PROP TALKNORTH SHORE AERO CLUB BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE // FEBRUARY 2020
INSIDE:
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When it goes WrongGreat Northern Air RaceGaining my PPL at North Shore
PROP TALKFEBRUARY 2020
Prop Talk is a bi-monthly magazine published by North Shore Aero Club. Views expressed by contributors are
not necessarily those of NSAC.
Editor: Ian Couper [email protected] by: Jamie Davis
This edition’s contributors:David Saunders - PresidentJohn Punshon - ManagerDaryl Gillett - CFIJamie DavisKirsty VesterNicole HarrisKyra Moss
Photo Credits:Front Cover: Matt Dwen Rear Cover: Jamie DavisGNAR: Jamie DavisBackgrounds: Chris Opperman
Front Cover: NSAC Groundsman Caleb Hanham with his A Grade Midget in North Shore colours.
Rear Cover: Harvard NZ1037 sits in the hangar at Biggin Hill waiting to fly.
In This Edition
North Shore Directory 5President's Publication 6When it Goes Wrong 8Managers Memo 12CFI Report 14In Memorium - Alan Gray 16GNAR 2020 18Great Northern Air Race 2020 21A Need For Speed 24Milestones 26New Members 29Meet The Team 30Gaining my PPL at North Shore 31Nicole Harris - Year on at Air NZ 34
Photo: Steve Matheson
Photo: Jamie Davis
For a club with over 600 members, many of whom own hangars and/or aircraft based on the field it was disappointing to find fewer than 30 members attending the first meeting held to introduce the clubs new Master Plan for the airport.
With Dairy Flat earmarked by Auckland Council as a future urban area the main objective of the plan is to make the airport safer for members and to future proof it against the encroaching urban sprawl of Auckland.
John, Daryl and members of the committee have put a great deal of time and effort into producing the plan and would appreciate receiving feedback from club members attending the meeting.
A further presentation of the Master Plan will be held in the club rooms at 7pm Thursday 27 February and all members interested in the future of the club are urged to attend.
Who Said Girls Can’t Fly?
In this issue of Prop Talk we feature an article by new PPL holder Kyra Moss who tells us of her expereince in gaining her licence at North Shore. Also former NSAC flight instructor Nicole Harris updates us on her progress after one year as a First officer flying the ATR-72 for Air New Zealand.
Ian Couper
From The Editor
North Shore Directory
President: David Saunders 021 115 4696 Vice president: Brent Hempel 021 194 5546 Treasurer: Andrew Crowhurst 021 266 6656Secretary: Ian Couper (09) 478 6351 Club Captain: David Wilkinson 021 468 270 Committee: Roy Crane 021 340 654 Douglas Kruger 022 545 6968 Lloyd Morris 021 493 360 Patrick Sheehan 021 732 107 Rodger Coleclough 021 705 859Patron: Stan Smith 027 477 5475
Manager (A-Cat & Flight Examiner): John Punshon CFI (A-Cat & Flight Examiner): Daryl Gillett
B-Cat Instructors: Paul Ryan Tim Marshall Dawson Boles Chantel Strooh Jamie Davis Rob Graham C-Cat Instructors: Matthew Walls Ming Zhang Brendon Frame Hamish McGill Pierce Hargreaves Stephen Raynes Campbell McIver Josh McKoy Office Manager: Lynn PackerOffice Staff: Claudine Allen Stacey Olsen
Bar Staff: Brian Clay
Groundsman: Caleb Hanham
NS Helicopter Training: Roy Crane
Phone: 09 426 4273 | 300 Postman Road, Dairy Flat RD4 0794
President's PublicationHi Everyone,
I hope that the silly season treated you all well and you are now enjoying the great flying weather that we are experiencing. I must admit a little bit of rain wouldn’t go amiss to keep the grass green and the water tanks topped up, but it is summer. The Great Northern Air Race was held over the Auckland anniversary weekend and included a lunch and afternoon stop at Ohakea Air Force Base. From all accounts it was another fantastic event with 19 aircraft participating. I would like to warmly thank Christoph Berthoud for co-ordinating the organisation of the event with the Borneo Pirates. A big thanks to Steve Jones for liaising with the RNZAF to gain access to Ohakea.
The NSAC has put in a submission with regard to the CAA NPRM 19-04 – Part 61 Private Pilot Licence Medical Review. Despite the short response time over the Xmas/New Year our CFI has put together a comprehensive submission on behalf of all members. I hope that many of you were also able to send in a submission as it is the volume of responses that more often, gets the attention of the rulemakers.
