There is a gremlin in the works.   I had begun typing copy straight into this Web page and had made progress on this lot  and then when I hit Save it all disappeared so here we go again.

Four flying days in April.  Two were with the  New Plymouth attending and twelve cadets having flights on the 7th and 8th.  After the second days flying, the club showed  how it was done with just a tad under eight hours flown.  Peter Cook leading the way with a bit over four hours flown.   April 1st seemed to be a Youthglide day with about four flights and John Spence who is nowhere nearly youthful finished off the day.

Tales of Converging and Waving – autumn 2018

Chapter one:  8th Apr Convergence:

Scouts day  had finished so several turned out for an afternoon of club joy.  A palatable later start with Dennis Green first away and he stayed up in early thermals so off  I went to grab other flyable kit. Unfortunately the Twin Astir WZ had had brake issues on Saturday so was left recouping in the shed.  NN  had toured with several flights for the Scouts in thermals and then ran a strong convergence with Tim HS, as P1  also with John Spence for an hour and ten minutes and with Nathan Whittleston managed just a circuit flight.    I took the Discus YT for a well-earned romp along convergence with numerous passes between North Egmont, Tim’s Mangamingi farm, Strathmore, Lake Ratapiko and place in between, as the convergence drifted from south to north during my 4hr flight. Some 189km covered averaging 60kph although speed runs where doable. Lift was strong over central Taranaki but faded east and west, cloud base was viable with daggy bits. Check the trace:  https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3.0/gliding/flightbook.html?sp=2018&st=olc-league&rt=olc&pi=54940

Denis Green took TE for a second flights and a short zip around the Stratford environs.

Anzac Day was marked by Nathan Whittleston converting to the PW5.  Had one flight then another just to be sure.  Will Hopkirk's cousin Colin Hopkirk visiting from Australia and was given a flight by Will.  A photo of the happy duo appears in this issue.

How John Spence saw the day -

John Spence and Will then set about showing can be done for an hour & forty-five minutes.   It was good fun sitting at home and noting their progress on the Flarm readout.

Late start with only NN & TE on deck.  Will and his cousin flew 37 odd min in the convergence, Dennis joined them in TE and did over an hour.

I took Will in NN next  and had a good ride for 1 hr 46 min.  SW on the ground and while the convergence was sucking 4 – 6 knots, out over the town where some scrappy rotor looking clouds sat, there was 10 knots DOWN and we lost plenty of alt chasing it. It must have been going up the same area but I wasn’t prepared to explore any further especially at the sink rate we encountered.

Topped out at 4,700 AMSL and had a few miles of straight line flying in 2 knots+ under the convergence.

Nathan converted on to TE and had 2 short flights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A problem with the Twin Astir's wheel brake has rendered it u/s for the time being.  Nonetheless that aircraft has made a big contribution to this year's flying with launches and hours are well up across the fleet.

 

PAPA MIKE: