19 August 2018
It was a classic Hawkes Bay winter's day with a sharp morning frost followed by a glorious fine and sunny day. With calm conditions, this was again ideal for training and trial flights with flying continuing to near dark.
12 August 2018
A frosty morning lead to a fine, sunny but cool and calm day. This was ideal for training and trial flights. Some early afternoon weak and broken blue thermals allowed soaring flights over an hour. The result was the tow pilot and instructor were busy flying until after 5pm.
05 August 2018
Rain and drizzle with a strengthening gusty north easterly prevented any flying for the day.
22 July 2018
The day had had promise but a strengthening westerly wind on the ground and a towplane issue restricted flying to just one short flight.
15 July 2018
The weather was against us so there was no flying.
08 July 2018
Unsuitable conditions prevented any flying for the day.
01 July 2018
Another solid morning frost thawed to a day with thickening high cloud. This kept it cool all day on the ground. However, the calm conditions and mostly flat sky were ideal for training and trial flights. This saw the tow pilot and instructor busy all day until darkness stopped flying.
24 June 2018
A morning frost was followed by a fine day with increasing high cloud. A fickle ground wind saw a number of runway changes. Aloft, the sky tried to form wave but didn't quite manage it locally. This left calm conditions which were ideal for training.
17 June 2018
A fine and sunny day greeted pilots with wave visible in the sky. While the RASP was not great and the sky decayed before launch, this did not stop both club two seaters enjoying good wave flights. James Foreman and newly solo pilot Cameron Steed flew the Twin Astir MX to over 12,000ft and south to Dannevirke where it was 8/8 cloud. Meanwhile, Jason and Brian Kelly flew the Grob 103 C III SL HB to 9,500ft and also travelled to Dannevirke and return, reaching ground speeds of over 250km/h. Their flight can be viewed on the OLC at https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=6539369
10 June 2018
A very cold day with high cloud was ideal for training and trial flights with virtually no wind and a flat sky. As part of the club's youth contingent, thirteen year old Cameron Steed completed his first solo flight. Congratulations Cameron.
03 June 2018
The forecast of rain and showers was correct so flying was cancelled for the day without members leaving home.
27 May 2018
Rain and showers again saw flying cancelled for the day.
20 May 2018
A flying day at last! While the forecast was not great, gentle wave formed which allowed flights to 10,000ft and as far south as Dannevirke and return. Trial flighters and members enjoyed the conditions with some junior members experiencing wave for the first time.
13 May 2018
Persistent morning rain saw flying cancelled for the day.
06 May 2018
Early morning cloud and drizzle cleared but a strengthening unstable westerly flow saw flying cancelled for the day.
29 April 2018
Low cloud, drizzle and rain saw flying cancelled for the day.
22 April 2018
Early drizzle and rain cleared quickly to a fine and sunny day. This left relatively calm conditions with local convection which allowed flights of over an hour to be had.
15 April 2018
Inclement weather with morning low cloud and drizzle saw flying cancelled for the day.
08 April 2018
It was another calm, fine and sunny that was ideal for training and trial flights. The air was very stable which meant there was virtually no lift but silky smooth air.
01 April 2018
A fine and sunny early morning saw thermals forming before midday. The sea breeze rushed in to kill all local lift but Graham White in his LS8 managed to get away for a good soaring flight. Local conditions were ideal for training and trial flights.
25 March 2018
The forecast all week was not promising but the rain moved through early to leave a fine day. Some weak and broken thermals eventuated which allowed trial flights great extended views of the local area. The calm and clear conditions were also ideal for student pilots.
18 March 2018
Morning drizzle that lingered deterred members from flying all day even though the late afternoon was fine and flyable.
11 March 2018
The club flew from Waipukurau Airfield under partly cloudy skies with the tow plane CPD and Twin Astir MX returning to Hastings at the end of the day.
04 March 2018
A fine, sunny day with blustery north easterlies saw members stay on the ground all day.
25 February 2018
With the Central Districts Contest completed, members had the airfield to themselves. Initial blue, broken and hard to work thermals improved with some broken wave type lift which allowed members to soar around the local area. In ferrying the club's Grob 103C III SL GHB back to Hastings, some strong sink along with a good thermal climb and blue convergence just east of Hastings were encountered.
18 February 2018
Flying from Waipukurau Airfield during the Central Districts Contest allowed members to soar in thermals in flights of almost two hours and to 5,000ft around the local area.
11 February 2018
With very low cloud, drizzle and rain all day, no flying was possible.
04 February 2018
The weather forecast most of the week was depressing but the morning dawned cool and clear. This quickly warmed up with thermals forming and the sea breeze rushing in. While the soaring day was not as forecast by the RASP with local thermals being cut up and hard to work, Graham White in his LS8 climbed to around 6,000ft and as far south as Takapau while James Foreman in his LS3 and Jason Kelly in the LS4 flew south to Lake Poukawa and around the area at heights up to 4,000ft. Locally conditions were ideal for training and trial flights with light winds and clear skies.
28 January 2018
Early morning clear skies quickly filled with low cloud. However, as forecast, as the day warmed up the cloud began to break up and thermals were present. While the local area cloud base only reached 2,500ft, further south and west climbs to over 5,000ft at up to 4-5kts were reported with pilots flying past Gwavas and return. Calm local conditions were also ideal for trial flights and training.
21 January 2018
It was a blisteringly hot Hawkes Bay day with the ground temperature exceeding 30°C. The first flight of the day was a planned 1,200ft circuit but strong thermals allowed climbs to over 4,000ft and the pilots only returned to the airfield to let others use the aircraft. As the sea breeze came in, this pushed the thermals back but also created a convergence. Graham White flew his LS8 for over 325km OLC, including into the ranges, while Mads Slivsgaard put the club's PW5 through its paces while exploring the local sky.
14 January 2018
A faulty towplane starter motor limited flying to trial flights using the club's self launching glider. While the sky looked promising, local conditions were largely flat.
07 January 2018
With a number of members away at Omarama, students utilised the day to continue their training.
31 December 2017
New Year's Eve was a day for a number of trial flights with a good convergence line evident.
24 December 2017
Christmas Eve saw a fine day which was ideal for trial flights and training. Some broken local thermals enabled members to soar to just under 3,000ft and for over two hours.
17 December 2017
Morning cloud cleared and the sea breeze poured in as the day heated up. This left blue conditions which were ideal for training and trial flights. Some strong but broken sea breeze thermals allowed some brief soaring.
10 December 2017
After the ATC completed their annual gliding experience flights, conditions were suitable for training and some local soaring.
09 December 2017 (Saturday)
The local ATC started their annual gliding experience flights with strong thermals reported.
03 December 2017
A fine, hot and sunny day saw thermals and convergence lift form which was ideal for soaring flights around the area with pilots reaching from Blackhead Beach to the ranges. Conditions were also ideal for trial flights and training.
26 November 2017
Low cloud prevented an early start but flying occurred under cloudy skies with some cloud breaks and broken thermal lift.
19 November 2017
The seven day weather cycle saw another cold south easterly weather system with gusty winds and showers which resulted in no flying.
12 November 2017
A cold south easterly weather system with gusty winds and showers saw no flying.
05 November 2017
The forecast of a north westerly and overcast in the morning turning to southwest then west in the afternoon with the average wind speeds not too strong turned out to be correct. This enabled students and members to fly with thermal and wave lift in a constantly changing sky. Jason and Brian Kelly in the ASH25M flew south to Dannevirke and to 10,000ft while completing 215km OLC in a 2hr 32m flight. They also completed the local Bridge Pa – Maraekakaho – Pakipaki – Bridge Pa 33.3km triangle in 11m 14s at an average ground speed of 177.9km/h.
01 November 2017 (Wednesday)
Graham White launched late afternoon in his LS8 with the tow pilot reporting lift of 1,000ft per minute while on tow. However, the lift was too difficult to work as it was broken up by the wind so was only any good going down wind under a street. As this was only possible at 3,000ft, Graham decided to come back and land at the airfield.
29 October 2017
North easterly conditions saw mostly cloudy conditions with rain in the ranges and the odd late drizzle shower reaching the airfield. The sky was fairly calm which was ideal for training and trial flights.
25 October 2017 (Wednesday)
Some mid week soaring at last! The sky was full of energy but was hard to work early on. James Foreman flew his LS3 for over two hours south and east of the airfield while Brian Kelly and Graham White completed over 235km OLC in the ASH25M. They flew south almost to Dannevirke after contacting wave later in their 2hr 40m flight.
22 October 2017
The day was fine and mild with a light southerly on the ground but a strong westerly above 550ft. Pilots found the sky to 2,000ft a little bumpy, but with no usable lift, while higher up was reported to be very rough so trial flights were canceled for the rest of the day. One student took a tow but no soaring was possible.
15 October 2017
A fine and sunny day was marred by a quickly passing cold front that saw winds gusting to over 20kts which saw flying cancelled for the day. This allowed work to start on MX's annual inspection.
08 October 2017
The forecast rain and drizzle was present as predicted and prevented all flying for the day.
07 October 2017 (Saturday)
The Waipukurau Construction Social club enjoyed trial flights to 3,000ft in the morning. While conditions were less than ideal with cloud and drizzle, the calm conditions gave extremely smooth flights which were an ideal introduction to the sport of gliding.
01 October 2017
A dry morning deteriorated to low cloud with afternoon drizzle and rain. Neil Faulknor completed his Skylux rating but this was the only flying of the day. The afternoon saw the committee meeting and AGM held with no changes to the club executive officers.
24 September 2017
Fine and flyable weather saw 16 launches for the day with training, trial and attempted soaring flights undertaken. The club utilised the Skylux towplane for the day. The weather did not quite play ball for soaring with the longest flight being less than an hour and Allie Thompson landing the Libelle in a paddock. The day changed constantly with weak, broken and scrappy lift improving for a brief period mid afternoon. This saw many members take to the sky. Hopefully the day was a sign of better soaring days to come.
17 September 2017
A cool morning with thick high cloud cleared after midday to leave a partly cloudy sky with an increasing westerly. A number of instructional flights were completed with the sky ending up flat.
10 September 2017
Cool and cloudy weather with a variable westerly wind combined with forecast afternoon rain made flying a 50/50 call for the day. As it turned out, no flying was undertaken.
03 September 2017
Morning cloud, drizzle and rain weren’t forecast to clear until early/mid-afternoon so operations for the day were cancelled.
27 August 2017
Another cool morning saw a fine and sunny day with increasing high cloud. A moderate northerly wind gave a few low level bumps which left the day flyable but not soarable. A number of members took the opportunity to fly and keep current ahead of what must be better weather to come.