The Club has started the twice monthly Saturday summer BBQs again with the first one held on the 7th February. These are a great way to meet fellow members and get to meet new members to our club. I hope that many of you will make the next BBQ a great end to your flying day.
Many of you will have seen the notice of meetings to present the Airport Master plan. This plan has been mooted and discussed for several years now, but this past year the committee has made a commitment to get it ready for presentation to the members in 2020. I hope to see a lot of you there on Thursday the 27th Feb. The main objective of the plan is to make the airport safer for members and to future proof it against the encroaching urban sprawl of Auckland.
On the 18th February a small group of members will be heading to the Flying NZ Nationals to be held in Tauranga. Amongst them will be 4 Young Eagles who will be receiving their scholarships, valued at $13,000.00 to continue their flight training at NZNE. Club Captain Dave Wilkinson has been selected for the NZ Wings team and will compete in the aerobatics against Australia. The club wishes all the competitors well in their competitions. Happy flying
David Saunders
When it Goes
WrongSometimes things don’t go to plan. That’s just flying. We can have contingencies and backups in place, but at the end of the day if something out of our control is going to happen, it will, and we can’t do much about it. At these times we need to be able to prioritise what is important and forget the rest.
The incident I’m writing about happened in August last year and started out as a simple plan to help Hamish (another one of the instructors here) build some IFR time. What it turned into was a night stuck in New Plymouth, a lengthy drive back, and the aircraft in question (Brent’s TR-182, MAS) being stuck in New Plymouth for 5 months. Thankfully that was the best possible outcome. If the worst would have happened, I probably wouldn’t be writing this article.
The plan was simple. NZNE – NZNP, have dinner and return. Due to the time of year by the time we planned to get to NP it would be past ECT. The weather was ok, but the biggest factor playing on our minds was a reasonably low freezing level. Factoring this in we elected to take the more direct route- over water. This meant that if we encountered icing conditions, we could legally descend to a much lower altitude. However, conversely it took us further away from suitable alternates.
Hamish prepped the plane, got our passengers situated, and had already spoken to Airways to get our clearance
by the time I hopped into the plane. I played the crucial role of front seat passenger. Not having a type rating on the aircraft or being instrument current, meant all I could do was sit there and observe. Hamish got us started, cleared and airborne without a hitch - even Auckland Approach seemed to be playing ball.
As we passed overhead Auckland we could see that our route ahead would be clear and we requested a climb up to 8000’, Auckland happily obliged and up we went. We averaged 170kt groundspeed as we powered our way towards New Plymouth. The girls in the back treated us to our inflight meal of Pringles and Pods (Mars flavour of course) and all seemed to be going well... And then it wasn’t.
There was a sudden change in engine pitch, more than what you’d expect from the normal light turbulence. Hamish and I looked at each other then immediately put our eyes down to the instruments. Almost instantly we had found the cause, the RPM had jumped up to 3000 RPM. Training kicked in. Runaway prop - Retard throttle
until rpm below redline, monitor oil. Manage. I should mention here that the TR182 redline is at 2400RPM.
The managing part is the most important. There’s no point responding correctly initially to an issue and then forget to fly the aircraft and end up in the side of a hill. What we (and most other training organisations) teach is called FDODAR.
Fly- the planeDiagnose – the issueOptions – what can we do?Decide – what to actually doAction – the planReview – the plan
Unfortunately, when you’re in the situation, management checklists aren’t always on your mind. As a result, we did not actually use it in the structured way it was intended. However, the process we did go through mimicked the checklist.
Photo: Jamie Davis - About 5 mins prior to the governor failing
For us, to continue flying the plane safely, we had to reduce the RPM. The only logical thing that made sense for the sudden rise in RPM was a runaway prop. If you’re unaware of why a runaway prop is an issue it comes down to two main things – remaining power available and the lead on effect on oil pressure. The propeller governor uses engine oil to coarsen the propeller blade from the full fine position. If the governor fails, for whatever reason, it is often associated with a major oil leak. We had to assume that this was the case for us as well and that an engine failure would be imminent. At the time, all we could do was stop the engine from redlining and hope. As well as reducing the throttle, we tried the pitch lever, it had absolutely no effect. We were now flying in limp home mode.
At this stage our speed was reducing and to continue at a safe speed we had to lower the nose. Hamish quickly radioed Auckland Approach and let them know the issue. We figured even at reduced power settings there would be a point where we’d be able to maintain level flight, assuming the engine kept running, but where that point was , was still unknown. The uncomfortable realisation came that we may be ditching. This thought triggered a slight turn towards the coast. At this point we had to make a plan and this meant facing the facts. It was night and there were only a handful of usable aerodromes around. A quick look at the nearest list showed Hamilton at 48nm and New Plymouth at 53nm. We also had about 30kt of tailwind in our current direction. To get to Hamilton we’d have to cross higher
terrain and risk a forced landing into a field we couldn’t see if the engine failed completely. If we continued to New Plymouth there was no terrain and a total engine failure would mean ditching in an aircraft into light seas with retractable undercarriage firmly locked up.
