Training services North Shore Aero Club is more than just a club. We are a leading flight training organization catering for training of private pilots and commercial pilots, and issuing a range of ratings includ- ing; multi engine rating, instrument rating, aerobatic rating, night rating, aircraft type ratings and conversions. We also handle foreign pilot license validations and provide a range of ground courses for licenses and ratings. Want to learn to fly? If you’re considering flight training, North Shore Aero Club in Auckland, is the perfect place to start. Students receive top level training as well as help and encouragement from staff and other members alike. There are many and frequent social occassions and club trips to exciting desti- nations. If you like the idea of flying your partner, family or friends to an exciting destination like Pauanui, Raglan or Great Barrier Island for lunch, then this is the place to start. Book a trial flight now. PPL theory block courses Block courses are available at North Shore for both Aeroplane and Helicopter PPL theory. You can find more information on our website. A career in aviation If you’re considering a career in aviation, you will be following in the footsteps of many very suc- cessful and experienced commercial pilots who have trained at North Shore Aero Club. Our club North Shore Aero Club owns and operates the North Shore Airfield from which our operations are based. North Shore Airfield is in the Hibiscus Coast district, twenty minutes north of the Auckland CBD. We have excellent facilities for training. We run regular club competitions and compete very successfully at regional and national levels. North Shore Aero Club has an excel- lent reputation for training, safety, and competition success. North Shore Aero Club HOURS OF OPERATION The club is open for flying 7 days per week from 8.00am until dark and after dark for night flying on request. Office hours are 8.00am to 5.00pm. We are closed on Christmas day and New Year’s Day only. The bar is open from 5.00pm Thursday through to Sunday.
Transcript
Training services North Shore Aero Club is more than just a club. We are a leading flight training organization catering for training of private pilots and commercial pilots, and issuing a range of ratings includ-ing; multi engine rating, instrument rating, aerobatic rating, night rating, aircraft type ratings and conversions. We also handle foreign pilot license validations and provide a range of ground courses for licenses and ratings.
Want to learn to fly? If you’re considering flight training, North Shore Aero Club in Auckland, is the perfect place to start. Students receive top level training as well as help and encouragement from staff and other members alike. There are many and frequent social occassions and club trips to exciting desti-nations. If you like the idea of flying your partner, family or friends to an exciting destination like Pauanui, Raglan or Great Barrier Island for lunch, then this is the place to start. Book a trial flight now. PPL theory block courses Block courses are available at North Shore for both Aeroplane and Helicopter PPL theory. You can find more information on our website. A career in aviation If you’re considering a career in aviation, you will be following in the footsteps of many very suc-cessful and experienced commercial pilots who have trained at North Shore Aero Club. Our club North Shore Aero Club owns and operates the North Shore Airfield from which our operations are based. North Shore Airfield is in the Hibiscus Coast district, twenty minutes north of the Auckland CBD. We have excellent facilities for training. We run regular club competitions and compete very successfully at regional and national levels. North Shore Aero Club has an excel-lent reputation for training, safety, and competition success.
North Shore Aero Club
HOURS OF OPERATIONThe club is open for flying 7 days per week from 8.00am until dark
and after dark for night flying on request.Office hours are 8.00am to 5.00pm.
We are closed on Christmas day and New Year’s Day only.The bar is open from 5.00pm Thursday through to Sunday.
Summer 2014PROP TALK
“PROPTALK” magazine Is published monthly by NSAC. Circulation appr. 530.Advertising rates:Quarter page $20.00 +GST/ issue, Half page: $35.00 +GST/ issue, Full Page: $65.00 + GST/ issue
EDITOR: Michel Bach DESIGN: Bruce Lynch, COVER DESIGN: Rudolf StruyckCOVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Steve Bicknell - GOPIX , www.gopix.co.nz
Neither the editor or the North Shore Aeroclub are responsible for opinions expressed by contributors to “Proptalk” magazine.
Welcome to the bumper “Summer Edition” of Proptalk. Yes I know its a bit late but as you can see we have been very busy of late. Just take a look at the achievements page if you have any doubt!
The weather of late has been excellent so there’s been heaps of flying with many people enjoying everything that summer has to offer.
In this issue you’ll see reports on another of our suc-cessful Vintage Days, The Great Northern Air Race, some info on the Young Eagles program and much much more. It’s great when club members make time and ef-fort to provide us with articles for Proptalk. It allows us all to share in the adventures and achievements.
The editors would also like to pass our personal con-dolences to the Marshall family. Paul Marshall was the quintessential club member; a man who embodied many of the best attributes and who selflessly contributed n many ways to the club and its members. He will be missed.
In the next issue (hopefully on time!) we will report
on the NSAC Team’s trip to Tauranga for the National Champs where once again there were some excellent results. We also have another Vintage Day scheduled for the 16th of March and a Gliding Day at NE scheduled for the 5th of April so long as the grass remains usable.
See you around the club
The Editors
From The Editor(s):
Caught at the perfect moment: A great shot from Chris Opperman, and a beautiful formation landing with Craig Vause, Brett Pearce and Michael Bach.
Dary l G i l l e t t you r CF I
CFI Article Summer 2014
Hasn’t seemed much like it, but I reckon summer is in full swing now. Nevertheless we had a great month of January – the flying hours significantly higher than this time last year. The grass runways (except grass 09/27) are open to all – make good use of them as they’ll be closed again for winter all too quickly. Curiously it doesn’t seem that as many pilots use the grass runways when open as they used to. The grass is in quite good nick at the moment, and is (in my opinion) a little easier on aeroplanes – more forgiving upon landing (less impact force on the undercarriage and airframe), less tyre wear (not a huge amount but might save you a couple of bucks), and due to the grass surface being more ‘draggy’ less braking is usually required.