20 August 2017
An overcast but dry morning quickly deteriorated as the forecast southerly arrived with passing rain. As such, flying was cancelled before it started.
13 August 2017
A cool morning saw a fine and sunny day with increasing high cloud. A variable wind combined with aeroclub reports of severe turbulence from 200ft saw no flying for the day. Some minor hangar repairs were undertaken instead.
06 August 2017
Another freezing dawn heralded a fine and sunny morning. Increasing high cloud and a northerly wind saw limited flying in what was reported to be a bumpy sky.
30 July 2017
A sub-zero dawn saw the start of a fine and sunny day. With the aeroclub having a morning fly in, air traffic was busy until early afternoon which curtailed any gliding operations. The forecast southerly wind died down which left virtually calm conditions with weak and broken lift which allowed some brief local soaring for those who flew.
23 July 2017
Another morning with low cloud and damp conditions with no improvement forecast saw flying cancelled for the day.
16 July 2017
It was a typical Hawkes Bay winter's day with a cool start followed by sunshine, light winds and calm conditions. This was ideal for training and trial flights with great vistas for those who flew.
09 July 2017
With low cloud, damp conditions and a weather forecast of rain all day, operations were cancelled without attending the airfield.
02 July 2017
A cool and damp day with low cloud and strong forecast northerly winds saw no flying for the day.
25 June 2017
High cloud and cool temperatures left a flat sky and calm ground conditions which were ideal for training.
As can be seen in the link below, the soaring weather for the last 12 months has been very poor which has seen reduced flying. A mere 9 soaring days in total on Sundays were recorded which is around half the average of the previous three years.
It was a classic Hawkes Bay winter's day with a sharp morning frost followed by a glorious fine and sunny day. With calm conditions, this was again ideal for training and trial flights with flying continuing to near dark.
12 August 2018
A frosty morning lead to a fine, sunny but cool and calm day. This was ideal for training and trial flights. Some early afternoon weak and broken blue thermals allowed soaring flights over an hour. The result was the tow pilot and instructor were busy flying until after 5pm.
05 August 2018
Rain and drizzle with a strengthening gusty north easterly prevented any flying for the day.
22 July 2018
The day had had promise but a strengthening westerly wind on the ground and a towplane issue restricted flying to just one short flight.
15 July 2018
The weather was against us so there was no flying.
08 July 2018
Unsuitable conditions prevented any flying for the day.
01 July 2018
Another solid morning frost thawed to a day with thickening high cloud. This kept it cool all day on the ground. However, the calm conditions and mostly flat sky were ideal for training and trial flights. This saw the tow pilot and instructor busy all day until darkness stopped flying.
24 June 2018
A morning frost was followed by a fine day with increasing high cloud. A fickle ground wind saw a number of runway changes. Aloft, the sky tried to form wave but didn't quite manage it locally. This left calm conditions which were ideal for training.
17 June 2018
A fine and sunny day greeted pilots with wave visible in the sky. While the RASP was not great and the sky decayed before launch, this did not stop both club two seaters enjoying good wave flights. James Foreman and newly solo pilot Cameron Steed flew the Twin Astir MX to over 12,000ft and south to Dannevirke where it was 8/8 cloud. Meanwhile, Jason and Brian Kelly flew the Grob 103 C III SL HB to 9,500ft and also travelled to Dannevirke and return, reaching ground speeds of over 250km/h. Their flight can be viewed on the OLC at https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=6539369
10 June 2018
A very cold day with high cloud was ideal for training and trial flights with virtually no wind and a flat sky. As part of the club's youth contingent, thirteen year old Cameron Steed completed his first solo flight. Congratulations Cameron.
03 June 2018
The forecast of rain and showers was correct so flying was cancelled for the day without members leaving home.
27 May 2018
Rain and showers again saw flying cancelled for the day.
20 May 2018
A flying day at last! While the forecast was not great, gentle wave formed which allowed flights to 10,000ft and as far south as Dannevirke and return. Trial flighters and members enjoyed the conditions with some junior members experiencing wave for the first time.
13 May 2018
Persistent morning rain saw flying cancelled for the day.
06 May 2018
Early morning cloud and drizzle cleared but a strengthening unstable westerly flow saw flying cancelled for the day.
29 April 2018
Low cloud, drizzle and rain saw flying cancelled for the day.
22 April 2018
Early drizzle and rain cleared quickly to a fine and sunny day. This left relatively calm conditions with local convection which allowed flights of over an hour to be had.
15 April 2018
Inclement weather with morning low cloud and drizzle saw flying cancelled for the day.
08 April 2018
It was another calm, fine and sunny that was ideal for training and trial flights. The air was very stable which meant there was virtually no lift but silky smooth air.
01 April 2018
A fine and sunny early morning saw thermals forming before midday. The sea breeze rushed in to kill all local lift but Graham White in his LS8 managed to get away for a good soaring flight. Local conditions were ideal for training and trial flights.
25 March 2018
The forecast all week was not promising but the rain moved through early to leave a fine day. Some weak and broken thermals eventuated which allowed trial flights great extended views of the local area. The calm and clear conditions were also ideal for student pilots.
18 March 2018
Morning drizzle that lingered deterred members from flying all day even though the late afternoon was fine and flyable.
11 March 2018
The club flew from Waipukurau Airfield under partly cloudy skies with the tow plane CPD and Twin Astir MX returning to Hastings at the end of the day.
04 March 2018
A fine, sunny day with blustery north easterlies saw members stay on the ground all day.
25 February 2018
With the Central Districts Contest completed, members had the airfield to themselves. Initial blue, broken and hard to work thermals improved with some broken wave type lift which allowed members to soar around the local area. In ferrying the club's Grob 103C III SL GHB back to Hastings, some strong sink along with a good thermal climb and blue convergence just east of Hastings were encountered.
18 February 2018
Flying from Waipukurau Airfield during the Central Districts Contest allowed members to soar in thermals in flights of almost two hours and to 5,000ft around the local area.
11 February 2018
With very low cloud, drizzle and rain all day, no flying was possible.
04 February 2018
The weather forecast most of the week was depressing but the morning dawned cool and clear. This quickly warmed up with thermals forming and the sea breeze rushing in. While the soaring day was not as forecast by the RASP with local thermals being cut up and hard to work, Graham White in his LS8 climbed to around 6,000ft and as far south as Takapau while James Foreman in his LS3 and Jason Kelly in the LS4 flew south to Lake Poukawa and around the area at heights up to 4,000ft. Locally conditions were ideal for training and trial flights with light winds and clear skies.
28 January 2018
Early morning clear skies quickly filled with low cloud. However, as forecast, as the day warmed up the cloud began to break up and thermals were present. While the local area cloud base only reached 2,500ft, further south and west climbs to over 5,000ft at up to 4-5kts were reported with pilots flying past Gwavas and return. Calm local conditions were also ideal for trial flights and training.
21 January 2018
It was a blisteringly hot Hawkes Bay day with the ground temperature exceeding 30°C. The first flight of the day was a planned 1,200ft circuit but strong thermals allowed climbs to over 4,000ft and the pilots only returned to the airfield to let others use the aircraft. As the sea breeze came in, this pushed the thermals back but also created a convergence. Graham White flew his LS8 for over 325km OLC, including into the ranges, while Mads Slivsgaard put the club's PW5 through its paces while exploring the local sky.
14 January 2018
A faulty towplane starter motor limited flying to trial flights using the club's self launching glider. While the sky looked promising, local conditions were largely flat.
07 January 2018
With a number of members away at Omarama, students utilised the day to continue their training.
31 December 2017
New Year's Eve was a day for a number of trial flights with a good convergence line evident.
24 December 2017
Christmas Eve saw a fine day which was ideal for trial flights and training. Some broken local thermals enabled members to soar to just under 3,000ft and for over two hours.
17 December 2017
Morning cloud cleared and the sea breeze poured in as the day heated up. This left blue conditions which were ideal for training and trial flights. Some strong but broken sea breeze thermals allowed some brief soaring.
10 December 2017
After the ATC completed their annual gliding experience flights, conditions were suitable for training and some local soaring.
09 December 2017 (Saturday)
The local ATC started their annual gliding experience flights with strong thermals reported.
03 December 2017
A fine, hot and sunny day saw thermals and convergence lift form which was ideal for soaring flights around the area with pilots reaching from Blackhead Beach to the ranges. Conditions were also ideal for trial flights and training.
26 November 2017
Low cloud prevented an early start but flying occurred under cloudy skies with some cloud breaks and broken thermal lift.
19 November 2017
The seven day weather cycle saw another cold south easterly weather system with gusty winds and showers which resulted in no flying.
12 November 2017
A cold south easterly weather system with gusty winds and showers saw no flying.
05 November 2017
The forecast of a north westerly and overcast in the morning turning to southwest then west in the afternoon with the average wind speeds not too strong turned out to be correct. This enabled students and members to fly with thermal and wave lift in a constantly changing sky. Jason and Brian Kelly in the ASH25M flew south to Dannevirke and to 10,000ft while completing 215km OLC in a 2hr 32m flight. They also completed the local Bridge Pa – Maraekakaho – Pakipaki – Bridge Pa 33.3km triangle in 11m 14s at an average ground speed of 177.9km/h.
01 November 2017 (Wednesday)
Graham White launched late afternoon in his LS8 with the tow pilot reporting lift of 1,000ft per minute while on tow. However, the lift was too difficult to work as it was broken up by the wind so was only any good going down wind under a street. As this was only possible at 3,000ft, Graham decided to come back and land at the airfield.
29 October 2017
North easterly conditions saw mostly cloudy conditions with rain in the ranges and the odd late drizzle shower reaching the airfield. The sky was fairly calm which was ideal for training and trial flights.
25 October 2017 (Wednesday)
Some mid week soaring at last! The sky was full of energy but was hard to work early on. James Foreman flew his LS3 for over two hours south and east of the airfield while Brian Kelly and Graham White completed over 235km OLC in the ASH25M. They flew south almost to Dannevirke after contacting wave later in their 2hr 40m flight.
22 October 2017
The day was fine and mild with a light southerly on the ground but a strong westerly above 550ft. Pilots found the sky to 2,000ft a little bumpy, but with no usable lift, while higher up was reported to be very rough so trial flights were canceled for the rest of the day. One student took a tow but no soaring was possible.
15 October 2017
A fine and sunny day was marred by a quickly passing cold front that saw winds gusting to over 20kts which saw flying cancelled for the day. This allowed work to start on MX's annual inspection.
08 October 2017
The forecast rain and drizzle was present as predicted and prevented all flying for the day.