Once you look at the options logically it was clear the best option was to continue to New Plymouth. We turned back on track. Control was updated and an appropriate clearance was given. Parts three, four and five were now complete. The hardest part was knowing that the decision we made was permanent. The closer we got to New Plymouth, the further we got from our only other option.
Initial Failure
Decision to continue to New Plymouth
As we continued on with our track things started to improve. We were almost able to maintain altitude a little below 6000’. My job was to continuously check T’s & P’s and although the engine sounded rough, there was no change. Hamish calculated that we’d have about 18nm of glide range if the engine did fail. At this stage, we were still 35nm from New Plymouth. Shortly after we were swapped to New Plymouth tower, conditions were clear and as we got closer to our range we became visual.
Hamish wasted no time in requesting the visual approach. We decided to take a 3kt tailwind on Runway 23, just to reduce the distance we would potentially have to glide. We hit the 18 miles and there was a sigh of relief. Now we only had to land.
Hamish piloted the aircraft perfectly. Too fast and we’d overspeed the engine again, too slow or low and we
may not have enough power to recover. All this in an aircraft that he had limited experience in. Our approach became a glide approach from about 4000’. We touched down on the numbers and taxied off without further incident. As we rolled past to the pumps, the emergency firetruck slowly reversed back into its garage. We were on the ground.
We got lucky. In our personal investigations, we found that two similar incidents that happened in the US were both fatal. Problems out of our control do happen and when they do, we must be able to react appropriately. The official investigation found a small roll pin within the governor unit had failed (before time). This bit of metal essentially welded itself onto the shaft which then locked the prop in the full fine position. Once again we were lucky the shrapnel didn’t fall back into the engine. There was absolutely no way we could have known about it or done anything differently to prevent it. In hindsight the important thing we missed was declaring an emergency. Although Airways was aware we had an issue, we never escalated it above advising them. As pilots, it’s our responsibility to be prepared and respond appropriately to issues we face while flying, part of that is communicating appropriately . These are real dangers that you too may one day face. Make sure you’re up to speed with your emergency procedures and have a tool to help you manage your decsion making process.
Article: Jamie DavisMAS in the workshop in New Plymouth
Managers MemoIn this article, I thought I’d talk about the draft North Shore Airport Master Plan to give you a bit of an update on what it is, how it came to be and what we’re trying to achieve with it.
Firstly, we are holding a few information evenings to introduce the plan to the membership. I strongly urge you to attend one of these evenings if you can because they are essential for understanding the Master Plan. They are providing the background context, reasoning and rationale to the plan and the plan may make marginal sense without this background information.
However, for those of you that absolutely can’t attend, I will provide a little bit of background here. Please bear in mind that the Master Plan is only going to be openly released after the consultation is finished. The only way to see it prior to then is to attend one of the information / consultation evenings. There is a reason for this so please don’t ask for an exemption. So, a bit of background…
Back in 2013, Auckland Council lifted the covers on the Unitary Plan process. The Auckland Unitary Plan (“AUP”) and it’s subsequent offshoots such as the Future Urban Land Supply Strategy, Silverdale West Dairy Flat Structure Plan, North Shore Airport Topic Report, etc have created a situation in which North Shore Airport is ultimately going to end up surrounded by urbanisation. Right from the outset, we embarked on defending our position with Auckland Council and have made countless submissions at every single step of the process as such.
Although we have gone into lots of very specific detail on a range of topics contained within the AUP, our submissions have primarily focused on reinforcing North Shore Airport as a public asset.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognise that Airports are frequently regarded as a ‘Public Nuisance’ by the general public, until they want to fly somewhere of course… So, it has been essential for us to illustrate that our Public Value significantly outweighs our Public Nuisance factor. This illustration has centred around showcasing the existing air transport operations, air ambulance, and other such public benefits.
Furthermore, we need to look at the problems the AUP brings and how to mitigate the issues. The main problems are related to safety and reverse sensitivity (people complaining) but we also have a major issue with the proposed upgrade of Postman Road to arterial status. Upgrading Postman Road to arterial status (4 busy lanes of traffic running past the 03 threshold) has serious implications for the Runway 03 threshold.
So our objectives involve pushing Postman Road as far South West as possible past the end of the runway and pushing the associated development as far away from the prevailing flight paths as possible to mitigate all the concerns.