However where there are pro’s there are also con’s – the grass can be a bit rough in places (especially where different surfaces cross i.e. rwy 09/27), reduced braking action (especially when wet), and of course the fact that the surface is not suitable at all times (when soft and wet during winter for example, or possibly even following a period of heavy rain). Many aerodromes don’t have the luxury of both sealed and grass runways, so it’s a great facility to have.Moving on, this month I’ll run over a few different matters which have perhaps been more prominent the past few months, and are, as always, vastly important to consider.NOTAMs
OK, I had a bit of a rant about this in my last article, so I won’t get too bogged down with it this month – just another friendly reminder: Please do read the NOTAMs – especially for North Shore. I know it’s our home airfield and
most generally know what’s going on around the place – but things change and NOTAMs can be issued within a few minutes. Also be sure to read the NOTAMs very carefully. Airways have their policies regarding NOTAM structure which they abide by, but often these can lead to NOTAMs that are a little difficult to understand in some cases.
The Aero Park earthworks to the Northeast of runway 21 and 27 have been underway since before Christmas. There is currently a NOTAM advising of machinery working in that area – the machinery will remain clear of runways and operational areas. The helicopter TLOF EAST is closed temporarily due to the earthworks which leveled the area with the surrounding terrain.
Summer HazardsI have spoken a lot about various summer flying matters in the past, so I’ll just mention one of the many now. It is – the Wind. Or, lack of it in many cases… Hot summer days often bring light and variable wind conditions – there have been a few days like that of late (although as a write this we’re being battered by quite brisk Easterlies!).
On occasions this summer we’ve seen what I would describe (either rightly or wrongly) as confusion over which runway is in use and what runway should be used. Aircraft have used opposing runways, joined into conflicting circuit patterns, and even lined up with the intention of taking off against circuit traffic. In most cases those pilots have probably not recognised which runway others are using.
So how should you choose which runway to use? Look at the Windsock! The orange colour thingys that are
positioned to the left of each runway threshold will indicate the wind speed and direction… Windsocks are at times influenced by ground features (terrain, trees, hangars etc.) and may not be absolutely accurate with the prominent wind flow, but of course it is generally the wind velocity within the landing area that you want to know.
However when the wind is light and variable the windsocks don’t work very well, and might look ‘limp’. In this situation two options exist – either conform with circuit traffic, or if there isn’t an established circuit chose either the runway which seems most favourable or which best suits your aircrafts performance. For instance, I would encourage pilots at North Shore to use runway 21 in nil wind conditions as the terrain during climb out is lower, and there are better forced landing options to the south.
How do you know which runway is in use? Watch and listen – lookout for aircraft operating within the circuit pattern before takeoff, or before joining – those aircraft will indicate which runway vector they’re using. Aircraft making appropriate radio calls will also give you an indication of the runway in use.
This discussion ultimately comes down to a little thing called ‘Situational Awareness’ – which is of course being aware of what’s going on around you. Primarily we use our vision to attain and maintain good situational awareness by LOOKING OUT, but we also use our ears to LISTEN OUT, as well as our other senses to paint a picture of our surroundings and importantly determine what’s going to happen next.
Next time you go flying, before you head out to the aircraft spend 10 minutes watching what’s going on from the club house balcony – I guarantee that your situational awareness will be greatly improved as a consequence. But remember things can change in the blink
of an eye, so be ready and willing to modify or amend your plan at any time if necessary.
Where is Join?In this modern age when one wants to know something what does one do? GOOGLE it! So, being a relatively young lad and after hearing many many pilots state on the aerodrome frequency “tracking to JOIN”, I fired up the computer and ‘googled’ it – “where is Join” (this is of course after I scoured the VNC and AIP for the position ‘Join’, to no avail).
Much to my surprise and quite a few ‘googles’ later, it became apparent that there is no such place as ‘Join’. I would have bet money on there being a town somewhere probably in the States named Join (especially considering the US is full of towns with weird and wonderful names like “Bagdad”, and “Boring”). Not fully convinced, I enlisted the IT expertise of Junior Club Captain Christoph as I’m told he can just about find anything on the interweb. But he had no luck either – the closest he came is a company in Nevada called ‘Join’!
So, here’s an example of the problem radio work: “North Shore Traffic, TZG, 6NM Northwest, 1700 feet, Tracking to Join”. What!? Where is “Join”!? We’ve proven that no place called Join exists! So what does that radio call mean? Well in my mind it means that the aircraft is tracking to or towards a position that is known as ‘Join’(supposedly a position clearly marked on the Visual Navigation Chart). In reality though (and through questioning of some pilots who I have heard make a radio call of like) I understand that some consider it to mean they’re tracking to the aerodrome to join the circuit pattern; I’m not sure how that meaning was attained from the statement “tracking to Join”, but I do know that it’s not proper England! It does not make sense.
So not to focus on the incorrect
radio call, what should be said? “North Shore Traffic, TZG, 6NM Northwest, 1700 feet, Joining” (or “Joining Overhead”, or “Joining Downwind Runway 03”, etc.). Furthermore any place used to describe your position while flying should be printed on the Visual Navigation Chart – it’s no good saying you are “2NM West of the house with the pink roof on the corner of the road”, because how would anyone else know where that is! Nor is it correct to call your position relative to a town/place which is NOT printed on the chart either. Unless a position or place is clearly detailed on the chart a pilot unfamiliar with a particular area will not know where you are!
