Blowin' in the Wind
This Newsletter is being fully distributed through the new website. Thanks to Tim. Personally I find this a great innovation, as prior to this distribution had to be done in batches and could take me a whole evening! I now only need to print the 10 copies for members without emails (yes there are still such people) and some copies to secretaries of other clubs etc. I remind you, any comments, ideas, or letters to the editor are welcome. Of course, for those who like to read off a paper edition, press your print button now and enjoy with your cuppa.
Labour Weekend Flying with Aviation Sports
They will be coming en mass, with tow plane, members, others, gliders. Come out, join in, make them feel welcome, do some gliding. Inter-Club Dinner on Saturday Night starting at 6.30 if poor gliding conditions, or after 7pm if there's late flying. $14.00 and can be paid using Eftpos. RSVP to Jan would be appreciated (but not essential) up until 5pm on the day (ring the clubhouse 07 888 5972). All family and friends welcome.
Of course, these lucky fellas will be among the first to try out the new beds, mattresses, and bedroom facilities in the MSC Bunkrooms - now bit of a misnomer as No.'s 1-4 'bunkrooms' have disappeared. Two of them now have new innerspring Queen Size beds installed, the other 2 rooms have 2 new single mattresses and bases. Duvets, pillows, and bedside lights add to the luxury. The 'Family Room' has table and chairs and a small fridge. An 'Executive Room' includes lazyboy chairs. Both of these rooms also have new Queen sized beds, duvets, and pillows! All just waiting for you to come and make use of them. Bring your partner/friend/wife for a mini holiday - Matamata and Tauranga are only short drives away for their relaxation and enjoyment while you spend your day at the field. Bedlinen (sheets), toaster, electric frypan, plates and cutlery are also available for a trial period. Bookings with Ralph as usual. First in, first served. And, if its well used and seems a suitable arrangement perhaps next year rooms 5-8 will also get 'done over'.
Almost finished being 'done over' is the Caravan. Dave (Qualtrough) has done a terrific job of rearranging its insides. There is a new purpose built desk area complete with sliding access windows, and business chair for the Duty Pilot. (As previously reported eftpos will be available at the caravan too.) Seating is arranged for briefings,there are storage areas, and an awsome awning mounted. Then there are whiteboards, noticeboards, cushions, pamphlet stands, chair rack on the drawer bar, glider tow hook and rope receptical on the rear - thanks Bill. New flooring is being installed - thanks Jamie. Sign writing is arranged - thanks Tim for the graphics. Then just the elctronics to be sorted and it should be in use well before Xmas!!
But, back to the website, it's well worth while taking some time to explore it. With its additional benefits such as:- current news items and notices, the booking system for trial flights, aerotows, passenger flights, instruction, and of course specific club gliders. There's a place for weekend flight reports preferably in photo form! Forms, technical information, how-to-do-it are all there. You could say the information hub of the club is now glidingmatamata.co.nz
NB If you are impressed with our web design - please don't hesitate to refer others to Tim Bromhead, our website designer.tim@pear.co.nz Tim and Dennis have also set up the new improved webcam so you can check the weather and what's happening at the field.Thanks guys for the input there.
Speaking of the weather - typical spring weather is apparent with frequent showers, cold fronts, and westerlies. Niwa's outlook favours a normal summer with slightly above average rainfall. Seems to favour gliding to me! Waves were working at the weekend, so was the ridge of course, but entry was difficult due to cloud cover. Reports were heard of Auckland flyers at 8500' over Port Waikato. Book in some gliding time!
A reminder that the new airspace charts can be ordered with Bill until the end of October. Ralph would like statistics on access into controlled Air Space, both successes and any difficulties with Air Traffic Control. (Have you got their number with you?) Please specify times and dates. This is important as we need a picture of what's happening.
Did you know AVEX was on last weekend? Did you go? As previously reported, attendance numbers were down - perhaps they needed to promote a little! Bill was thrilled with his t-shirt and I thought the club simulator had a fair bit to do with his success!
Talking Simulators - the baby has gone to night school in Tauranga. Yip, the Tauranga Club is running a 10 week course of lectures and simulator flying prior to and then along side of actual glider experience. I will report in due course.
On the subject of new technology, it's interesting to note that the new Eftpos machine has even been engaged to pay annual membership fees. Thanks to all members who have paid theirs. Remember the bulk of this covers airfield lease and hangar rental, then there's club room and admin costs, and some to GNZ for your magazine etc.
