is some work you can do yourself and this is noted in the MOAP appendix 3C (page 115). Outside of this you need to engage one of the engineers on the GNZ website.
You can however work on your glider yourself but the work must be done under the direct supervision of a qualified glider engineer. That means the engineer should be working with you in the same place at the same time, so they can oversee the work being done (especially as they have to sign it off!)
To help ensure you use the correct people all current engineers are noted on the GNZ website here:-
During 2021, we have several engineers who have a rating that expires this June, if these engineers could please renew in good time.
I need a fully completed scanned and emailed TECH 17 and TECH 25 and also please forward the renewal fee to the GNZ with your Name and Engineer as the reference to the by internet banking.
The Gliding NZ membership database has moved to a new platform, and can now be found at https://www.gliding.net.nz/
The old database is no longer operable.
The new database has been developed for our future needs. With its many new features it promises to be a key planning tool for both GNZ and the Clubs. We hope you will appreciate these features and we’re looking forward to working with you through to its full implementation.
To create an account at gliding.net.nz, go to https://www.gliding.net.nz/ , click on Register - ensure that you use the email address that is held on the database.
As it is a six week cycle nothing new from the desk of the NOO this month.
For previous reports 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.