Clear, concise, to the point, and in-accordance with the Radiotelephony Manual is what all radio work should be. If it’s not, then the purpose of flight-radio usage to enhance safety will not necessarily do so.
Following DistanceIf someone drives into your car from behind its typically accepted that it’s their fault – they should not have been following so close that there was not enough distance to stop in the event you brake suddenly.
Of course aeroplanes cannot ‘stop’ in midair, but unlike cars each different aircraft type does not necessarily fly at the same speed. Usually we fly at the speeds recommended by the Aircrafts Flight Manual or Pilots Operating Handbook for particular phases of flight.
So the gap between aircraft operating within the circuit pattern may increase or reduce due to aircraft speed differential.I will write a separate article about this subject as it is one that deserves far more explanation. But for now please do remember that when you are operating in the circuit pattern (or joining into the circuit), the following Right of Way rules apply (refer to Civil Aviation Rule Part 91):• Aircraft taking off and landing have ROW (Right of Way) over aircraft
taxiing • Aircraft on approach to land and landing have ROW• Aircraft ahead in the circuit pattern have ROW• Aircraft established in the circuit pattern have ROW over aircraft joining• An aircraft converging from your right has ROW
All pilots must respect these rules, and just like when following the car ahead while driving, maintain appropriate separation. If you are faster than the aircraft ahead – space out!
Great Northern Air Race
What a great weekend. The weather got in the way a bit but a fine weekend nonetheless with a great bunch of people. Thanks to all our sponsors – without you the GNAR is not possible. My special thanks to Tim, Michael and Kirsty, and their team of volunteers who worked tirelessly to organise the event (and I for one can confirm that a huge amount of effort is required). The Air Race dinner is imminent - stay tuned for details.
Flying NZ National Championships
A large team of pilots representing NSAC flew down to the Flying NZ National Competitions in Tauranga from the 20th to the 22nd of this month. My sincere congratulations to you all – it’s a mighty achievement in itself just get to the national championships. Well done team!Daryl
Joe Smi th c l ub p res iden t
The Christmas/New Year RambleI trust you all received what you were expecting from the Man in Red and not necessarily what you deserved.
The New Year is predicted to be a very good year for the NZ economy according to those that know or lead us to believe they know. If they are correct then it bodes well for the club. The finances of the club are in a healthy position and we are ready to take on an influx of new members.
During these dark days of the past few years the staff and committee have not been idle, we have been planning carefully for the time when the economy improves. This has been done by prudent cash flow controls and implementing procedures to ensure the management of the club was improved. These measures are now mostly in place but there are still improvements to be made.
There is no Cricket bulletin this month.
What shall we hope for in the New Year? A more coherent club with old scores settled so we can be one membership that is my wish. Perhaps some of you would care to share your wish with me.
Before I took up flying my love was sailing. The need for accurate weather forecasting is essential for both activities.
Before leaving the USA en route for Hawaii in N146WA I contacted a weather guru we relied on when sailing and he gave us a weather forecast that predicted if we left on Wednesday, which we did, we would have tail winds at 8000ft all the way. Guess what – we did.
This dedicated weather forecaster gave most of his days to studying weather. Every afternoon he would broadcast on HF radio to at least 60 vessels giving each of them a bespoke forecast. These vessels included commercial shipping as well as an armada of sailing craft. He did this without recompense for the entire 25 years he broadcast. Some recipients owed their lives as he was able to divert ships to the exact position of those in distress by knowing the heading drift and currents as well as the complex currents of the American eastern seaboard.
President’s Ramblings
There has been considerable debate amongst the committee and some members concerning the runway lighting in that lights are not all working at various times. With the kind assistance of David Simpson, Hangar 4, we have now developed our own system of LED lights that should at least make the system more reliable. Manufacture at the Simpson workhouse is now progressing and we hope to have the lights ready to install late February. There will be a need for a small army of volunteers to help dig trenches etc. etc. to assist in the installation.
The contentious issue of aircraft is an old chestnut that has been discussed before. There is a need for insurance to protect other member’s property. There have been emails sent out to members with aircraft based on the field requesting copies of the insurance for each aircraft they have on the field. The response has been encouraging but there are still some members that are not responding to the request. There is no requirement for disclosure of the
value of the aircraft or the premium payable just a copy of the Third Party Liability. Members who currently elect to self-insure should advise the [email protected] so we can investigate ways of accommodating. There is of course a requirement in most of the leases that there is insurance cover.
Now refreshed after an arduous week-end on the Great Northern Air Race. Those of you that have not participated for a few years may like to put the date of next year’s event in your diaries. There is a lot of laughter along with a few hours of serious flying but most importantly good camaraderie.
That’s the Ramble for this monthJoe
Grant Benns receives the Brian Langley Aerobatics trophy from
Mother Goose.
