We didn't manage to catch any pictures from the competition today, here are some pics from this evening instead...

Spot the last thermal of the day, 8:10pm this evening

Tauranga's Tug

Trees.

The 2009 National Sports Class Competition has kicked off today with a good solid day of flying.

We have 7 competitors, with a couple only doing a few days due to other commitments. All are flying PW5s except for Robbin in the Ka6. A few turned up for practice day yesterday, which was an even better flying day than today.

This morning we woke to a not-very-promising sheet of cloud covering the Waikato, Finn the task setter optimistically giving a 51 to 49 percent chance of flying, in favour of flying. That one percent of optimism was worthwhile however, around 12:30 we were ready to launch with wisps of thermals starting around us, and good looking stuff in the distance.

Unfortunately we had no tugs. A slight flaw in the competition plan one might say. Tauranga's tug was on it's way still, and Piako's tug was away being fixed in Hamilton. Fortunately 10 minutes later they both turned up at the same time, and away we went.

Fin set a 158km 2.5 hour AAT distance task with 10km turnpoints, which turned out to be a good task. Everyone but one made it around, with Paul Schofield in GSB landed out at the second turn point.

All the way through the afternoon the high layer of cloud would block the sun, then partially break up, then reappear, just giving us enough convection to get some thermals working well. It wasn't too easy, and not too impossible, so everyone was happy.

Congrats to Maurice Honey for winning today's task for 1000 points, Tim Bromhead second with 935, and Robin Britton third with 781. Full results and a view of the task available on soaring spot.

Thanks to all those volunteers helping out with this contest, there are almost more volunteers than pilots, so it's really appreciated.

For anyone in Piako club, tomorrow's weather looks similar to todays, and there are 4 gliders available to fly, NI, XP, PK and PC. If you have QGP you're welcome to launch at the back of the grid.

Until tomorrow...

The task and flights for Day1

There are 2 competitions coming up over the next couple of weeks, the 2009 National Sports Class Competition, and the 2009 Soaring Centre Competition.

Here are the dates:

• 2009 National Sports Class Competition
  Practice Day Sunday 15th Feb
  Competition Monday 16th Feb -> Friday 27th Feb 
  Webpage, entry form and details here
   
• 2009 Soaring Centre Competition
  Practice Day Friday 20th Feb
  Competition Saturday 21st Feb -> Saturday 28th Feb 
  Webpage, entry form and details here
  

Helpers Wanted

We usually need help with launching the grid and doing retrieves, if anyone wants to experience a competition come on out and lend a hand. If you're GQP you can then fly a glider on the end of the grid after launching.

Food

Meals will be available every night as was the case in the last competition. Of course breakfasts and lunches too.

Accomodation

There may be bunkrooms available still, and of course lots of tent space. See the MSC website for details.

Club Gliders

So far GSN and GXP are booked in the competitions. There is still time for other entries if anyone wants to fly Astir in the Soaring Centre Competition, or the PW6 in the sports class. Note the gliders are entered in the competition, not the individual pilot, so you can team fly, or share the flying with someone else.

If you want to fly one of the club aircraft in a competition get in touch with Bob Gray the CFI for approval.

A request from Tim - if you fly any club aircraft, please ensure everything is put away in the hanger at the end of the day, and there is space left at the front for the PW5.

Towing Available

Towing will be available during both competitions to private pilots and Piako club members in any of the spare gliders.

Note club members must have their QGP to fly on non-club days as there will not be an instructor supervising. Non GQP members can fly as normal on club days as an instructor is rostered on.

If you're planning on flying a glider at the back of the grid you'll need to have your glider DIed and at the back of the grid well before launch. You'll also need to attend the pre flight briefing.

Club Days

Club flying days will be operating as normal around the competitions. That is Wednesdays, Saturday and Sundays. Check the roster on the front page. Make bookings as normal. Note launching the competition normally occurs around 12-2pm, and takes up to an hour or so.

Public trial flights are available those days as well.

Why two competitions?

Have fun, and hopefully we'll see you out there!

For competition pilots some sort of GPS or Glide Computer is essential.

Have you ever noticed how car GPS systems (or PNAs) have a big bright screen? Well now the software that normally runs on PDAs is being made to work on some car GPS models, such as the iPaq 310 or 314, and the results look pretty stunning.

The HP iPaq 310 up top, a typical PDA on the right.

Car GPS's have some advantages over the more typical PDAs that people use:

• Big, bright high resolution screens.
• Touchscreen, designed for fingers , no stylus needed.
• They come with a mounting system.
• Built in GPS.

There are two software packages that are now working on these devices:

Well it was a hot Waitangi weekend, here are some pics from Friday which turned out to be better than was forecast. It wasn't very busy, we had a few trial flights, Jamie took the kids for a fly in PC, all in all very pleasant.

There's lots of things coming up including competitions starting this weekend. The roster for the next couple of weeks is below. There will be normal club flying during the competitions on Wed, Sat and Sun. Don't forget to book if you're coming out. More details about the comps coming soon.

Mr Action Man

Mr Floorman

Mr Puchaz Man?

The Raglan camp is well underway, the first couple of days went surprisingly well considering the unsavoury weather. The rest of the week looks better..

We're planning a dinner on Saturday night at a local restaurant in town - if you would like to join us send an email asap to tim.bromhead@glidingmatamata.co.nz or give Steve a text or call on 027 349 1180 by the end of Wednesday, as we need to know numbers.

Yesterday a Waikato Times photographer visited, so keep an eye out for us in the paper. [Update- Well the Times did a little something, only half the front page :) Article available online here ]

Thanks Waikato Times, we couldn't buy that even if we wanted to...

Be sure to come out for a fly, especially if you're a newer member - it's a great experience to fly from a different airfield. The airspace & radio are more simple than Matamata as there is no MBZ, there are fewer aircraft around, and no parachutes or modellers to contend with (so far at least).

SN is available to fly, XP is out of action due to the right aileron failing it's control check when we rigged it. It will be going up to Auckland to be fixed very soon.

See you out there!

All was quiet until about 3pm, then the hoards showed up.

Well Jan and Bill have done it again, pulling off a delicious New Years Eve feast. Thanks heaps guys, your hard work was appreciated by all. Somehow the ham keeps getting better and better each year...

There has been some good flying over the past couple of days. Dennis got a little enthusiastic and decided to have a close look at the spud patch. With the 18 meter glider, there was about 1 meter spare between the wingtips and the 8 foot high corn on either side.

Water seemed to be the theme of new years eve, with one unlucky new glider cockpit filling up with ballast water due to some unremoved plugs not mentioned in the manual (from what I heard). Also apparently it's not a good idea to leave both ends of your tent open while it's raining...

The weather didn't play ball today (Friday), and looks pretty shabby tomorrow too, however Sunday is looking like it might be a ripper, so get your bookings in now.

We would love to see more Piako Members out flying, we're out numbered by the Auckland guys at the moment. There are heaps of gliders and instructors available, including the Auckland's Duo Discus, 2 tow planes and the winch, so come out and make the most of it.

And now, some images of the past few days:

A rag tag bunch from Auckland & Piako

Everyone loves their photos being taken

New Years day clouds. Remarkably similar to clouds on other days.

Dom & family decided to bring a small portable building to house the glider trailer & vehicle.

Keith trying out his new camera lense

Dessert. It was delicious. There was a whole bowl of chocolate sauce.