Of course there is a lot more to it than just that. It is essential that we have as many members attend as possible to foster the understanding of the challenges we face and the rationale behind the Master Plan being what it is. Please come along!
-John Punshon
As many of you likely know already, the Auckland Unitary Plan is going to bring significant change to the Dairy Flat area in coming years. With Dairy Flat earmarked as a future urban area, it has been very important
for us to reinforce North Shore Aerodrome’s position with Auckland Council as a highly valuable community asset.
In order to support our position, a Master Plan for North Shore Airport has been drafted which outlines the potential future direction of North
Shore Airport over the next 30 years or so.
We would like to invite you to come and learn more about the draft Master Plan and provide your feedback. Copies of the plan will be
available at the meetings. However, as a fairly long document, we feel it best to make a presentation first in order to provide the correct context.
CFI RepoRt
As aviation is such a dynamic environment, change is a normal part of what we do. And with the New Year, changes are already happening – starting with our instructor line-up.
Beginning on a duller note, Matt Walls and Jamie Davis are leaving towards the end of the month to pursue new opportunities. Both have been stalwart instructors for a good period of time, and we appreciate their hard work for the club. Instructor Stephen Raynes who joined the team in December for the summer period will also be leaving in March. We wish Matt, Jamie, and Stephen all the very best for the next chapter in their careers.
But, as staff members inevitably leave it opens the door for those just launching their careers, and in late January we had two new instructors start full time at the club. C-Cat instructor Josh McKoy has completed all of his flight training at NSAC, so we’re proud to see him step up into the instructor ranks.
C-Cat instructor Campbell McIver has previous glider instructor experience and completed his instructor rating with the club in December. We’re excited to welcome both Josh and Campbell onto the team, and I hope many of you will enjoy the opportunity to learn to fly with them.
Last but not least, the wandering boomerang has returned. Yes, Tim Marshall is back. He’s taken on a regional manager role with PADI, however you will come across him at the club from time to time as he’ll be engaging in some part time instructing for the club.
Thanks to the fantastic weather recently it has been wildly busy, and that aptly describes the aerodrome circuit pattern at times this summer too! When busy the importance of maintaining vigilance, and conforming with standard procedures increases substantially. It’s also necessary to be patient, and display a good level of
common courtesy. Impatience will lead to conflicts in the circuit environment through a lack of situational awareness, and could easily result in mistakes that have tremendous consequences.
These simple points boil down to one ideal – airmanship. Skybrary defines airmanship as the consistent use of good judgement and well-developed skills to accomplish flight objectives. In my experience consistency is the primary trait of a pilot who displays good airmanship – they are the ones who do the right thing, the right way, every time. Good airmanship is the ideal all pilots aspire to, and is the cornerstone of a safe aviation culture.
You will note in the Greenbook and Fortnightly Safety Update emails that the number of reported occurrences has risen significantly. The real benefit of safety reporting is education – how individuals and the wider pilot community can learn from these events. So seeing the number of occurrences
reported increase means our reporting culture is improving and in turn so is our ability to make meaningful safety related changes, and provide education and advice in the right areas. With that in mind please continue to report all occurrences via AVMIN at the club, or our website.
For all those who participated in the Great Northern Air Race this year I hope you had a fantastic time. Although adverse weather did play a big role in undermining the organisers best intentions, I understand by all accounts it was nevertheless a top-notch weekend away. I’d like to personally thank Christoph for his tireless and immeasurable efforts in organising and directing the event, along with all others who lent their time to assist.
While the warm summer breezes continue, please stay safe out there everyone.
Daryl
In Memorium - Alan GrayFormer North Shore Aero Club member Alan Gray passed away in Auckland on 3 February 2020. Alan was more than just a member – he was the one of several prominent early club members who had a significant impact on the setup of the Club and the airfield. His engineering and mechanical knowledge allowed him to solve many seemingly insurmountable challenges. Alan was a Committee member and Private Pilot in the late 1960’s through to the mid 1970’s who for many years put his heart and soul into development of the North Shore Airfield (then called Dairy Flat Airfield). He had a great fund of technical, metal machining and engineering knowledge (including electrical engineering) which allowed
progress to be made, with many others, on the formation of the airfield - runway, taxiways, drainage – and club member facilities like clubhouse, septic tank system and hangar. In 1966 Alan kindly donated a generator to the Club and had spent about four months converting it to an alternator. It was housed in a small shed at the field, wired up and was used to supply electricity to the fuel pump. Prior to that members were hand-pumping avgas. His determination and hard work made things happen. He and wife Sue were active members socially too – as many activities involved fund-raising for essential works and materials.