Old Bill’s “Safety First” ArticleSafety Tips based on the Fact That: There really are No New Accidents
Old Bill’s Safety Article – January 2014
Pre-Flight Inspections and Pre-departure Walk-roundsWell, well, well – what a great start to the year. Nice weather, rain at night and so far, gentle winds. So what could possibly go wrong from here on in you ask ?Well, plenty actually ! And this month I wanted to give you the benefit of my experience with regard to things that can go wrong, and will continue to go wrong, due to something called “Complacency” and “Mind-set”.Previously, in June 2012, I listed 15 of my Top Tips for Safe Flying. Two of them were to do with carrying out thorough Pre-Flight Inspections and also a final Pre-departure Walk Round. Here’s what I wrote: • Always carry out a thorough Pre-flight Inspection – in good lighting conditions. Don’t get interrupted by fellow students, mobile phone calls or passengers. If you do get interrupted – Start Again.• Once passengers are boarded – carry out a Pre-departure Walk-round. Check for Tow Bars, Wheel Chocks, Ladders, Open Access Panels and Baggage Lockers, Fuel Caps, Oil Caps, Pitot Covers, Stray Bags left on wings or by the baggage locker etc. It is not another pre-flight inspection – it’s a last look see, that’s all.So why have these issues come up again ? Well, things continue to get omitted and missed prior to start-up and departure and as a consequence, aircraft are being un-necessarily dam-aged and people’s lives put at risk.So, down to this month’s business…..Here’s the issue………………In no particular order – here are some incidents I have witnessed at North Shore over the last 13 years– no names or finger pointing – but here’s my list:• Student and Instructor on pre-solo check-ride – unable to ascertain why the Cessna 152 was unable to move forward even at full power from the apron: Reason – aircraft nose wheel chock still in place.• Aircraft commenced taxying on the grass. Uncontrollable yaw through 90 degrees due to aircraft tie–down and picket still being attached to the ground. Picket pulled out of ground and aircraft actually got airborne with rope and picket still attached.• Cessna taxying past the club to line-up Runway 03. Pilot advised by North Shore Base Radio that the large rudder lock was still in situ.• Large three engine aircraft tail support strut found on main runway after aircraft had taken-off with tail support strut still attached.• Aircraft carried out aborted take-off due to ASI failure. Caused by pitot cover being left on.
• Significant propeller damage caused after aircraft taxied down main taxiway with heavy duty tow-bar still attached.• Significant damage caused to propeller after twin engine aircraft started and taxied forward with re-fuelling ladder still in position, forward of No 2 engine.• Aircraft engine started with tow bar still attached on apron. Prop strike caused tow-bar to be fired across apron against CFI’s office window….And I could go on, and on, and on…………
So my 2014 New Year Message is this:• Always carry out a thorough Pre-flight Inspection – in good lighting conditions. Don’t get interrupted by fellow students, mobile phone calls or passengers. If you do get interrupted – Start Again.• Once passengers are boarded – carry out a Pre-departure Walk-round. Check for Tow Bars, Wheel Chocks, Ladders, Open Access Panels and Baggage Lockers, Fuel Caps, Oil Caps, Pitot Covers, Stray Bags left on wings or by the baggage locker etc. It is not another pre-flight inspection – it’s a last look see, that is all.And here’s another thing folks: if there appears to be something wrong – then there probably is something wrong. So for example – if the aircraft won’t move forward under full power, even though the brakes are off and you’ve got 310hp up front, or if you have a strange nagging feeling that all is not right, or there is a strange noise, or the aircraft is not behaving prop-erly…………..Then shut the aircraft down and go and have a look to see why things are not going as normal.It is not good enough to open the throttle and taxy over the chocks (and yes I have seen that happen), or ignore the noise because you are trying to “Save Face” and not look like a “Prize Whatsit”……………..Be professional, shut down and sort it out….So – here’s my advice again:• Always carry out a thorough pre-flight inspection – in good lighting conditions. Don’t get interrupted by fellow students, mobile phone calls or passengers. If you do get interrupted – Start Again.• Once passengers are boarded – carry out a Pre-departure Walk-round. Check for Tow Bars, Wheel Chocks, Ladders, Open Access Panels and Baggage Lockers, Fuel Caps, Oil Caps, Pitot Covers, Stray Bags left on wings or by the baggage locker etc. It is not another pre-flight inspection – it’s a last look see, that is all.End PieceAnd finally on the subject of Tow Bars……….. Use them of course, but never leave them at-tached to the aircraft when it is parked, even if it’s in the hangar.The only time you should let go of the Tow Bar is when you hang it back on the wall………So, that’s it for this month. Fly safely and look after yourselves – and keep the feed-back flooding in. And remember “Old Bill” is always watching, listening and looking out for you …………..
Each year the North Shore Aero Club proudly hosts the Great Northern Air Race, in which aircraft enter either the “racing” class or the “cruising” class and compete to earn points. Flying is only half the challenge however, with a variety of other challenges thrown in such as taking photos of specific land marks and answering sometimes challenging questions.
I had previously been on the trip before in a support aircraft in which I was for-tunate enough to learn all the behind the scenes stuff that makes such an incredible event like the GNAR possible.
First and foremost a huge thanks has to go out to the organizers, which include (but not limited to) Tim Marshall, Michael Bach, Kirsty Coleman, Craig Vause and Daryl Gillet. Without these dedicated individuals such an event would not be possible.
As the GNAR was approaching I once again considered going as a support person. However, once I discovered that someone who is just as much Trouble as myself (Gus) was also looking for a partner to compete with I jumped at the opportunity to demonstrate our aviation prowess.