07 October 2017 (Saturday)
The Waipukurau Construction Social club enjoyed trial flights to 3,000ft in the morning. While conditions were less than ideal with cloud and drizzle, the calm conditions gave extremely smooth flights which were an ideal introduction to the sport of gliding.
01 October 2017
A dry morning deteriorated to low cloud with afternoon drizzle and rain. Neil Faulknor completed his Skylux rating but this was the only flying of the day. The afternoon saw the committee meeting and AGM held with no changes to the club executive officers.
24 September 2017
Fine and flyable weather saw 16 launches for the day with training, trial and attempted soaring flights undertaken. The club utilised the Skylux towplane for the day. The weather did not quite play ball for soaring with the longest flight being less than an hour and Allie Thompson landing the Libelle in a paddock. The day changed constantly with weak, broken and scrappy lift improving for a brief period mid afternoon. This saw many members take to the sky. Hopefully the day was a sign of better soaring days to come.
17 September 2017
A cool morning with thick high cloud cleared after midday to leave a partly cloudy sky with an increasing westerly. A number of instructional flights were completed with the sky ending up flat.
10 September 2017
Cool and cloudy weather with a variable westerly wind combined with forecast afternoon rain made flying a 50/50 call for the day. As it turned out, no flying was undertaken.
03 September 2017
Morning cloud, drizzle and rain weren’t forecast to clear until early/mid-afternoon so operations for the day were cancelled.
27 August 2017
Another cool morning saw a fine and sunny day with increasing high cloud. A moderate northerly wind gave a few low level bumps which left the day flyable but not soarable. A number of members took the opportunity to fly and keep current ahead of what must be better weather to come.
20 August 2017
An overcast but dry morning quickly deteriorated as the forecast southerly arrived with passing rain. As such, flying was cancelled before it started.
13 August 2017
A cool morning saw a fine and sunny day with increasing high cloud. A variable wind combined with aeroclub reports of severe turbulence from 200ft saw no flying for the day. Some minor hangar repairs were undertaken instead.
06 August 2017
Another freezing dawn heralded a fine and sunny morning. Increasing high cloud and a northerly wind saw limited flying in what was reported to be a bumpy sky.
30 July 2017
A sub-zero dawn saw the start of a fine and sunny day. With the aeroclub having a morning fly in, air traffic was busy until early afternoon which curtailed any gliding operations. The forecast southerly wind died down which left virtually calm conditions with weak and broken lift which allowed some brief local soaring for those who flew.
23 July 2017
Another morning with low cloud and damp conditions with no improvement forecast saw flying cancelled for the day.
16 July 2017
It was a typical Hawkes Bay winter's day with a cool start followed by sunshine, light winds and calm conditions. This was ideal for training and trial flights with great vistas for those who flew.
09 July 2017
With low cloud, damp conditions and a weather forecast of rain all day, operations were cancelled without attending the airfield.
02 July 2017
A cool and damp day with low cloud and strong forecast northerly winds saw no flying for the day.
25 June 2017
High cloud and cool temperatures left a flat sky and calm ground conditions which were ideal for training.
As can be seen in the link below, the soaring weather for the last 12 months has been very poor which has seen reduced flying. A mere 9 soaring days in total on Sundays were recorded which is around half the average of the previous three years.
18 June 2017
Low morning cloud and fog cleared to leave a pristine Hawkes Bay autumn day with a clear blue sky and little wind. Flying conditions were calm which were ideal for training and the blind circuit and spot landing competition. Brian Kelly retained the spot landing trophy with Jason Price securing the blind circuit cup. The club’s 60th Anniversary BBQ was held at the aeroclub in the evening with the presentation of the club trophies for the 2016 year. Kirstin Thompson and team organised a great BBQ and anniversary cake which was cut by Doug McIntyre, one of the founding members.
13 June 2017
Some mid week flying at last! The RASP suggested an early morning start was required and was spot on as the wave worked well to allow Jason and Nicholas Kelly to climb to 9,500ft in the club's Grob 103C III SL and fly past Waipawa and back in less than an hour. With the air starting to get rougher as the wave was impacted by weather moving up the country, the flight was relatively short as can be seen at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html;jsessionid=901E6E4CD0E30632837C491EE245FA80?dsId=5836838 but still covered over 100km OLC. A photo of the view towards Hastings is below.
Low morning cloud and fog cleared to leave a pristine Hawkes Bay autumn day with a clear blue sky and little wind. Flying conditions were calm which were ideal for training and the blind circuit and spot landing competition. Brian Kelly retained the spot landing trophy with Jason Price securing the blind circuit cup. The club’s 60th Anniversary BBQ was held at the aeroclub in the evening with the presentation of the club trophies for the 2016 year. Kirstin Thompson and team organised a great BBQ and anniversary cake which was cut by Doug McIntyre, one of the founding members.
13 June 2017
Some mid week flying at last! The RASP suggested an early morning start was required and was spot on as the wave worked well to allow Jason and Nicholas Kelly to climb to 9,500ft in the club's Grob 103C III SL and fly past Waipawa and back in less than an hour. With the air starting to get rougher as the wave was impacted by weather moving up the country, the flight was relatively short as can be seen at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html;jsessionid=901E6E4CD0E30632837C491EE245FA80?dsId=5836838 but still covered over 100km OLC. A photo of the view towards Hastings is below.
Morning sunshine lookings towards Hastings and Hawkes Bay. Photo was published in the HB Today.
11 June 2017
It was a pristine Hawkes Bay winter's day with clear blue skies, a cool temperature and a light southerly wind on the ground. This was ideal for training and early solo students with the odd small piece of lift thrown in.
04 June 2017
A cool, flat day with a light southerly breeze was ideal for training and trial flights. The Sklyux was in use as Gavin Grimmer completed a number of glider flights towards a tow rating.
28 May 2017
The poor run of weather continued but at least it was decisive – early rain abated to drizzly showers and low cloud which persisted all day with the result being no flying.
21 May 2017
Strong, gusty and freezing cold southerly winds saw flying cancelled for the day.
14 May 2017
It was a typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with a cool start followed by sunshine, light winds and generally calm conditions with some weak convection in the afternoon. This was ideal for training and trial flights with great vistas for those who flew. Sixteen year old Josh Ferguson completed his first solo flight to be the third junior member to achieve this. Congratulations Josh.
07 May 2017
It was a cool start for another autumn day that was perfect for training and trial flights with sunshine and largely calm conditions the order of the day. The afternoon saw some weak convection and also convergence which allowed Jason Kelly and Graham White to complete 122km OLC in just over 1.5 hours in the ASH25M.
30 April 2017
Actual and forecast poor weather saw the day’s operations cancelled without the hangar doors being opened.
23 April 2017
Another crisp, clear, fine, sunny and flat autumn day that was perfect for training and trial flights. With the instructor busy, only one pilot completed a blind circuit and spot landing as part of the planned annual competition.
16 April 2017
While the sky showed some promise of lift at times, it proved to be flat which was ideal for training and trial flights. With the long Easter weekend, a large number of people took advantage of the conditions to get a taste of gliding with trial flights.
09 April 2017
It was a soaring day of sorts with rapidly cycling thermal lift. Convection was also affected by high cloud which moved in, disappeared and then reappeared to stay for the day. This saw Graham White land his LS8 at Kereru while other members and trial flights enjoyed local flights of up to an hour. Students enjoyed the calm conditions as they continued to progress towards their aviation goals.
02 April 2017
It was a scorching day with the official temperature hitting 30°C under a largely clear local sky with some promising clouds further afield. However, the run of poor soaring weather continued with only weak and broken lift found with flights all less than one hour. On the bright side, the calm, clear conditions were ideal for the first day of the Student Gliding School and for trial flights.
26 March 2017
Morning rain and low cloud lingered with flying cancelled for the day due to the forecast of more of the same for most of the day.
19 March 2017
Low morning cloud cleared with some good looking cumulus clouds visible briefly before the day largely blued out. This left conditions ideal not only for training but also local soaring with convection around which allowed pilots to climb to over 3,000ft and fly most of the afternoon. At one stage five gliders were in the air. After a poor soaring summer, it was a fun day to fly and be able to practice at least some soaring skills while staying aloft.
12 March 2017
Morning mist and drizzle cleared briefly but flying was cancelled for the day due to forecast increasing wind and low, fast moving cloud.
05 March 2017
Weather conditions were fine, warm and calm which meant there was no convection. The decision on the day was to stay based at Bridge Pa as the conditions were ideal for training and trial flights with great vistas of the local area. A number of members took the opportunity to complete their BFRs while Graham White spied a convergence late afternoon which turned out to be weak and unusable so he did not get very far.
26 February 2017
While the forecast was correct in that flying from Waipukurau was not a viable option, the overcast sky with some late drizzle gave ideal calm conditions for training with some weak convection evident in smooth conditions. Making the most of the day, flying continued until almost 5pm and was followed by the monthly committee meeting.
19 February 2017
The dire forecast of continued rain proved inaccurate with drizzle stopping by 8am and the sky largely clearing as the day progressed. While cloud base only reached about 2,000ft, the calm conditions with weak, broken thermals were ideal for training. The club had a busy day with many students continuing their training towards solo with flying for the day finishing just before 6pm.
12 February 2017
With rough air conditions reported and high ground winds, no flying took place.
05 February 2017
As the club's towplane CPD was at the Central Districts Gliding Championships in Papawai near Greytown, flying was limited to circuit trials with the Skylux.
29 January 2017
It was a scorching Hawkes Bay summer's day with blue skies and sunshine. Early conditions were rough which lead to the cancellation of trial flights. Later in the afternoon conditions calmed down with local broken wave well used by Mads Slivsgaard in the PW5 (YP) and Neil Faulknor and Josh Ferguson in the club’s Twin Astir MX.
28 January 2017
Initial Skylux towing trials with Graham White's LS8 were undertaken with a time of 5m 17s from wheels up to wheels down for a 2,500ft tow recorded. From the 2nd launch, Graham flew to Greytown in preparation for the Central Districts Gliding Championships.
22 January 2017
Morning cloud, drizzle, rain and blustery north easterly winds were replaced by fine weather with westerly winds gusting to over 40kts at times. Hence, flying was cancelled for the day before it started.
15 January 2017
The day saw one trial flight then operations were shut down due to high ground winds.
08 January 2017
After a trial flight, the club stopped flying due to turbulent flying conditions. Later in the day, the ASH25M flew in wave that took a while to get into and was not well formed. However, as usual, when the wave was finally found, good lines and a good climb rate took them easily to around 8,000ft and they had to fly away from the strong lift to try and keep below the cleared 8,000ft. No rough air was found during the flight but some strong sink and a gusty westerly wind on landing made it a challenging landing.