The Raglan Aifield has been booked 10-18th January. Now is a good time to think about booking your own campsite or cabin. It's planned to take the new caravan (and Eftpos machine). Volunteers are required: we need a 'dangerous goods' licensed driver (for the Avgas trailer), duty pilots, motor-bike rider (glider retrieves), helpers, and participants. Keep a check on the website for details as they come to hand.
XMAS CAMP is not far away. The annual affair at the Airfield starting on Boxing Day through til 10th January. Tow Plane or winching will available every flyable day for 26 days - yippee!! (Remember the refurbished cabins are available.)
Lastly, a reminder that Early Entry Discounts close for the Northern Regional Competitions on 30th October. Day entries or glider syndicates are welcome. Contact Bill, wajvmace@ihug.co.nz. The Taupo Competition starts on the 1st of November - best of luck to those entered. The MSC Competition and PW5 Nationals will be held at Matamata in February. This is a good place to to start competition flying - have you thought of entering?
Finally, remember to keep a check on the website for your club info and to make those bookings.
Jan Mace (temporary Editor)
CFI JOTTINGS
TRAINING COURSES
The current A Cert course has an enthusiast mother and daughter combination of Manda and Amiee together with a couple of students from the last course, Neil Raymond and Josh Money when he can make it, who are completing their flying training after it was disrupted by the wet winter. Look out for the new students at the field and make them welcome.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Congratulations to Dom Stevens and Tim Bromhead who completed the recent GNZ Instructors Course at Taupo and have joined the instructors panel as C Cats.
RADIO CALLS
It has been noted that the standard of radio procedures, on the Matamata MBZ frequency, among our pilots is variable with newer pilots getting mixed messages from listening to more experienced pilots.
Also the radio calls published on the website were not correct, these have now been changed by Rainer.
Please review your own radio procedures and let's up the standard. Remember that everyone can hear you when you're on the radio. Some of the basic things to apply:
- Keep the message brief, the MBZ is NOT a chat frequency.
- Think what you are going to say before you transmit.
- Identify yourself with the full "Glider Golf Papa Charlie", not just "Papa Charlie".
- Listen to what others are calling, especially power traffic, so that you are aware of parachuting, traffic in circuit, aircraft approaching, etc.
With the new airspace soon to apply, glider pilots will have to get used to talking to ATC and the more professional you sound the better the response you'll get from controllers.
NEW VNCs
And while we're on airspace stuff. New VNCs apply from 20 November 2008, and if you don't already know, there are some major changes to the airspace boundaries in the air where we fly.
Bill Mace is ordering a bulk buy of the new charts so if you want one see him pronto. Remember to legally fly away from the airfield after 20 Nov you must have the new chart onboard.
BACK SEAT PASSENGER RATINGS
The last Instructor Panel meeting reviewed the current Club policy on flying passengers from the rear seat of our two seaters. Whilst GNZ MOAP provides for pilots with passenger ratings to be able to get a rear seat rating as well, our Club has for a long time considered that only those with instructor training and experience should fly our gliders from the rear. After some discussion the Panel and CFI has decided that the current policy should not change. Which is that "All pilots flying the Club two seat gliders from the back seat must hold a GNZ Instructor Rating."
Bob Gray
This Is Your Club Captain Squawking
"There once was an ugly duckling with feathers all tattered and torn..." For those that don't know the history of GXP: it was revived from various bits of other rather dented Discus's to hatch into what we see now!! The reason I mention this is that the "other two" singles that will never be swans, GNI & GSN, are often left forlorn at the rear of the club hangar. Please make sure they get their fair share of air-time. They may be lacking in comparable performance to GXP but, nevertheless they are still great aircraft - fly them more - lots more!
It's brilliant to see students from the previous "A" syllabus course still polishing their skills nearly every flyable weekend. I'd also like to offer a warm welcome to our latest intake of students, Amanda and Amiee. Talking of all things great and wonderful, the ‘start of the season' Brunch was quite an occasion and as always lots of happy faces to be seen. We all digested not only good fare but some sound information by way of talks from Ralph, Rainer, Bill, Richard and Tim. Topics covered ranged from local airspace changes, decision making, PLBs, ZK-BZA to our website, all good stuff.