Day 1 – North Shore – Whakatane – Hastings: With a very uncertain weather forecast loom-ing in the build up to the race, thanks to the tail end of a cyclone, we were very fortunate that Auckland put on an absolute stunner of a day. All aircraft and pilots were out at the aero club first thing in the morning for a briefing and to prepare their aircraft. As usual I was running late due breakfast and also loaded the plane up to its MAUW due to my inability to pack light. Thankfully Gus had fuelled and prepared the
aircraft for the epic journey ahead.
With a grin and some newly donned facial hair we made the final preparations for the race, which was to dress in our costumes. With what we thought was an original idea we paraded around the apron dressed as Mario and Luigi, only to find an aircraft pull in with identical costumes. To top it off they also threw a banana at us while they were taxing. But fear not, we had the final laugh.
With egos still intact after our costume idea was ripped off, the competitors sat through a comprehensive briefing covering the rules of the race and the route for the first leg. The competitors were also introduced to the famous pirates of the race, who would later become known for being the last on the bus and inde-cent exposure to hotel staff.
Having completed the briefing, all pilots started engines and lined up in an orderly fashion. For the first roll out of North Shore, aircraft were placed fastest to slowest. Our aircraft an R2160 was towards the back end of the line.
We departed 03 and had a beautiful climb out tracking towards Whakatane passing over the spectacular islands in the Hauraki Golf. It didn’t take us long to realize the first error when we went racing past the aircraft in front of us which was supposedly quicker.
There were several challenges enroute includ-ing determining a prominent feature next to a golf course. Golf courses have never been a strong point of mine and have landed me in hot water in the past (see South Island Trip 2012). As I aviated as PIC I left it to trusty Luigi to determine using his best judgment what the feature was. Once we had submitted the score sheet we discovered that we still had got it wrong.
Great Northern Air Race
The most difficult part of this leg was attempt-ing to take a photo of some railway tracks leading into a mountain. Due to the wind on the day it was very turbulent so there is little confidence that the photo will turn out to an acceptable standard.
We landed at Whakatane to be treated to a BBQ lunch supplied by the locals. Other interest-ing features included a simulator in which Luigi attempted to do some valley flying in an F-16. Another Whakatane special was their bird clearing device, which was a Honda Civic racing up and down the runway tooting the horn to clear the way for the incoming Air New Zealand Flight.
It was now Gus’s turn to fly as I attempted to navigate. This time we took off slowest to fastest, which placed us at the front of the line behind KAT and TWR. We quickly determined that our aircrafts DI was not accurate, most likely as a result of extensive aerobatics. Hav-ing been made aware of this problem, we still made several navigational errors. Most notably was when we completely flew past a town we were suppose to photograph, only realizing when we were several miles past it. We were also fortunate enough to visit the city of Napier and check out the hotel, which was definitely not on the route.
Having realized that we were well off course and scrambling for time we did some quick calculations to determine what we would have to do to make up lost time. We landed at Hast-ings, which was putting on a decent crosswind for us, to be informed by our opposition (Mario and Luigi #2) that we must have buggered up our numbers, as we should not have landed so close to them.
Feeling hurt and confused and almost certain that we were at the bottom of the table we fled into town to the Art Capital in which the group visited various eating establishments. With many, but not all as we would discover the next day having an early night.
Day 2 – Hasting - Taupo:
With a less than ideal forecast the decision was made that we would go direct to Taupo from Hastings. Points would still be earned however as everyone was going to be marked on how accurately they could plan their EET. Having been briefed by the local pilots and a close examination of the weather reports, each pilot chose the route they felt most comfortable fly-ing. We dispatched a scout aircraft, which gave an accurate indication of what the weather was in fact doing ahead.
Having initially plotted the most direct route to Taupo, as we got closer into the hills both Gus and I were not happy with what we saw ahead. We collectively made the decision to track via the Naiper and Taupo road, which indicated the lowest point of the hills all the way to Taupo. Many aircraft opted to do the same.
There was a good atmosphere of good aviating decisions occurring. We had an aircraft on the ground in Taupo reporting current conditions and an aircraft flying IFR providing helpful ad-vice. At no time did it seem like there was pres-sure to continue on, with one aircraft making the (wise) decision to turn around and spend another night in Hastings, who fortunately had family there.
On the ground at Taupo we quickly tied down and caught a bus into town to be put up in a more than accommodating hotel. Having been informed yet again by our opponents that we must have got our numbers wrong, Gus and I gave up and put it down to a “good experi-ence”. As we arrived in Taupo far earlier than expected the group decided to opt for other activities. While some opted for the bar a group of us headed to the Taupo hot pools in which a great afternoon was spent relaxing in the min-eral water and going down the hydro slide.
The hotel put those of us that were eating in a separate room and we were treated to a delicious meal. The highlight of the evening
however was when the current scores were read out. Having thought we were coming last we were delighted to discover that we were in fact at the top of the leader board having obtained a 1st, 4th and a 1st. Note the 4th was obtained when we accidentally flew to Napier.
This resulted in an outburst of cheer and joy from Gus and myself and was the best possible end to the day.
Day 3 – Taupo - North Shore:
Out at the aero club at a gentlemen’s hour, we were reunited with the mighty Tomahawk who rejoined us for the final day. Having completed yet another comprehensive briefing and plan-ning session we set of home on the final leg which took us passed Raglan, up to Parakai and then across to North Shore.
Still buzzing of the fact that we were somehow at the top of the leader board, Gus and I fudged some numbers and set off home. The flight back was largely uneventful and we managed to capture most, if not all of the photo require-ments.