01 January 2017
No flying was scheduled and a sky with high cloud and a passing morning cold front did not encourage any.
31 December 2016
Stable conditions with a light sea breeze were ideal for circuit training as Nicholas Kelly continued his training towards solo.
30 December 2016
A fine sunny day saw the sea breeze rush in and kill all local convection. Jason and Brian Kelly in the ASH25M managed to find one good climb on an hour plus flight around the local area.
25 December 2016
Christmas Day with the only flying reported being a man in a red suit.
18 December 2016
The day was hot with buoyant air. Lucy Hallett and instructor James Foreman on a quick circuit bash climbed from 1,000ft to 5,500ft using thermal and broken wave lift while Jason Price did more instructor training.
11 December 2016
Morning wave disappeared with James Foreman and Jason Price doing the only flying as it was a bit bumpy. James was being the student for Jason as they completed some training exercises as part of Jason’s instructors training. Only one student turned up with a number of members away at the Omarama Youth Camp.
04 December 2016 (Sunday)
Another fine, calm day which saw some good thermals and convergence lift develop. This was ideal for trial flights, training and some small cross country flights. The ASH25M flew south to Otane and return while Graham White landed his LS8 at Waipukurau and was retrieved by aerotow. Heights of around 5,000ft and climbs of 4-6kts were reported.
03 December 2016 (Saturday)
It was a fine, calm, sunny and mild day for the local ATC squadron annual gliding day. This saw the club complete 28 flights in conditions that were ideal for introductory lessons. Some convection of up to 6kts was reported which gave some cadets a brief introduction to soaring.
27 November 2016
Strong and gusty winds prevented all flying for the day.
20 November 2016
It was a challenging day but soaring was possible from mid-morning. Wave affected lift and sink was all round with bursts of over 10kts and climbs averaging to 5kts and 5,000ft recorded. Graham White managed to fly south to Waipukurau and return with others flying locally. Late in the afternoon the wind shifted and rough conditions were encountered.
13 November 2016
The weather was variable with sunshine and showers but the conditions were suitable for training, trial flights and some limited local soaring. This saw Jason Kelly in the LS4 and Graham White in the Libelle flying these gliders for the first time for a while. Allie Thompson was rated in and flew the Libelle.
06 November 2016
A warm day with a highly unstable sky and variable westerly ground wind made for interesting conditions. The rapidly changing sky had plenty of lift at times but also plenty of heavy sink. The ASH25M with Jason and Brian Kelly reached over 4,500ft locally in broken 2-4kt lift before the sky overdeveloped and the lift collapsed.
30 October 2016
A cold southerly with cloud and showers allowed flying between the rain. New member Stu White started his training while Josh Ferguson and Jason Kelly flew around the local area from central Hastings to Maraekakaho, over Roys Hill and then back to the airfield after almost an hour of smooth conditions utilising the abundant energy in the atmosphere.
23 October 2016
It was another cloudy morning but conditions were suitable for training with some lift available later in the day between the showers.
16 October 2016
A fine, sunny, mild and calm day was ideal for trial flights and training with some weak convection allowing soaring flights of over an hour.
09 October 2016
Saturday evening saw some great looking wave but Sunday morning had early rain which cleared. This allowed club flying with some weak and broken lift available to sustain height. As a result, members present spent most of their time working on glider annuals in preparation for better flying weather.
02 October 2016
Morning rain saw club flying cancelled for the day.
25 September 2016
Damp, grey and overcast conditions prevented all flying for the day. However the planned evening BBQ with the aeroclub went ahead and was well attended.
18 September 2016
A calm, mild but highly unstable morning saw flying curtailed early afternoon by thundery showers.
11 September 2016
Morning cloud cleared to leave a fine, sunny and calm day which generated some broken local lift which allowed local soaring. The day was again ideal for training and trial flights.
04 September 2016
An overcast cool and calm day was ideal for training and trial flights.
28 August 2016
A fine and sunny day with some weak and broken lift forming had gliding operations curtailed by various aeroclub competitions. However, this enabled HB to be rigged and work started on its annual inspection.
21 August 2016
A crisp start saw a fine and sunny but cool day. First task for the day was to rig MX after last week's paddock landing practice. Once this was completed, students took advantage of the ideal calm training conditions with the odd burst of weak lift.
14 August 2016
A flying day at last. Despite a cool morning, the day warmed up under largely blue skies with light winds. This made conditions ideal for training and trial flights. Early afternoon there was some weak and broken lift which enabled Bryan Malcolm in the PW5 to climb to 2,500ft and float around locally. The last flight of the day was a planned paddock landing for Allie Thompson as part of the QGP training syllabus. This was completed under the watchful eye of Graham White and the glider de-rigged at dusk and returned to the airfield.
07 August 2016
A winter's day of showers, cold temperatures and a brisk freezing southerly wind kept members indoors.
31 July 2016
Morning rain squalls and gusty winds yet again saw flying cancelled without opening the hangar doors.
24 July 2016
It was 18°C at 10am but with wind gusts of over 20kts at Bridge Pa and rainbows to the south, it was again decided to cancel the day’s operations without opening the hangar doors.
17 July 2016
With wind gusts of 20kts at Bridge Pa and rain forecast, it was decided to cancel the day’s operations without opening the hangar doors.
10 July 2016
Flying was cancelled due to inclement weather of a cool south easterly with passing showers.
03 July 2016
A typical Hawkes Bay winter's day which dawned with a solid frost but blue skies and calm conditions. The day warmed up and was ideal for training and trial flights with some weak lift found which allowed some brief soaring.
26 June 2016
Passing cold fronts saw a day of early morning sunshine followed by mid morning cloud with rain in places and variable direction and strength afternoon winds. This resulted in no flying occurring despite various signs of wave during the day.
19 June 2016
With yet another morning frost, the day slowly warmed up despite increasing high cloud. This left a relatively calm day with a flat sky which was ideal for training.
12 June 2016
Another sub-zero morning start did not deter Jason and Nicholas Kelly from launching just after 11am to surf the local wave in the club's Grob 103C III SL GHB. Despite few initial wave markers, they fairly quickly jumped into the primary wave and reached 9,500ft to soar south past Dannevirke and return. Details of the flight on the OLC are at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=5124956 They ended the flight with a 18m 36s traverse around the local triangle at an average ground speed of 107.2km/h. The towplane had some minor maintenance issues which saw just two other launches with John McConville and Allie Thompson reaching 6,500ft locally late in the afternoon before having to return due to impending darkness.
05 June 2016
A numbing morning frost lead to a fine, calm day which was ideal for trial flights and training.
29 May 2016
A fine and mild day saw all flying thwarted by strong westerly ground winds.
22 May 2016
Despite a dire forecast for most of the week, it started off a fine and sunny day with the possible suggestion of local wave. However, this quickly vanished to leave a calm and flat day that was ideal for training. Later in the afternoon a westerly on the ground did pick up with a brief shower.
15 May 2016
It was another fine and mild Hawkes Bay autumn day with a variable ground wind that swung from a westerly early afternoon to a light northerly early evening. This made conditions on the ground and in the circuit a little challenging but did provide some extremely gentle wave. Launching to just over 3,000ft in the ASH25M GRJ, Brian and Jason Kelly contacted weak wave of generally 2-4kts. This did peak briefly at 10kts in places. However, the sky was largely full of 8/8 cloud which prevented them travelling any great distance. They did reach 9,500ft easily and completed the 33.3km club triangle of Bridge Pa - Maraekakaho - Paki Paki in 9m 52s which gave them an average ground speed of 202.5km/h. Full flight details can be seen at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=5033600 John McConville and Richard Keir in the club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL GHB and Mads Slivsgaard in the PW5 YP both towed to Maraekakaho but did not manage to catch the wave which was messy and not well marked.
08 May 2016
Some early signs of convection quickly dissipated as a layer of high cloud came in. However, this left a perfectly flat and calm day which was ideal for training.
01 May 2016
Unfortunately a flat towplane battery prevented any aerotows for the day. However, the fine, mild day with some patchy decaying wave was enjoyed by a trial flight and some club members utilising the club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL.
24 April 2016
Morning showers cleared but low cloud remained with a cool temperature. Despite the calm conditions, which were ideal for training, no members ventured to fly which made it a short day for the tow pilot and instructor.
17 April 2016
A dry day with thickening high cloud but calm conditions was ideal for training but no soaring was possible.
10 April 2016
The forecast inclement weather of low cloud and drizzle duly prevailed preventing flying for the day.
03 April 2016
Morning high cloud cleared and with calm conditions this was ideal for training. As the day progressed, thermals started to occur with wave starting to form. This allowed pilots to have some good local flying as well as cross country flying with Graham White achieving the longest flight by flying to Dannevirke and return at up to 9,500ft after getting into wave around Onga Onga. Mads Slivsgaard achieved a personal best of over an hour in the PW5 and reached 5,000ft in the process while others flew around the local area.
28 March 2016 - Easter Monday
After a cool start, the day warmed up and some convection started to occur which allowed trial flights and students to get a taste of soaring. The flight of the day was completed by Graham White and John McConville in the club's Grob 103C III SL GHB. Graham reports that they launched to 2,000ft near Tumu Timbers then thermalled up to 2,500ft before flying to the north end of Mount Erin where there was a good cloud and a parapont underneath. They reached the cloud at about 2,000ft with Euchre Flats as a back up for landing if they needed it. There was good lift there which took them to a little over 4,000ft. They then decided to have a look at the convergence towards Waimarama and found it a bit scrappy and weak so flew back towards Kahuranaki and climbed in strong lift to nearly 5,000ft. It looked good towards the west so they headed that way and eventually ended up west of Kereru. The lift out at Kereru took them to 6,000ft and they looked for a little bit of wave as they could see some to the south. At this point in the flight the GPS told of a wind change from westerly to southerly and as they had been up over two hours they headed back to Hastings. As they approached the airfield it was obvious the convergence in the east had re-established with some vigour and they could have played in that for another half hour if they had felt inclined. It still looked quite good after they put the glider away but by the time they were on their way home it was decaying. Most of the climbs were 2-4kts but there were a couple of thermals of a good 5kt average. A total flight of 2hrs 26mins and good fun.
27 March 2016 - Easter Sunday
A fine and calm day proved ideal for trial flights and training. Unfortunately the sky was extremely flat so no soaring was possible.