Alan was born on Great Barrier Island, where his family farmed. He was a young
Back: Jack Norton (CFI), Tony Hopper, Alan Gray, Murray Smith, Ken Griffiths, George Pearson, Sonny Cross & Robin Smith;
Front: Bill Raynor, Ron Wilcox, George Jones, Peter Priestley, Bernie Watson & Don Ogilvy
NSAC Staff and Committee (Late 1960’s)
boy when Bill Claris, a passenger in a Miles Magister belonging to Auckland Aero Club at the opening of the Claris airfield, was killed. During WWII he went to Auckland to train as a motor mechanic and attended ATI (Auckland Technical Institute). He eventually part-owned his own mechanical workshop in Shakespeare Road, Milford. However, the pull of the Barrier was too great and he and wife Sue eventually moved back, living first at Port Fitzroy with Alan working as a mechanic for the Forestry Service (later taken over by DOC).
Upon retirement he and Sue moved to their land at Awana (Gt Barrier). They were both avid rock-hounds and knew a great deal about geology. A project where this came in handy was in the formation works for the Kaikoura Island airfield in 1997 – Alan undertook the explosive works to blast rock. This was much more difficult than anticipated and took many months.
Sadly, Sue died in 2019. Alan was not well himself and just prior to Christmas 2019 travelled to the mainland for medical care.
The Club owes a debt of gratitude to Alan for the significant contribution he made to the development of the airfield and club member facilities over many years. He was a multi-talented member with foresight and drive who never hesitated to volunteer his time to help the Club grow and prosper.
Sue CampbellArchives Sub-Committee
The club is currently reviewing ongoing maintenance requirements for the aerodrome, facilities, buildings and infrastructure that it owns. This review is being conducted to facilitate production of a 10 year maintenance schedule and budget. We would like to request any willing assistance from members involved in certain trades to assist with the estimating process. The trades we require assistance with are:
- Builders- Plumbers- Drain Layers- Fencing Contractors- Painters- Chem Wash / Building Cleaning- Roading / Asphalters Please be aware that we are requiring assistance with cost estimations only. Members should NOT be volunteering to assist with the expectation of being awarded any related work.
- John Punshon
Assistance Required from Tradespeople
GNAR 2020
GNAR 2020
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Great Northern Air Race 2020
The Great Northern Air Race is something I have been involved with for the last 9 years, and after winning the last race two years ago it was time to begin planning for the next one. Your intrepid correspondent and Christine Graham decided that we would be a good team and proceeded to plan. First things first, an aircraft. Auckland Aero Club have a 172, JRA and Christine was able to secure this for us. Then came the team name and costume. The GNAR has long been associated with a group called the Borneo Pirates and this year was going to be full on piratical themed so we decided to join in. This decided, and knowing that occasionally things go mechanically wrong on these trips, the third member of the team was approached and suddenly we were flying with our very own engineer. And thus the team name was born… Wench, Wench, Wrench.
The race is run on Auckland Anniversary weekend, almost every year, and travels generally around the North Island. Each leg has a route guide provided at the start of the leg and flight planning takes place prior to all aircraft being sent off to take photos, answer questions and generally get around the course either as fast as they safely can, or to fly the course as accurately as possible to their timed planning (depending on the class entered). We were in the racing class and this is handicapped based on maximum continuous power or a
nominated airspeed. Often the aircraft which has the highest top speed is not the one that wins the race! The cruising class is a precision flying event with flight time planning being paramount – you need to be where you said you would be, when you said you would be – generally down to the minute.
And so down to business.
Saturday morning dawned relatively clear and the fleet assembled at North Shore Aero Club bright eyed and ready to race. The initial briefing was given, race rules explained, safety highlighted and then the route guides were handed out and we were off and planning! Brent Hempel and Wing Morgan were our flag flying starters and suddenly, we were off!
The first leg went over Gibbs Farm for a picture of the red vuvuzela and then via Kawau Island, across Gulf Harbour, over Rakino and Pakatoa, an attempt at Kopu Bridge (although there was a 5 mile exclusion zone around Thames for their airshow after 11.30 so several aircraft missed this one) and on to finish at Te Kowhai for lunch. Our finishers were there to check our arrivals. The members at Te Kowhai were welcoming as always and a barbecue lunch was enjoyed by all, aircraft were fuelled, and broken aircraft replaced. And then it was hurry up and wait.
Hurry up and wait became a feature of the weekend with the weather gods being quite uncooperative with the forecasters, providing low cloud over the west coast which was the planned route.