There was one rogue 152 flying south down the coast with an almost identical opposing track to which the race route was on. Fortunately all pilots were on the correct frequency and appro-
priate messages were relayed to other aircraft.
Approaching North Shore we determined that we were about 40 seconds early. As we weren’t in the circuit yet we slowed right down to burn up time. Flying over the threshold at exactly our planned time we were hopeful of obtaining another 1st. We were mindful however that we were competing against the Tomahawk TWR, who has a well-known knack of winning races such as these.
Once everyone had landed we had a de-brief in the club which included snacks and drinks and the final reading out of the scoreboard. Amaz-ingly we had managed to secure yet another 1st placement with TWR coming in a close second.
Trips like these encompass all the great things about recreational flying and I would strongly encourage club members to get involved in this.
I should note as well that although at this stage Mario and Luigi (#1) are in the lead. The final points are also judged on the quality of photos. Having completely missed at least one photo there is a good chance that we will not obtain 1st place overall. But hey, we had a bloody good time.
- Adam McLeely
Mario & Luigi
AAAAARRRRGH
from Glen Ross:
Dear All
I intend to organise a one day course covering the Basics and Principles of Wilderness Survival (after an accident) and wish to gauge the level of interest from members, in attending such a course.
This course will arm attendees with a great deal of vital knowledge & useful information, some-thing lacking in general aviation training, and has the very real potential to save lives if required.
The course will be classroom based and taught by a survival expert with many years’ experi-ence. I’m hopeful that after this introductory course, with sufficient interest, a more hands on ‘practical outside’ course can be organised.
If you are interested please email your name and contact details to [email protected] or call Lynn in the office on 0800 4 WINGS so I can gather your details. Once I have more details on the course time/date and cost I will be in touch.
Look forward to hearing from you.Glen
Vintage Day 15th December
Our Summer Vintage Day was scheduled on Sunday the 15th of December. The weather played ball for a change and with the grass on 03 open and in good condition we looked forward to a tremendous day.
The team got going at about 10am extracting the aircraft carefully from Stan’s hangar and the Tiger Moth from Bruce Lynch’s. We had the Tiger, the Moth Minor, the Cub and the Auster as well as Stan’s Fox Moth, which Graeme Wood brought up from Ardmore.
By the time we had the aircraft assembled outside the clubhouse, chief organizer Kirsty Cole-man had a line of members waiting patiently for their flights. Chief aircraft wrangler Christoph Berthoud loaded the first passengers aboard and swung the prop for the first of many times in the day.
Pilots Daryl Gillet, Stan Smith, Tony Payne, Bruce Lynch, Graeme Wood and Michael Bach then conducted some 30 odd flights during the day getting 47 different ‘bums on seats’. Many people got some stick time in more than one aircraft. With plenty of happy faces the day was a great success.
Special thanks to Tony Payne for the BBQ sausages and Bread he supplied at no cost to the club and Des Barry for his superb BBQing skills. Also huge thanks to Stan, Gilly and Bruce for the use of their beautiful aircraft.
The next Vintage Day is scheduled for Sunday the 16th of March 2014 so see you there!
cub by stuart russell
chris opperman
“where have all the buttons clocks and knobs gone?”
The GAA: Freedom of speech for all aviators, brought to you by the CAA
Why has the NZ CAA made Kiwi pilots fly less safely?
2014 is the year General Aviation tells them exactly what we think of the CAAdecember 27, 2013 by admin leave a commentWe begin 2014 with the first in a se-ries of online surveys to give users an opportunity to have their say on the issues that currently affect GA, and client relationships with the CAA.
Our survey of CAA users is similar to what many commercial organisations do amongst their own client base to gain feedback so they can improve systems and service – and retain cus-tomer loyalty.
To the best of our knowledge, such a series of opinion surveys has never been done by the CAA.
Our aim is to highlight those areas of greatest concern to you, so GAA can concentrate on those issues in par-ticular.
Because these matters are many and varied, we start with a short survey on just two topics. The questions cover the present system of pilot ac-cess to meteorological information, and the affect the hugely unpopular and contentious “medical application fee” has had on your flying activities.
Whilst anecdotal comments are al-
ways valuable, we must be able to back them up with some statistical data and that’s where a substantial response to our surveys is vital.
To enable the widest possible cover-age, we encourage you to forward the links to our surveys to other pilots and colleagues so that we can get the greatest possible feedback from CAA clients.
Forthcoming survey subjects include audit costs (and the manner in which audits have been carried out) and the level of customer service and co-operation that you have received as a CAA client.
We have kept the number of ques-tions to around 20 per survey so that it doesn’t become tedious and we’ll provide you with the results of a pre-vious survey as we release details of the next one.
Please take part in the Met and Med Survey – it only takes a few minutes. Here’s the link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/met_n_med
Thank you – and we look forward to telling the CAA precisely what you re-ally think of it, in great detail.
Cirrus DisplayOn the Wednesday the 9th of April a Cirrus SR22 will be demonstrated at North Shore. Graham Horne from Cirrus Air-craft will be on hand to answer any questions. Members are welcome to come along and take a look at the finest Cirrus has to offer.
Cirrus Display
Cool Pilot accessories from a 1934 edition of NZ Wings magazine:
From the archives:
Tokoroa Aero Club Annual Fly-in 2014
After an hiatus last year due to a lack of funds , the North Shore Aero Club is currently recruiting 15 – 18 yr old girls and boys for the 2014 Young Eagles intake. The Aero Club is running the Young Eagles programme to give students the opportunity to have flying and aviation related experiences with licensed pilots and flight instructors for only $100.The program runs from Saturday March 29th 2014, through to Saturday 19th July 2014. Most of the activities will be on Saturday mornings between 10.00 am and 2:00pm with the exception of a few activities that are scheduled as mid week evening trips.
The 10 - 12 students chosen to participate in the program will fly in light aircraft and have 4 x half hour, fully sponsored, hands on flights with NSAC flying instructors, as well as going on trips to Whenuapai Air Base, Auckland International Airport tower and Oceanic control centre and going to see the Warbirds based at Ardmore.
David Saunders and Adam McLeely (ex YE) are looking for club members who would like to take a YE for a short flight to further the YE flying experience. We have a meeting on Saturday 17th May @ 1000 hrs where some club members have offered to take the YE’s for a short aerobatic flight and we require a few members to share flights in the vicinity of NE.We have also planned the next meeting to tie in with the Warbirds D-Day display at Ardmore on Sunday 1st June. We have been allowed by Warbirds to go “behind the scenes” during this display.If you are interested in joining the YE for either of these meetings and offering a seat in your aircraft please contact David on 021 1154 696 or Adam on 021 076 1135.
The programme is a great opportunity for students who are interested in aviation, either as a career or for recreation, but have never had the opportunity to experience it, or maybe considered it an impossible dream to feel the exhilaration of controlling an aircraft and finding out just how many opportunities exist for motivated people to excel in the wide field of aviation related careers.
If you know of any budding aviators then please pass this on. Registrations forms can be obtained from the NSAC website. Click on “getting started” , then click Young Eagles.
YOUTH EXPERIENCE FLIGHT NORTH SHORE AERO CLUB 2014 YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAMME.
March Vintage Day is on!
Come and get your hands on a classic aircraft. The Tiger Moth, Fox Moth, Moth Minor, L4A Grasshopper and
Auster will all be available for flights on Sunday the 16th of March from
10am. Come and give it a go!
m i l e s t o n e s
CPL
Daniel Nui
Solo
Robin Laing
A Cat
John Punshon
Solo
Andrew Hazelhurst
Solo
Aaron Knight
Solo
Michelle Behr
PPL
Sophie Heatley
Aerobatics Rating
Kirsty Coleman Adam McLeely
First Solo
John Broadwell
CONGRATULATIONS!
NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following new members to our club:
We look forward to seeing you at the club at one of our social occa-sions!
Paul PrenticeSamuel PenwardenAaron KnightMichael Robinson
Graeme PrendergastBrian BourdotCameron BoneJohn Shi
PPL
Greg Turton
B CAT
Glen Ross
Aerobatics rating
Gus Trouble
Team North Shore @ 2014 Nationals. (Report next issue)
The Club has been succesfull in it's application to "Pub Charity"for a grant in funding the planned upgrading of the runway lighting. Ably supported by "Angel Flight"and "N.E.S.T."the Club has received a grant of $25000.from "PUB CHAR-ITY".
Final design and specifications are well advanced and the Committee is planning to have the new runway lighting operational by early in the new year. The Club appreciates the support of "PUB CHARITY".
Some more Aviation WisdomTrust your captain .... but keep your seat belt securely fastened.
Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment.
Aviation is not so much a profession as it is a disease.
There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing: Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
The only thing worse than a captain who never flew as a copilot is a copilot who once was a captain.
Be nice to your first officer, he may be your captain at your next airline.
It’s easy to make a small fortune in aviation. You start with a large fortune.
A fool and his money are soon flying more airplane than he can handle.
Remember, you’re always a student in an airplane.
Former NSAC resi-dent, R2160 ZK-SPN with a new shirt.Now with Wayne Ormrod and X-Flight at AR
NSAC fleet circa 2007
TZG TZH TZJ TZK TZLand SPN
Paul Marshall
Whenever an Aerobatic Competition was looming on the horizon, like clockwork ZK-WIZ, the yellow Pitts S2S, would be overhead the field practicing the most amazing of aerobatic sequences. Now and then the Club office phone would ring and a nearby resident would vocalise their discon-tent towards “the young whippersnapper performing death-rolls over their house”. Their response was always one of silence when you explained that WIZ was being flown by a 60 year old aero-batic champion readying himself for the NZ Aerobatic National Championships.With great sadness, there will be no more flights by ‘the young whippersnapper’ as Paul passed away on January the 29th, having lost his battle with cancerPaul Marshall had been a member of North Shore Aero Club since he and his family arrived in NZ, having emigrated from England in 1974.Having always wanted to learn to fly, he quickly completed his training and gained a PPL in 1975 and CPL in 1982.During this time he developed a long lasting friendship with Brian Langley, ex NSAC CFI, and through Brian’s encouragement was introduced to and fell in love with Aerobatics.This passion led to the development of a syndicate and the purchase of ZK-ELI a Pitts S2B and hundreds of hours hanging upside down.After a few years Paul was getting ZK-ELI to do nearly all it could, and more performance was required. Then came ZK-WIZ.Paul was able to make a Pitts Special do amazing things and won the NZ Advanced Aerobatic Title on numerous occasions, he was simply know as “Mr Consistency”.Paul became a C Cat Instructor in 1992 and immediately started working part time here at NSAC.He was a popular instructor and particularly enjoyed sharing his aerobatic skill and wisdomPaul was also involved with the club at a committee level, and was a highly respected club presi-dent from 1993 To 1996.Paul’s enthusiasm for all things aviation rubbed off on his sons, with Tim working here at the club as a ‘B’ Cat instructor and Simon working as a B777 Captain or Cathay Pacific.Paul’s commitment to doing things the right way and treating people in the warmest and friendliest manner will be remembered by many members and studentsOur sympathy and heartfelt condolences go to his Family: - Barbara, Tim, Simon, Coralee, Shaun and Brady Blue Skies forever Paul...