20 March 2016
It was another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with clear skies locally and mild temperatures. The forecast suggested it would be ideal only for training and trial flights with soaring unlikely and this is largely what transpired. Some interesting clouds out west were at around 3,000ft but were found to be mostly show and no go to the pilots who ventured out to test them. However, there was weak, broken lift to 2,500ft, especially over the hills just south west of the airfield, which enabled gliders to stay aloft with hard work. The longest flight was 1hr 40m and only ended due to the monthly committee meeting. This saw Josh Ferguson and Nicholas Kelly confirmed as new youth members and Scott Woods from Nelson as an associate member.
13 March 2016
A cold morning gave way to a fine, mild, clear blue day. The RASP predicted blue thermals which would be pushed back by the sea breeze and this is what happened. Allie Thompson flew the PW5 for over an hour mid-afternoon while Jason Kelly and Graham White did not launch in the AH25M until around 3:15pm and motored to 2,000ft south west of the airfield before finding a reasonable climb in the blue. From there it was upwards and westward, reaching over 6,300ft over the ranges before returning to the airfield to land after 5pm in a flat local sky. Students and trial flighters enjoyed the calm conditions with Josh Ferguson joining as a youth member.
06 March 2016
Flying from both Waipukurau and Hastings Airfields, members enjoyed thermal and convergence lift to over 6,000ft while flying around the local area, out to the mountain ranges and between sites.
28 February 2016
Flying from Waipukurau Airfield, ideal morning trial flight conditions with clear skies soon gave way to some good convection which peaked early afternoon. With some upper level westerly winds giving some wave effect, climbs of 3-4kts were found which enabled trial flighters to be treated to good views of the local area at heights of up to over 5,000ft from which Hastings and Napier could be spotted in the distance. Club members flew the PW5 locally while private owners also enjoyed the conditions with Graham White flying his Libelle back to Hastings while James Foreman launched from Hastings towards Waipukurau before soaring back to land at Hastings.
21 February 2016
Morning high cloud burnt off over Waipukurau Airfield which saw some good convection occur. While it was mostly hard to work, trial flighters were treated to good views of the area at heights of up to almost 6,000ft. Club members flew both the PW5 and Twin Astir to practice their thermalling and also some convergence flying. Graham White in his LS8 and James Foreman in his LS3 flew back to Hastings. Overall it was a good soaring day for those who flew.
14 February 2016
Operating from Waipukurau Airfield during the Central Districts Contest, members saw early morning cloud burn off to leave a sky ripe for convection. Thermals duly formed which allowed both the PW5 and Twin Astir to have good soaring flights around the area.
07 February 2016
The forecast was not spectacular but this did not prevent some great local thermal flights with 4-5kt thermals reported. Despite a cloudbase of around 2,800ft, Allie Thompson climbed to 2,500ft in the PW5 and could have gone higher but limited her altitude to local airspace while flying for almost an hour and three quarters over two flights while Ryan Maney enjoyed himself in the Twin Astir. Graham White also dusted off his Libelle for a float around the sky.
03 February 2016
With the usual "blue hole" around the airfield, the nearest clouds where around Mount Erin when the ASH RJ flown by Brian Kelly with a trial flight and the club's Grob 103C III SL HB flown by Graham White with Jason Kelly in the back seat launched mid-afternoon. They found reasonable thermals and convergence lift which allowed them to climb to around 5,000ft and reach the Norsewood area in the south. With the sea breeze pushing in, HB was around 1,000ft short of height to safely return to Bridge Pa so needed a little motor assistance to complete the flight.
31 January 2016
Low cloud and drizzle saw flying cancelled for the day.
24 January 2016
A scorching day on the ground with a maximum of over 32°C combined with an unprecedented demand for trial flights on the day along with the usual student workload saw the rostered club instructor Grant Jarden putting in a supreme effort for the club. With assistance from John McConville both club two seaters were well utilised in largely flat local conditions with a sea breeze coming in. Further from the airfield, some good thermals and convergences formed which saw Graham White in his LS8 run up and down the ranges at over 8,000ft while Brian and Jason Kelly in their ASH25M flew west to Kereru then south of Waipukurau covering over 200km OLC at a leisurely pace.
17 January 2016
Fine, hot and sunny weather was the order of the day. This saw the sea breeze rush in early killing local lift but leaving conditions ideal for trial flights and training which allowed Allie Thompson to progress to the PW5. Taking a longer tow to the lift, Graham White in his LS8, flew south to Norsewood and along the ranges with some good thermals to over 5,000ft before returning to the airfield.
10 January 2016
Ground wind gusts exceeding 40kts with them predicted to strengthen saw club flying cancelled for the day.
03 January 2016
The predicted day of rain had abated to bright sunshine with passing showers by midday. The air was warm, humid and calm which was ideal for students and trial flights. Wayne Golding and Ryan Maney both completed a further two solo flights to fulfill the A certificate requirements.
27 December 2015
Morning cloud slowly cleared to reveal a day ideal for training which enabled Wayne Golding to complete his first gliding solo. Congratulations Wayne. The afternoon saw some thermals up to around 5,000ft and 6kts average with later convergence lift. This saw members fly from Mount Erin in the east to Gwavas and Kereru in the west, north of Hastings and south to the Takapau Plains. Graham White landed his LS8 at Kereru.
20 December 2015
A flat, calm morning that was ideal for students deteriorated into rough air conditions unsuitable for training. As such, club flying was suspended for the day after only three flights.
13 December 2015
The predicted early morning rain cleared by 10am to reveal another clear blue Hawkes Bay day. Unfortunately the weather forecast was also correct in predicting strong and gusty westerly winds which promptly arrived. The sky did not looking enticing with no visible wave and with wind gusts of over 35kts and getting stronger, flying was abandoned for the day before it began.
06 December 2015
Despite a poor weather forecast, the morning dawned with signs of wave and light ground winds. As the day progressed, the southerly weather system moved in killing all the wave but giving some convergence lift. Students managed to get in some flights before late afternoon drizzle saw flying ending for the day.
29 November 2015
Another fine and warm Hawkes Bay day started off blue but by early afternoon presented a good looking thermal sky. However, it was mostly for looks with pilots finding lift broken and hard to work as predicted by the RASP. This did not stop some good flights with Graham White getting into a convergence and flying south to Waipukurau, across to the ranges and back to the airfield before the sky stopped providing lift. Others flew locally and climbed up to almost 5,000ft while the instructor and tow pilot had another full day as the weather locally was ideal for instruction and trial flights. GHB was de-rigged after flying as it is being taken to the Omarama Youth Camp next weekend. The evening saw a very well attended BBQ in conjunction with the aeroclub and presentation of the club trophies (see http://www.glidinghbw.co.nz/club-trophies.html).
22 November 2015
The RASP predicted reasonable wave and the sky produced a most challenging day. With wind conditions on the ground varying, only Jason Kelly managed to launch in the LS4 before flying was cancelled for the day. He quickly found strong lift to 15,000ft just west of the airfield before finding even stronger sink. Large areas of over 25kt sink were evident and this, combined with a largely blue sky (see photo below), and the wave randomly rolling forward, made staying aloft a challenge at times. This resulted in more of a spider web track with only one good wave run being achieved from Waipukurau to Hastings in less than 10 minutes climbing much of the way. However, a total flight time of 5hrs 34m was achieved as well as a race around the club's 33km local speed triangle at 157.1km/h. The flight has been uploaded to the OLC at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=4791834
It was a pristine Hawkes Bay winter's day with clear blue skies, a cool temperature and a light southerly wind on the ground. This was ideal for training and early solo students with the odd small piece of lift thrown in.
04 June 2017
A cool, flat day with a light southerly breeze was ideal for training and trial flights. The Sklyux was in use as Gavin Grimmer completed a number of glider flights towards a tow rating.
28 May 2017
The poor run of weather continued but at least it was decisive – early rain abated to drizzly showers and low cloud which persisted all day with the result being no flying.
21 May 2017
Strong, gusty and freezing cold southerly winds saw flying cancelled for the day.
14 May 2017
It was a typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with a cool start followed by sunshine, light winds and generally calm conditions with some weak convection in the afternoon. This was ideal for training and trial flights with great vistas for those who flew. Sixteen year old Josh Ferguson completed his first solo flight to be the third junior member to achieve this. Congratulations Josh.
07 May 2017
It was a cool start for another autumn day that was perfect for training and trial flights with sunshine and largely calm conditions the order of the day. The afternoon saw some weak convection and also convergence which allowed Jason Kelly and Graham White to complete 122km OLC in just over 1.5 hours in the ASH25M.
30 April 2017
Actual and forecast poor weather saw the day’s operations cancelled without the hangar doors being opened.
23 April 2017
Another crisp, clear, fine, sunny and flat autumn day that was perfect for training and trial flights. With the instructor busy, only one pilot completed a blind circuit and spot landing as part of the planned annual competition.
16 April 2017
While the sky showed some promise of lift at times, it proved to be flat which was ideal for training and trial flights. With the long Easter weekend, a large number of people took advantage of the conditions to get a taste of gliding with trial flights.
09 April 2017
It was a soaring day of sorts with rapidly cycling thermal lift. Convection was also affected by high cloud which moved in, disappeared and then reappeared to stay for the day. This saw Graham White land his LS8 at Kereru while other members and trial flights enjoyed local flights of up to an hour. Students enjoyed the calm conditions as they continued to progress towards their aviation goals.
02 April 2017
It was a scorching day with the official temperature hitting 30°C under a largely clear local sky with some promising clouds further afield. However, the run of poor soaring weather continued with only weak and broken lift found with flights all less than one hour. On the bright side, the calm, clear conditions were ideal for the first day of the Student Gliding School and for trial flights.
26 March 2017
Morning rain and low cloud lingered with flying cancelled for the day due to the forecast of more of the same for most of the day.
19 March 2017
Low morning cloud cleared with some good looking cumulus clouds visible briefly before the day largely blued out. This left conditions ideal not only for training but also local soaring with convection around which allowed pilots to climb to over 3,000ft and fly most of the afternoon. At one stage five gliders were in the air. After a poor soaring summer, it was a fun day to fly and be able to practice at least some soaring skills while staying aloft.
12 March 2017
Morning mist and drizzle cleared briefly but flying was cancelled for the day due to forecast increasing wind and low, fast moving cloud.
05 March 2017
Weather conditions were fine, warm and calm which meant there was no convection. The decision on the day was to stay based at Bridge Pa as the conditions were ideal for training and trial flights with great vistas of the local area. A number of members took the opportunity to complete their BFRs while Graham White spied a convergence late afternoon which turned out to be weak and unusable so he did not get very far.