Eventually the weather cleared enough at New Plymouth to allow the fleet to make a beeline for the airfield where we were greeted by chill winds and a closed terminal. Another race casualty lost their fuel pump, was pushed from the pumps all the way around to the parking area, and Paul Stent’s Provost ride went US. The bus trundled us all to our various hotels for a freshen up and we met at Peggy Gordon’s pub in New Plymouth for drinks, finger food and dinner and some preliminary results. Much celebration for those who did better than expected, and much consternation from those who did not!
Christoph Berthoud and Stephen Jones along with his merry band of organisers had managed to arrange the highlight of the trip for us on the Sunday – a visit to the Ohakea Airforce Base. The weather gods were again a little less than cooperative. Nevertheless, after a very thorough and specific briefing, we headed off to Ohakea for what proved to be an excellent day. Not only were we fed an impressive lunch, but we were treated to visits through the T6 trainer hangar, the helicopter hangars, the King Air hangar and a visit to Biggin Hill with the historic aircraft.
From Ohakea we headed directly back to Hawera for what proved to be the best stopover in a great many air races for the majority of us. The aeroclub had put on an impressive barbecue, and arranged for some libations as well, all for the princely sum of $20! We were welcomed to the airfield by a squad of supporters from the local area, pilots, children, families and interested bystanders. They were treated to a flypast by the Yak troop and were interested to chat to those of us who were there in time to spin a few yarns. Once again there was a van transport arranged to get us to the various accommodation options in the area and at least two of the three accommodation providers ended up with impromptu gatherings where more “truth serum” was indulged in and tall tales of air races past and airfields experienced were shared. Some of us even got to enjoy birthday cake.
Monday morning was a little slower for most people. The cloud was ominous and a toast team began to feed those who were in need of some sustenance (thanks to Karl Morgan and Nikki Jones et al for your buttering and marmiting skills – I’m still in awe of how they could tell the difference between the slices with Marmite and those with Vegemite.) Another briefing and the finishing aircraft headed off to scout the way to Te Kuiti. The fleet rigged and rolled and we were off on the second to last leg. As we rounded the first point of Stratford airfield a
call came over the radio, the weather to the north was not good enough to continue and the fleet was advised to land at Stratford. A little over half of the fleet landed and then the waiting began as we hoped for a further report of weather improvements further north. Once the call came back from points further north that the weather was clearing then we once again headed off towards Te Kuiti, several hours later than expected, where we were greeted with a 30C day and a very late lunch made by the team at the aeroclub.
One final briefing for one final race leg push and we were off back to North Shore for the race finish. This time we crisscrossed and zigzagged up the country, taking in views over Kawhia, the Raglan Wind Farm, Glenbrook steel mill, the lighthouse at Manukau Heads, Avondale Race Course, Eden Park, North Head and finally home. With most folks in familiar territory and the weather improving by the minute it was a very pleasant final leg.
This year the prizegiving was held directly at the end of the race once the scoring was completed. A huge effort for the race director and his team as they collated, corrected and entered all the detail. Much hilarity ensued as wrongdoings were exposed, good behaviour was celebrated and prizes were awarded. The good sportsmanship award was well deserved. Congratulations to the top three teams, two of whom were on their first races.
1st: DMW - Debbie Levert2nd: WKT - Jamie Davis3rd: TZM - Patrick Brennan
A massive thanks to Christoph and his merry organising crew who did a fantastic job in the face of huge weather obstacles!
I for one will be back with a team again next year. Anniversary Weekend is 30 Jan to 1 Feb 2021. I really encourage pilots of all ages and stages to book an aircraft early, book an instructor to come with you if you need one, round up a team and a costume theme (make it cool – the weather every year is much warmer than we think it will be) and complete your entry form as soon as they are released. Happy and safe flying!
Article: Kirsty Vester
Editors Note:
Just as noise complaints from newbie neighbours have restricted racing at Western Springs Speedway, we will inevitably experience similar problems as urban sprawl surrounds the airport.
The clubs Master Plan is designed to mitigate the worst effects of this and deserves your support.
Not content with keeping the aerodrome grounds in immaculate condition and occasionally flying a Cessna 310Q for Precision Aerial Surveys Ltd. our long serving groundsman Caleb Hanham has found time to not only build but race his A Grade midget at Western Springs Speedway.
Sporting the North Shore Aero Club name and logo, midget number 94A has attracted a lot of attention on race nights.
Starting with mini stock car racing at Waikaraka Park in 2008, Caleb progressed to midgets in 2016. Racing does not come cheap with 94A burning a litre of methanol each lap, and with a new rear tyre costing $350.00 Caleb has to settle for second hand tyres. Even so a night’s racing will set him back over $500, provided of course he incurs no damage in the inevitable crashes and roll-overs that occur most race nights.