Paul’s tribute formation
Flightline Aviation North Shore
External Corrosion RemovalIs your aircraft starting to show signs of corrosion? It may only be cosmetic now, but don’t give corrosion the chance to get out of hand. If left, corrosion could lead to your aircraft requiring a new paint job or even worse requiring new parts. Flightline Aviation North Shore can carry out spot removal of corrosion, treating, priming, and finish coating.
PaintingIs your aircraft starting to look a bit worse for wear? We can carryout touch ups – no job too big or too small, experienced painter on-site.
Scheduled MaintenanceDo you have any outstanding maintenance? If your fixed wing or rotary wing aircraft is not being utilised over the winter period, now would be a good time to get anyoutstanding maintenance completed. Contact us to obtain a price.
Incomplete Projects/RepairsHave you started a project or repair to your aircraft but run out of time or enthusiasm to complete it? We are more than happy to come and have a look, provide advice and provide a Quote/Estimate free-of-charge in order to help you get airborne again.
Avionics/Instrument UpgradesDo you want any of the following installed; cell phone, blue tooth, GPS, 406MHz ELT, flight following equipment.
Cabin Interior RefurbishmentIs it time for a tidy up of your aircraft’scabin interior? We can source either genuine or approved after market interior kits, and arrange recovering of seats in fabric or leather.
Internal Corrosion ProtectionLet us quote you a price to protect your valuable asset from the environment by applying a preventative corrosion inhibitor to the interior surfaces of your aircraft.
Engine and Propeller OverhaulsDon’t forget, Flightline Aviation can also overhaul your piston engines and propellers with very competitive pricing.
Need any of the following?Reweigh, prop balance, 500 hr magneto inspections, modifications, component repair or overhaul, CAA Approved Maintenance Programme, parts.......give us a call or pop in to discuss.
Think that you can’t afford it? Come in and discuss your individual requirements. Deferred payment plan* or finance option* maybe available.
Russell KeastBranch Manager
* Special conditions and criteria apply
One hour “Intro Flight” - $460.00Half an Hour “Intro Flight” - $230.00
Twenty Minute “Intro Flight” - $160.00If you want something a little more serious get off to a
“Flying Start” for $1,420.00 you get: > 3 hours Flying Instruction > Ground Tuition > Briefing Sheets / R22 Checklist > Landing Fees and Airways Charges > and a Pilot Log Book
Ever wanted the opportunity to fly a helicopter?Now you can achieve your dream by taking an introductory flight
We are pleased to offer a range of ‘Introductory Flights’ to get a flying start or give as a present to that special person.
Vouchers are available and valid for six months. Only one option per person. No more than three hours previous helicopter flying experience. Payment in full in ad-vance. Cash or cheque only. Prices include GST.
NORTH SHORE HELICOPTER TRAINING LIMITED
North Shore Airfield, Postman Road, RD4, Albany, Auckland
2 (3) What is the significance of the word ‘alpha’ when appended to the callsign used by a helicopter medical
flight, e.g. “Helimed two-six alpha” ?
a there is a patient on boardb it is the lead aircraft and will be followed by
“bravo’ and perhaps others.c it is an air ambulance performing an emer-
gency taskd the helicopter is flying on a positioning or
training flight
3 (4) What is hypoxia?a a lack of oxygen in the bloodstreamb an excess of nitrous oxide in the blood-
streamc an excess of oxygend a feeling of over confidence
4 (5) On which stroke of a four-stroke piston engine do the spark plugs fire?a exhaust
b powerc compressiond induction
5 (6) What are the meanings of these meteorological code groups?a VCTSGR
b +SHSNc SCT018TCUd BECMG
6 (8) Which of these sources of infor-mation about wind velocity provide wind direction in Degrees Magnetic
North?a METARb TAFc ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Serv-
ice)d ATC (Tower or Approach)
7 (9) What is the purpose of the short stripes painted on aircraft tyre side-walls and adjacent wheel rims?
a they are colour coded to identify the fitter responsible for the last tyre change
b they confirm that the wheels and tyres are of matching sizes
c to warn if the tyres have rotated in relation to the wheels since fitting
d to show wether the tyres are over, or under-inflated
AV I ATO R S E L F T E S TA selection of brain teasers by James Allan, published by ‘Pilot’, Britain’s most widely read GA magazine. With kind permission of the author and Pilot magazine.www.pilotweb.aero
Check your answers here:
1 c 2 c The suffix “Alpha” gives the helicopter the highest
priority by ATC against all othet traffic
3 a 4 c 5 a thunderstorm(TS) with hail (GR) in the vicinity
but not on the aerodrome (VC) b heavy (+) snow (SN) showers (SH) c 3 to 4 oktas (SCT) of towering cumulus (TCU)
with base at 1800ft d becoming
6 c and d All METARS and wind information in a TAF are given in Degrees True North. This may not make much difference for pilots flying in regions with low magnetic variation, but should be borne in mind when flying in New Zealand where magnetic variation is around 20 deg. E. (ed.)