26 February 2017
While the forecast was correct in that flying from Waipukurau was not a viable option, the overcast sky with some late drizzle gave ideal calm conditions for training with some weak convection evident in smooth conditions. Making the most of the day, flying continued until almost 5pm and was followed by the monthly committee meeting.
19 February 2017
The dire forecast of continued rain proved inaccurate with drizzle stopping by 8am and the sky largely clearing as the day progressed. While cloud base only reached about 2,000ft, the calm conditions with weak, broken thermals were ideal for training. The club had a busy day with many students continuing their training towards solo with flying for the day finishing just before 6pm.
12 February 2017
With rough air conditions reported and high ground winds, no flying took place.
05 February 2017
As the club's towplane CPD was at the Central Districts Gliding Championships in Papawai near Greytown, flying was limited to circuit trials with the Skylux.
29 January 2017
It was a scorching Hawkes Bay summer's day with blue skies and sunshine. Early conditions were rough which lead to the cancellation of trial flights. Later in the afternoon conditions calmed down with local broken wave well used by Mads Slivsgaard in the PW5 (YP) and Neil Faulknor and Josh Ferguson in the club’s Twin Astir MX.
28 January 2017
Initial Skylux towing trials with Graham White's LS8 were undertaken with a time of 5m 17s from wheels up to wheels down for a 2,500ft tow recorded. From the 2nd launch, Graham flew to Greytown in preparation for the Central Districts Gliding Championships.
22 January 2017
Morning cloud, drizzle, rain and blustery north easterly winds were replaced by fine weather with westerly winds gusting to over 40kts at times. Hence, flying was cancelled for the day before it started.
15 January 2017
The day saw one trial flight then operations were shut down due to high ground winds.
08 January 2017
After a trial flight, the club stopped flying due to turbulent flying conditions. Later in the day, the ASH25M flew in wave that took a while to get into and was not well formed. However, as usual, when the wave was finally found, good lines and a good climb rate took them easily to around 8,000ft and they had to fly away from the strong lift to try and keep below the cleared 8,000ft. No rough air was found during the flight but some strong sink and a gusty westerly wind on landing made it a challenging landing.
01 January 2017
No flying was scheduled and a sky with high cloud and a passing morning cold front did not encourage any.
31 December 2016
Stable conditions with a light sea breeze were ideal for circuit training as Nicholas Kelly continued his training towards solo.
30 December 2016
A fine sunny day saw the sea breeze rush in and kill all local convection. Jason and Brian Kelly in the ASH25M managed to find one good climb on an hour plus flight around the local area.
25 December 2016
Christmas Day with the only flying reported being a man in a red suit.
18 December 2016
The day was hot with buoyant air. Lucy Hallett and instructor James Foreman on a quick circuit bash climbed from 1,000ft to 5,500ft using thermal and broken wave lift while Jason Price did more instructor training.
11 December 2016
Morning wave disappeared with James Foreman and Jason Price doing the only flying as it was a bit bumpy. James was being the student for Jason as they completed some training exercises as part of Jason’s instructors training. Only one student turned up with a number of members away at the Omarama Youth Camp.
04 December 2016 (Sunday)
Another fine, calm day which saw some good thermals and convergence lift develop. This was ideal for trial flights, training and some small cross country flights. The ASH25M flew south to Otane and return while Graham White landed his LS8 at Waipukurau and was retrieved by aerotow. Heights of around 5,000ft and climbs of 4-6kts were reported.
03 December 2016 (Saturday)
It was a fine, calm, sunny and mild day for the local ATC squadron annual gliding day. This saw the club complete 28 flights in conditions that were ideal for introductory lessons. Some convection of up to 6kts was reported which gave some cadets a brief introduction to soaring.
27 November 2016
Strong and gusty winds prevented all flying for the day.
20 November 2016
It was a challenging day but soaring was possible from mid-morning. Wave affected lift and sink was all round with bursts of over 10kts and climbs averaging to 5kts and 5,000ft recorded. Graham White managed to fly south to Waipukurau and return with others flying locally. Late in the afternoon the wind shifted and rough conditions were encountered.
13 November 2016
The weather was variable with sunshine and showers but the conditions were suitable for training, trial flights and some limited local soaring. This saw Jason Kelly in the LS4 and Graham White in the Libelle flying these gliders for the first time for a while. Allie Thompson was rated in and flew the Libelle.
06 November 2016
A warm day with a highly unstable sky and variable westerly ground wind made for interesting conditions. The rapidly changing sky had plenty of lift at times but also plenty of heavy sink. The ASH25M with Jason and Brian Kelly reached over 4,500ft locally in broken 2-4kt lift before the sky overdeveloped and the lift collapsed.
30 October 2016
A cold southerly with cloud and showers allowed flying between the rain. New member Stu White started his training while Josh Ferguson and Jason Kelly flew around the local area from central Hastings to Maraekakaho, over Roys Hill and then back to the airfield after almost an hour of smooth conditions utilising the abundant energy in the atmosphere.
23 October 2016
It was another cloudy morning but conditions were suitable for training with some lift available later in the day between the showers.
16 October 2016
A fine, sunny, mild and calm day was ideal for trial flights and training with some weak convection allowing soaring flights of over an hour.
09 October 2016
Saturday evening saw some great looking wave but Sunday morning had early rain which cleared. This allowed club flying with some weak and broken lift available to sustain height. As a result, members present spent most of their time working on glider annuals in preparation for better flying weather.
02 October 2016
Morning rain saw club flying cancelled for the day.
25 September 2016
Damp, grey and overcast conditions prevented all flying for the day. However the planned evening BBQ with the aeroclub went ahead and was well attended.
18 September 2016
A calm, mild but highly unstable morning saw flying curtailed early afternoon by thundery showers.
11 September 2016
Morning cloud cleared to leave a fine, sunny and calm day which generated some broken local lift which allowed local soaring. The day was again ideal for training and trial flights.
04 September 2016
An overcast cool and calm day was ideal for training and trial flights.
28 August 2016
A fine and sunny day with some weak and broken lift forming had gliding operations curtailed by various aeroclub competitions. However, this enabled HB to be rigged and work started on its annual inspection.
21 August 2016
A crisp start saw a fine and sunny but cool day. First task for the day was to rig MX after last week's paddock landing practice. Once this was completed, students took advantage of the ideal calm training conditions with the odd burst of weak lift.
14 August 2016
A flying day at last. Despite a cool morning, the day warmed up under largely blue skies with light winds. This made conditions ideal for training and trial flights. Early afternoon there was some weak and broken lift which enabled Bryan Malcolm in the PW5 to climb to 2,500ft and float around locally. The last flight of the day was a planned paddock landing for Allie Thompson as part of the QGP training syllabus. This was completed under the watchful eye of Graham White and the glider de-rigged at dusk and returned to the airfield.
07 August 2016
A winter's day of showers, cold temperatures and a brisk freezing southerly wind kept members indoors.
31 July 2016
Morning rain squalls and gusty winds yet again saw flying cancelled without opening the hangar doors.
24 July 2016
It was 18°C at 10am but with wind gusts of over 20kts at Bridge Pa and rainbows to the south, it was again decided to cancel the day’s operations without opening the hangar doors.
17 July 2016
With wind gusts of 20kts at Bridge Pa and rain forecast, it was decided to cancel the day’s operations without opening the hangar doors.
10 July 2016
Flying was cancelled due to inclement weather of a cool south easterly with passing showers.
03 July 2016
A typical Hawkes Bay winter's day which dawned with a solid frost but blue skies and calm conditions. The day warmed up and was ideal for training and trial flights with some weak lift found which allowed some brief soaring.
26 June 2016
Passing cold fronts saw a day of early morning sunshine followed by mid morning cloud with rain in places and variable direction and strength afternoon winds. This resulted in no flying occurring despite various signs of wave during the day.
19 June 2016
With yet another morning frost, the day slowly warmed up despite increasing high cloud. This left a relatively calm day with a flat sky which was ideal for training.
12 June 2016
Another sub-zero morning start did not deter Jason and Nicholas Kelly from launching just after 11am to surf the local wave in the club's Grob 103C III SL GHB. Despite few initial wave markers, they fairly quickly jumped into the primary wave and reached 9,500ft to soar south past Dannevirke and return. Details of the flight on the OLC are at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=5124956 They ended the flight with a 18m 36s traverse around the local triangle at an average ground speed of 107.2km/h. The towplane had some minor maintenance issues which saw just two other launches with John McConville and Allie Thompson reaching 6,500ft locally late in the afternoon before having to return due to impending darkness.
05 June 2016
A numbing morning frost lead to a fine, calm day which was ideal for trial flights and training.
29 May 2016
A fine and mild day saw all flying thwarted by strong westerly ground winds.
22 May 2016
Despite a dire forecast for most of the week, it started off a fine and sunny day with the possible suggestion of local wave. However, this quickly vanished to leave a calm and flat day that was ideal for training. Later in the afternoon a westerly on the ground did pick up with a brief shower.
15 May 2016
It was another fine and mild Hawkes Bay autumn day with a variable ground wind that swung from a westerly early afternoon to a light northerly early evening. This made conditions on the ground and in the circuit a little challenging but did provide some extremely gentle wave. Launching to just over 3,000ft in the ASH25M GRJ, Brian and Jason Kelly contacted weak wave of generally 2-4kts. This did peak briefly at 10kts in places. However, the sky was largely full of 8/8 cloud which prevented them travelling any great distance. They did reach 9,500ft easily and completed the 33.3km club triangle of Bridge Pa - Maraekakaho - Paki Paki in 9m 52s which gave them an average ground speed of 202.5km/h. Full flight details can be seen at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=5033600 John McConville and Richard Keir in the club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL GHB and Mads Slivsgaard in the PW5 YP both towed to Maraekakaho but did not manage to catch the wave which was messy and not well marked.
08 May 2016
Some early signs of convection quickly dissipated as a layer of high cloud came in. However, this left a perfectly flat and calm day which was ideal for training.
01 May 2016
Unfortunately a flat towplane battery prevented any aerotows for the day. However, the fine, mild day with some patchy decaying wave was enjoyed by a trial flight and some club members utilising the club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL.
24 April 2016
Morning showers cleared but low cloud remained with a cool temperature. Despite the calm conditions, which were ideal for training, no members ventured to fly which made it a short day for the tow pilot and instructor.
17 April 2016
A dry day with thickening high cloud but calm conditions was ideal for training but no soaring was possible.
10 April 2016
The forecast inclement weather of low cloud and drizzle duly prevailed preventing flying for the day.