Our gliding season has officially begun and we are now really starting to ramp-up our activities. As we are being constantly reminded that gliding is a declining sport, we must take it upon ourselves to be pro-active in promoting our club and our sport. Our boundless enthusiasm will rub off on everybody we come into contact with (don't worry the rash doesn't last long!). So lets take all this declining nonsense and give it a good swift kick in the pants and make sure every man, women and their dog knows just how much fun flying a glider can be ... phew, I think I feel better now. (Just out of interest that last paragraph reads slightly better with "Ride of the Valkyries" or similar heraldic fanfaresque-type sounds playing in the back ground!)
With exposure in mind, the recent Avex show at Mystery Creek was our first promotion of the new season. Our display stand was very striking: a black background and brilliant white PW5 in the foreground, with gliding DVDs continually running to add to the lure. Although by some accounts the Thursday and Friday were a little quiet, the Saturday had a continual stream of interested people (can't believe how many CTC students there are!). I'd like to thank Joan, Ian, Ron, Stu, Bill, Carl and Tim for all the effort, much appreciated.
For phase II of the 2008 promotion we will once again be attacking the Hamilton popular front by way of the Centre Place shopping centre. The dates have been strategically selected and booked for Thursday November the 20th, through to Saturday November 22nd. Our aim is to entrap the retail-hungry public, who by now are fully psyched for Xmas. All those who can't decide on a present for mum, dad, brother or sister are to be saved from some "fluffy bunny slippers" by tempting them into purchasing a "Trial Flight" voucher - they're happy, we're happy, Ying and Yang is complete!
I also quickly remind you of the fast approaching events about to take place on the air field: i) Labour weekend: fun, food and frivolities oh, and possibly some flying! ii) X-country course to hone the skills of our finest by the finest. iii) The North Island Regional gliding contest - big bun fight!
-Dom Stevens
And now as promised in the last Fly Paper some origami:
From the President's Cockpit
The season has kicked off. The ridge is working and the thermals are popping. A few quite serious cross-country flights have started to happen.
Firstly I (also) would like to welcome our two new A cert course participants who have now had 3 Saturdays of southwesterly ridge flying. At the same time some of the previous A cert pilots have joined the course, as they had been caught out with bad weather during their course. Last A course pilots are Neil, John, Josh, Brad and the A course prior Justin, Carl, Matthew & Stuart. So far this year we have trained 10 new pilots and 9 are now club members.
Big events coming up are paddock landing training, the x-country course, Regionals, Christmas camp, Raglan, Mtm Soaring Centre Camps in late Feb.
You might not realise, but the things we have done over the last 6 months include, disk brake fitted to the PW6, club EFT POS facilities (Dennis), new EPERB's for all club gliders, new transponder for the Puchacz, new caravan (major contributors towards this Bill Mace and Dave Qualtrough), new website and logo (Tim Bromhead), 4 training courses, mid winter dinner , season kick-off breakfast (Bill and Jan) and Avex display (Dom, Tim and others), grass contract resolved (Bill), grants and review of 5 year plan (Bill, Joan,Tim and Jamie). Sefton Crandall has contributed a huge amount towards maintaining our fleet, Bob Gray organising courses and Richard Small has been kept very busy keeping BZA in the air and organising new tow pilots.
I have been part of the committee for quite a number of years and I cannot recall a time when all committee members have put in such enormous effort toward making the club successful. I am very confident that the results will show in the future.
I know that the change in airspace around Matamata on the 20th November 2008 will have an effect on us, but we need to accept that it is something that we have to live with. For local flying, I feel there is not very much change, other than the need to open airspace. For cross country and higher altitude flying, I have only ever had one problem getting access to airspace and on all other occasions, controllers have always been very helpful. It helps if you have good radio skills and good transponder equipment. If you do not have an FRTO license, refer to Bob so we can consider organising a future course.
Apart from some very bad winter weather, the club has been very active and I suspect that we are in for a good summer. Make the most of the club's resources and enjoy some fun flying this season.
- Steve Care
PGC RAGLAN CAMP
10TH - 18TH Jan 2009
***** FEATURING *******
Good weather
Fabulous coastal gliding
Good company
Beach walks
Boating
Hiking Great scenery
Fishing
Camping
Good food
Wine & beer
Book it in your diaries today
!