Article: Ian CouperPhotos: Matt Dwen
A NEED FOR SPEED
Campbell McIver - C-Cat23 December 2019
MilestonesStacey Olsen - PPL19 December 2019
James Bassett - CPL30 December 2019
Josh Bigwood - First Solo15 January 2020
Blake Brady - First Solo19 January 2020
Harriet Gregory - First Solo24 January 2020
Zavier Coulam - First Solo24 January 2020
Kate Marsh - First Solo29 January 2020
Tegan Knightbridge - PPL31 January 2020
Geoffrey Crowley - PPL1 February 2020
Ryan Choo - First Solo3 February 2020
Caleb Norrish - CPL5 February 2020
Ian Schipper - First Solo11 February 2020
New MembersNorth Shore Aero Club extends a warm welcome to our new members:
Andrew NelsonLloyd SmithJoe Carter
Talya Morgan-FarrellyRoss McFadzeanDylan WilliamsGregory WardKai NowitzkeHarry Lynch
James CullenCharlie Watson-
JonesMatt Chapman
Evan LambertonAndre Sencioles
Edison FengFerguson Stewart
Committee Meeting Dates25 February 2020
24 March 2020
21 April 2020
26 May 2020
23 June 2020
All committee meetings start at
7:15pm
Oscar Garcia JrLogan MacKinnon
Peter OliverMatthew Sharp
Bella CurtisSantiago GilSam Cook
Steven Grimmer
Tom Masters - PPL14 February 2020
Meet The Team
John Punshon - Manager
Management
Ground Staff
Lynn Packer, Claudine Allen, Stacey Olsen, Caleb Hanham
B- Cats
Paul Ryan, Tim Marshall, Dawson Boles, Chantel Strooh
C- Cats
Matt Walls, Hamish McGill, Pierce Hargreaves, Brendon Frame
Daryl Gillett - CFI
Jamie Davis, Rob Graham
Ming Zhang, Stephen Raynes, Campbell McIver, Josh McKoy
Gaining my PPL at North ShoreIt was nearly this time last year when
Kyra Moss took her first lesson towards gaining a Private Pilot
Licence. This is her story.
I remember being so nervous, yet excited for this adventure I was about to embark on. Could I do it? Or would I fail?
My first experience flying at NSAC was when my parents booked me a Trial Flight for my birthday back in 2018. The sky was clear and the wind moderate, unusual for a winter day. Somewhere in between the thrill of that first take-off and the excitement of that landing, I knew I had caught the bug.
From my first Effects of Controls lesson on the 11th of March, to my PPL Flight test on the 26th of October, I had been in a roller coaster of highs and lows, frustration and elation, but one of my most life-changing experiences. There have been times when I have struggled to get things right and other times when it all flowed. An important lesson to learn: If you are not mentaly 100% before a flight, reschedule for another day.
The first section of my training was the Ab-Initio section. This was where I learnt the basics of flying an aeroplane: Climbing, descending, turns, stalls and slow flight. Once I had passed through these early lessons I came to the next part of my training: circuits.
Whilst the rest of my circuit pattern was coming along nicely, I just couldn’t get the landing right! I tried, but nothing was happening. But I pushed on, and with perseverance, great instruction and a now a cushion on my seat, I made it to my first solo.
The first solo is really the first major milestone in aviation. It is the moment the student is given all the responsibility. My first solo went so quickly, but I
can still remember the adrenaline of accelerating the aircraft down the runway and rotating for the first time on my own. The feeling I got afterwards was a feeling of relief and satisfaction that I had made it.
Next came the advanced training: Steep Turns, Forced Landings, Wing Drop Stalls, Low Flying and lots, and lots, and lots of Instrument Flying. In this part of the syllabus, I really got to consolidate my flying and I got to experience more time as Pilot in Command of the Aircraft.
Once I had rushed to finish all my compulsory PPL written exams (Tip: If you are a new PPL student, make sure you start doing your exams as soon as possible) it was time for my cross countrys. I enjoy the navigation and planning aspects of flying, and it was super satisfying to plan and fly a cross country route.
There was one moment where I was faced with the decision to either continue flying along my track through an area of high terrain and low cloud, or take the safe route and track around the hills. I took the safe route, as I knew I was low in experience.
After many months of training it was finally time to revise for my PPL Flight Test, practicing all that I had been taught - and forgotten, like slow flight.
Finally the day of my flight test, a bit of wind with a few clouds. After a very nervous couple of hours, I walked away as a fresh PPL.