03 April 2016
Morning high cloud cleared and with calm conditions this was ideal for training. As the day progressed, thermals started to occur with wave starting to form. This allowed pilots to have some good local flying as well as cross country flying with Graham White achieving the longest flight by flying to Dannevirke and return at up to 9,500ft after getting into wave around Onga Onga. Mads Slivsgaard achieved a personal best of over an hour in the PW5 and reached 5,000ft in the process while others flew around the local area.
28 March 2016 - Easter Monday
After a cool start, the day warmed up and some convection started to occur which allowed trial flights and students to get a taste of soaring. The flight of the day was completed by Graham White and John McConville in the club's Grob 103C III SL GHB. Graham reports that they launched to 2,000ft near Tumu Timbers then thermalled up to 2,500ft before flying to the north end of Mount Erin where there was a good cloud and a parapont underneath. They reached the cloud at about 2,000ft with Euchre Flats as a back up for landing if they needed it. There was good lift there which took them to a little over 4,000ft. They then decided to have a look at the convergence towards Waimarama and found it a bit scrappy and weak so flew back towards Kahuranaki and climbed in strong lift to nearly 5,000ft. It looked good towards the west so they headed that way and eventually ended up west of Kereru. The lift out at Kereru took them to 6,000ft and they looked for a little bit of wave as they could see some to the south. At this point in the flight the GPS told of a wind change from westerly to southerly and as they had been up over two hours they headed back to Hastings. As they approached the airfield it was obvious the convergence in the east had re-established with some vigour and they could have played in that for another half hour if they had felt inclined. It still looked quite good after they put the glider away but by the time they were on their way home it was decaying. Most of the climbs were 2-4kts but there were a couple of thermals of a good 5kt average. A total flight of 2hrs 26mins and good fun.
27 March 2016 - Easter Sunday
A fine and calm day proved ideal for trial flights and training. Unfortunately the sky was extremely flat so no soaring was possible.
20 March 2016
It was another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with clear skies locally and mild temperatures. The forecast suggested it would be ideal only for training and trial flights with soaring unlikely and this is largely what transpired. Some interesting clouds out west were at around 3,000ft but were found to be mostly show and no go to the pilots who ventured out to test them. However, there was weak, broken lift to 2,500ft, especially over the hills just south west of the airfield, which enabled gliders to stay aloft with hard work. The longest flight was 1hr 40m and only ended due to the monthly committee meeting. This saw Josh Ferguson and Nicholas Kelly confirmed as new youth members and Scott Woods from Nelson as an associate member.
13 March 2016
A cold morning gave way to a fine, mild, clear blue day. The RASP predicted blue thermals which would be pushed back by the sea breeze and this is what happened. Allie Thompson flew the PW5 for over an hour mid-afternoon while Jason Kelly and Graham White did not launch in the AH25M until around 3:15pm and motored to 2,000ft south west of the airfield before finding a reasonable climb in the blue. From there it was upwards and westward, reaching over 6,300ft over the ranges before returning to the airfield to land after 5pm in a flat local sky. Students and trial flighters enjoyed the calm conditions with Josh Ferguson joining as a youth member.
06 March 2016
Flying from both Waipukurau and Hastings Airfields, members enjoyed thermal and convergence lift to over 6,000ft while flying around the local area, out to the mountain ranges and between sites.
28 February 2016
Flying from Waipukurau Airfield, ideal morning trial flight conditions with clear skies soon gave way to some good convection which peaked early afternoon. With some upper level westerly winds giving some wave effect, climbs of 3-4kts were found which enabled trial flighters to be treated to good views of the local area at heights of up to over 5,000ft from which Hastings and Napier could be spotted in the distance. Club members flew the PW5 locally while private owners also enjoyed the conditions with Graham White flying his Libelle back to Hastings while James Foreman launched from Hastings towards Waipukurau before soaring back to land at Hastings.
21 February 2016
Morning high cloud burnt off over Waipukurau Airfield which saw some good convection occur. While it was mostly hard to work, trial flighters were treated to good views of the area at heights of up to almost 6,000ft. Club members flew both the PW5 and Twin Astir to practice their thermalling and also some convergence flying. Graham White in his LS8 and James Foreman in his LS3 flew back to Hastings. Overall it was a good soaring day for those who flew.
14 February 2016
Operating from Waipukurau Airfield during the Central Districts Contest, members saw early morning cloud burn off to leave a sky ripe for convection. Thermals duly formed which allowed both the PW5 and Twin Astir to have good soaring flights around the area.
07 February 2016
The forecast was not spectacular but this did not prevent some great local thermal flights with 4-5kt thermals reported. Despite a cloudbase of around 2,800ft, Allie Thompson climbed to 2,500ft in the PW5 and could have gone higher but limited her altitude to local airspace while flying for almost an hour and three quarters over two flights while Ryan Maney enjoyed himself in the Twin Astir. Graham White also dusted off his Libelle for a float around the sky.
03 February 2016
With the usual "blue hole" around the airfield, the nearest clouds where around Mount Erin when the ASH RJ flown by Brian Kelly with a trial flight and the club's Grob 103C III SL HB flown by Graham White with Jason Kelly in the back seat launched mid-afternoon. They found reasonable thermals and convergence lift which allowed them to climb to around 5,000ft and reach the Norsewood area in the south. With the sea breeze pushing in, HB was around 1,000ft short of height to safely return to Bridge Pa so needed a little motor assistance to complete the flight.
31 January 2016
Low cloud and drizzle saw flying cancelled for the day.
24 January 2016
A scorching day on the ground with a maximum of over 32°C combined with an unprecedented demand for trial flights on the day along with the usual student workload saw the rostered club instructor Grant Jarden putting in a supreme effort for the club. With assistance from John McConville both club two seaters were well utilised in largely flat local conditions with a sea breeze coming in. Further from the airfield, some good thermals and convergences formed which saw Graham White in his LS8 run up and down the ranges at over 8,000ft while Brian and Jason Kelly in their ASH25M flew west to Kereru then south of Waipukurau covering over 200km OLC at a leisurely pace.
17 January 2016
Fine, hot and sunny weather was the order of the day. This saw the sea breeze rush in early killing local lift but leaving conditions ideal for trial flights and training which allowed Allie Thompson to progress to the PW5. Taking a longer tow to the lift, Graham White in his LS8, flew south to Norsewood and along the ranges with some good thermals to over 5,000ft before returning to the airfield.
10 January 2016
Ground wind gusts exceeding 40kts with them predicted to strengthen saw club flying cancelled for the day.
03 January 2016
The predicted day of rain had abated to bright sunshine with passing showers by midday. The air was warm, humid and calm which was ideal for students and trial flights. Wayne Golding and Ryan Maney both completed a further two solo flights to fulfill the A certificate requirements.
27 December 2015
Morning cloud slowly cleared to reveal a day ideal for training which enabled Wayne Golding to complete his first gliding solo. Congratulations Wayne. The afternoon saw some thermals up to around 5,000ft and 6kts average with later convergence lift. This saw members fly from Mount Erin in the east to Gwavas and Kereru in the west, north of Hastings and south to the Takapau Plains. Graham White landed his LS8 at Kereru.
20 December 2015
A flat, calm morning that was ideal for students deteriorated into rough air conditions unsuitable for training. As such, club flying was suspended for the day after only three flights.
13 December 2015
The predicted early morning rain cleared by 10am to reveal another clear blue Hawkes Bay day. Unfortunately the weather forecast was also correct in predicting strong and gusty westerly winds which promptly arrived. The sky did not looking enticing with no visible wave and with wind gusts of over 35kts and getting stronger, flying was abandoned for the day before it began.
06 December 2015
Despite a poor weather forecast, the morning dawned with signs of wave and light ground winds. As the day progressed, the southerly weather system moved in killing all the wave but giving some convergence lift. Students managed to get in some flights before late afternoon drizzle saw flying ending for the day.
29 November 2015
Another fine and warm Hawkes Bay day started off blue but by early afternoon presented a good looking thermal sky. However, it was mostly for looks with pilots finding lift broken and hard to work as predicted by the RASP. This did not stop some good flights with Graham White getting into a convergence and flying south to Waipukurau, across to the ranges and back to the airfield before the sky stopped providing lift. Others flew locally and climbed up to almost 5,000ft while the instructor and tow pilot had another full day as the weather locally was ideal for instruction and trial flights. GHB was de-rigged after flying as it is being taken to the Omarama Youth Camp next weekend. The evening saw a very well attended BBQ in conjunction with the aeroclub and presentation of the club trophies (see http://www.glidinghbw.co.nz/club-trophies.html).
22 November 2015
The RASP predicted reasonable wave and the sky produced a most challenging day. With wind conditions on the ground varying, only Jason Kelly managed to launch in the LS4 before flying was cancelled for the day. He quickly found strong lift to 15,000ft just west of the airfield before finding even stronger sink. Large areas of over 25kt sink were evident and this, combined with a largely blue sky (see photo below), and the wave randomly rolling forward, made staying aloft a challenge at times. This resulted in more of a spider web track with only one good wave run being achieved from Waipukurau to Hastings in less than 10 minutes climbing much of the way. However, a total flight time of 5hrs 34m was achieved as well as a race around the club's 33km local speed triangle at 157.1km/h. The flight has been uploaded to the OLC at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=4791834
Blue skies above Hawkes Bay on 22 November 2015 - can you see the wave lift and sink?
15 November 2015
The forecast rain arrived early afternoon which prevented further flying. Conditions prior to the rain were suitable for students and trial flights.
10 November 2015
A number of Havelock North High School students were introduced to the joy of soaring. Early morning low cloud slowly burnt off to reveal lines of cloud with silky smooth 2-4kt lift. Students had great views of the local area and clouds while climbing up and above the clouds. A video made by the students can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6YemtPAMRk
The forecast rain arrived early afternoon which prevented further flying. Conditions prior to the rain were suitable for students and trial flights.
10 November 2015
A number of Havelock North High School students were introduced to the joy of soaring. Early morning low cloud slowly burnt off to reveal lines of cloud with silky smooth 2-4kt lift. Students had great views of the local area and clouds while climbing up and above the clouds. A video made by the students can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6YemtPAMRk
Patrick Sherratt with Havelock North High School students after their trial flights.
07 & 08 November 2015
The club had its busiest weekend for quite some time with nearly 50 flights logged. Starting Saturday morning, ATC cadets were given trial flights in ideal calm and flat conditions. Sunday morning saw further ATC cadets experience gliding. These were followed with a number of trial flights and potential new members. Conditions were again calm and smooth which while no good for soaring, were perfect for training and an introduction to gliding. The afternoon saw 14 year Ryan Maney complete his first solo flight. Another great achievement. Congratulations Ryan. Allie Thompson followed up her first solo of last week with two more solos and completed her A certificate by passing the oral exam. Well done Allie.