During my training I have also had the opportunity to really expand my knowledge and experience in aviation in environments outside of the North Shore PPL Training Syllabus. The Club organises various fun trips and events that anyone of any experience level can get involved in. And these have constituted some of my greatest memories thus far! Those that stood out for me the most were the South Island trip, Club Competitions and the Great Northern Air Race.
The South Island Trip occurs every year at the end of August. In this week long trip we travelled all around the South Island, crossing saddles, flying over ice blue lakes, and through white-tipped valleys that seemed to go on forever. We also got to explore beautiful and unique places such as Kaikoura, Mandeville, Wanaka, Manapouri and Milford Sound.
Not only did we get to experience and explore such a remarkable part of the country, I was able to learn so much about flying around mountains in an unfamiliar environment with an unfamiliar aircraft. I was also able to hone my planning and navigation skills. Perfect practice for my cross countrys!
I had a blast with competitions. It is a good way to enhance skills in a fun environment. Circuits have become a lot more interesting for me now because of this, it’s not just taking off and landing for me now, it’s a precision landing.
These are the experiences you will always have and I would encourage everyone to try and make at least one of these events. I think the biggest and most important things I have taken away from my time as a student here has been:
-A significant confidence boost and belief in myself as a capable person -The ability to calmly think through situations and react accordingly
I feel much more confident, not just in flying, but as a person. NSAC has provided me with an environment in which I have been able to grow.
The support of instructors and friends at the club has been an important part of my time here. Being able to talk over your flight, listen to others talk about their experiences adds to your knowledge. The social interaction of like minded people is one of the more intangible aspects to NSAC.
So on that note I would like to make a most grateful shoutout to all the fantastic people I have met here: Jamie, Christoph, Stef, Martin and all the members and staff who have supported and taught me throughout my training here at North Shore. It means the world to me and I couldn’t have done it without you.
Article: Kyra Moss
Planning while in the South Island
South Island Group at Milford Sound
Taxiing in after circuit practice
Competition landing
It’s been almost a year since I last wrote an article for Prop Talk and Ian has asked me to fill you in on what I’ve been up to. I have about 900 hours in the plane now, and as you can imagine I feel pretty comfortable.
The end of summer 2019 passed by pretty uneventfully and was definitely helped by all the great weather. The downside of the hot weather is probably how hot it gets in the plane (it almost feels like being back in the Robin again) unfortunately we can’t get the air conditioning going until we start an engine (with no propeller spinning) and we can’t do that until a number of other things have been done.
Autumn was also fairly tame last year, just a bit of wind and some of those big CB buildups (which we avoid). The wind made for some fairly bumpy approaches into places like Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth and Palmerston North. I was having a conversation one day with David Saunders, just before I was about to head to Napier in a very strong westerly, which is incredibly unpleasant due to the hills out to the west. David mentioned that if it was him, he would descend further out to sea and then turn around and land to avoid the worst of the bumps. This is exactly what we ended up doing on this flight, and it worked out really well. All those fundamental skills that you learn in a PPL are still relevant and get used every day.
Nicole Harris - Year on at Air NZ
Nicole now has over 900 hours on the ATR-72
Nicole as an Instructor at NSAC, before joining Air New Zealand
Winter was next, but I decided to escape New Zealand and headed off to Europe for a month to enjoy the heatwave they were having over there. Back to spring and there really wasn’t too much terrible weather, only the odd day with a bit of low cloud , and standard windy days.
As far as rostering and everything goes, I tend to work no more than 30 hours a week, and do about 10 to 15 hours of flying a week (each sector is about an hour roughly) some weeks though like through the slightly slower Christmas/New Year period I might only fly three or four hours and work one day. As far as timings, our earliest shift out of Auckland starts at 5.40am and the latest time we finish into Auckland is 9.50pm. This has given me quite a bit of time to help with the Young Eagles last year, and again this year.
I have still been running into a bunch of North Shore people, I was lucky enough to have Liam Sutherland in the jumpseat just after Christmas as he was heading down to Napier to go to work. I have also been able to catch up with Tim Dunn a couple of times lately (he’s about halfway through his training).
Happy flying, and no doubt I will see you around the club at some point (especially on those Young Eagle days!)
Article and Photos: Nicole Harris
Where are they now?Former NSAC Young Eagle Liam Sutherland (pictured above) gained his PPL at North Shore and has now achieved his CPL and C-Cat instructor rating whilst training at Hastings with Air Hawkes Bay.
Liam was a member of the North Shore Three ship formation team that won first place at the 2019 Flying NZ Nationals held at North Shore last February. Other members of the team were Brent Hempel and Christoph Berthoud.
NORTH SHORE AERO CLUBPostman Road, Dairy Flat RD4 | Phone: 09 426 4273 | Email: [email protected]