01 November 2015
Another great Hawkes Bay day saw Allie Thompson celebrate her 13th birthday in style by completing her first solo flight. Congratulations Allie. The local paper reported this at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11539734
The day produced some generally weak and broken thermals but conditions were good enough to allow flights up to 4,000ft, over 2.5 hours and south to Argyll, north of Hastings and west towards the ranges.
The club had its busiest weekend for quite some time with nearly 50 flights logged. Starting Saturday morning, ATC cadets were given trial flights in ideal calm and flat conditions. Sunday morning saw further ATC cadets experience gliding. These were followed with a number of trial flights and potential new members. Conditions were again calm and smooth which while no good for soaring, were perfect for training and an introduction to gliding. The afternoon saw 14 year Ryan Maney complete his first solo flight. Another great achievement. Congratulations Ryan. Allie Thompson followed up her first solo of last week with two more solos and completed her A certificate by passing the oral exam. Well done Allie.
01 November 2015
Another great Hawkes Bay day saw Allie Thompson celebrate her 13th birthday in style by completing her first solo flight. Congratulations Allie. The local paper reported this at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11539734
The day produced some generally weak and broken thermals but conditions were good enough to allow flights up to 4,000ft, over 2.5 hours and south to Argyll, north of Hastings and west towards the ranges.
26 October 2015
Labour Day started off fine and dry with calm conditions which allowed students to continue their training and others get their BFRs up to date. Heavy rain arrived mid afternoon to curtail operations early for the day.
25 October 2015
A fine day with a cool start soon warmed up with some weak, local broken thermals. Conditions were ideal for training and trial flights. By mid-afternoon, a convergence had formed which members utilised to climb to over 5,000ft and fly west towards the ranges. Details of a flight in the LS4 GNJ can be seen at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=-1606449611
18 October 2015
Early morning low cloud and mist cleared to reveal wave forming as the day progressed. Aloft, strong lift was found in places with rough air reported around 5,000ft. Strong ground winds came up mid-afternoon which saw flying cease for the day. The monthly committee meeting and AGM were held after flying with no changes to the club committee.
11 October 2015
Another fine sunny day had ideal conditions for training and trial flights with light winds and a flat sky.
04 October 2015
A fine sunny day had a variable wind which saw ends change a number of times before flying ended for the day as a strong ground westerly came up. Conditions aloft were bumpy with areas of strong sink and lift. Students took the chance to continue their progress towards solo.
27 September 2015
Again the weather forecast was correct with the predicted drizzle hanging around and then clearing to a low cloud base later in the afternoon. Consequently, flying for the day was cancelled without the hangar doors being opened.
20 September 2015
The forecast rain arrived with vengeance and stayed all day with a gusty south easterly. Consequently, there was no flying but the monthly committee meeting was held later in the afternoon which gave members the opportunity to meet.
13 September 2015
A typical Hawkes Bay spring day with fine weather and mild mid day temperatures. There was thermal lift, convergence and ridge lift available which allowed some good local soaring along with training and trial flights.
06 September 2015
A fine day saw a freezing cold south westerly wind abate as the day progressed. There was rapidly cycling lift and sink reported of up to 8kts which allowed some brief soaring.
30 August 2015
The forecast day of rain turned out to be fine and warm with some early afternoon signs of lift. However, with no towplane available and maintenance to be done on the club's training glider MX, no flying was undertaken.
23 August 2015
With no towplane available, flying was limited to the club's self launching Grob 103C III SL GHB. Some random drizzle delayed, but did not deter, pilots from enjoying flights in smooth and calm conditions with the odd piece of random lift.
16 August 2015
Another cool and damp day with random showers and a south easterly wind meant no flying occurred.
09 August 2015
A freezing cold and damp day saw pilots wisely stay at home next to their fires.
02 August 2015
No flying was possible due to the unavailability of aircraft.
26 July 2015
A fine, mild day saw the club start its blind circuit and spot landing competitions. Unfortunately a gusty wind appeared early afternoon with flying cancelled after the towplane suffered a prop strike.
19 July 2015
Morning cloud cleared to a brilliantly clear blue day but with a freezing cold strong southerly wind with a maximum temperature of around 9°C. Hence, pilots stayed indoors with some afternoon hangar repairs followed by the monthly committee meeting and no flying.
Labour Day started off fine and dry with calm conditions which allowed students to continue their training and others get their BFRs up to date. Heavy rain arrived mid afternoon to curtail operations early for the day.
25 October 2015
A fine day with a cool start soon warmed up with some weak, local broken thermals. Conditions were ideal for training and trial flights. By mid-afternoon, a convergence had formed which members utilised to climb to over 5,000ft and fly west towards the ranges. Details of a flight in the LS4 GNJ can be seen at http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=-1606449611
18 October 2015
Early morning low cloud and mist cleared to reveal wave forming as the day progressed. Aloft, strong lift was found in places with rough air reported around 5,000ft. Strong ground winds came up mid-afternoon which saw flying cease for the day. The monthly committee meeting and AGM were held after flying with no changes to the club committee.
11 October 2015
Another fine sunny day had ideal conditions for training and trial flights with light winds and a flat sky.
04 October 2015
A fine sunny day had a variable wind which saw ends change a number of times before flying ended for the day as a strong ground westerly came up. Conditions aloft were bumpy with areas of strong sink and lift. Students took the chance to continue their progress towards solo.
27 September 2015
Again the weather forecast was correct with the predicted drizzle hanging around and then clearing to a low cloud base later in the afternoon. Consequently, flying for the day was cancelled without the hangar doors being opened.
20 September 2015
The forecast rain arrived with vengeance and stayed all day with a gusty south easterly. Consequently, there was no flying but the monthly committee meeting was held later in the afternoon which gave members the opportunity to meet.
13 September 2015
A typical Hawkes Bay spring day with fine weather and mild mid day temperatures. There was thermal lift, convergence and ridge lift available which allowed some good local soaring along with training and trial flights.
06 September 2015
A fine day saw a freezing cold south westerly wind abate as the day progressed. There was rapidly cycling lift and sink reported of up to 8kts which allowed some brief soaring.
30 August 2015
The forecast day of rain turned out to be fine and warm with some early afternoon signs of lift. However, with no towplane available and maintenance to be done on the club's training glider MX, no flying was undertaken.
23 August 2015
With no towplane available, flying was limited to the club's self launching Grob 103C III SL GHB. Some random drizzle delayed, but did not deter, pilots from enjoying flights in smooth and calm conditions with the odd piece of random lift.
16 August 2015
Another cool and damp day with random showers and a south easterly wind meant no flying occurred.
09 August 2015
A freezing cold and damp day saw pilots wisely stay at home next to their fires.
02 August 2015
No flying was possible due to the unavailability of aircraft.
26 July 2015
A fine, mild day saw the club start its blind circuit and spot landing competitions. Unfortunately a gusty wind appeared early afternoon with flying cancelled after the towplane suffered a prop strike.
19 July 2015
Morning cloud cleared to a brilliantly clear blue day but with a freezing cold strong southerly wind with a maximum temperature of around 9°C. Hence, pilots stayed indoors with some afternoon hangar repairs followed by the monthly committee meeting and no flying.
12 July 2015
Early low cloud cleared to leave a perfect day for training at all levels. A number of students took advantage of the conditions to progress towards solo and their further aviation goals.
05 July 2015
Sunshine and calm conditions were the order of the day. A light southerly wind was part of the benign conditions which were perfect for instructional and trial flights.
01 July 2015
No flying but our Youth featured in the local newspaper as below (opens in Adobe as a pdf).
Early low cloud cleared to leave a perfect day for training at all levels. A number of students took advantage of the conditions to progress towards solo and their further aviation goals.
05 July 2015
Sunshine and calm conditions were the order of the day. A light southerly wind was part of the benign conditions which were perfect for instructional and trial flights.
01 July 2015
No flying but our Youth featured in the local newspaper as below (opens in Adobe as a pdf).
28 June 2015
After a minus two degree dawn, yet another fine sunny day greeted pilots. A light westerly on the ground varied during the afternoon with cap cloud visible on the mountain ranges to the west. Conditions were ideal locally for training and trial flights.
21 June 2015
Another fine sunny westerly day but with no clearly defined local lift. Some trial flighters did get a small taste of wave lift from a 2,000ft launch. The conditions were ideal for students to experience and practice high wind circuits with some good areas of sink in the circuit area.
19 June 2015
Specially arranged trial flights to 3,000ft saw local wave starting to develop after the first two flights. This resulted in club members Jason Kelly and John McConville taking the club's Grob 103C Twin III SL GHB on an afternoon jaunt in messy and fast changing wave. Once established, they flew south past Flemington while climbing to 10,000ft before returning to land after 1hr 42m with 179km OLC recorded. The return journey saw virtually constant 10kt sink in the last 20km of flight with a variable westerly wind greeting them on the ground.
14 June 2015
Westerly winds on the ground were no deterrent as members launched to catch the local wave. This was not classic Hawkes Bay wave but was working well enough once established to see gliders soar all over the local area from Tikokino in the south, to north of Napier and east to Havelock North at altitudes of over 10,000ft. Too much cloud and pending darkness were the main inhibitors preventing pilots soaring further distances. For some of the club's newer members, this was their first taste of wave and an experience to remember.
07 June 2015
Fine, stable conditions, typical of a Hawkes Bay winter's day, prevailed after a frosty start. With the club currently having six students, the instructor and tow pilot were kept busy all day as the conditions were ideal for training.
30 and 31 May 2015
Queen’s Birthday weekend saw the club operate from Waipukurau Airfield on Saturday and Sunday with the New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation (NZAWA) 2015 rally. After a -3°C start on Saturday morning, conditions were ideal with little wind and a calm sky. Women pilots competed for the Morrell Gliding Trophy in a blind circuit competition and the NZ Airwomen’s Gliding Cup competition for advanced pilots which involved more complex flying manoeuvres. Late afternoon saw trial flights and some weak lift. Trial flights were the order of the day on Sunday under a clear blue sky with calm conditions.
24 May 2015
The heavy rain of the previous day cleared to leave a cool day with a variable southerly ground wind. After an initially flat sky, some broken local wave formed briefly as forecast but those flying were students and trial flights so no attempts were made to utilise this lift.
17 May 2015
A cool day with random showers in places saw flying limited to training flights. A number of new members took the opportunity to take their first steps towards solo.
10 May 2015
Another crisp start saw a typical autumn day with sunshine and good conditions for training and trial flights. A number of prospective members took the opportunity to try gliding and enjoy great vistas of the area.
03 May 2015
A crisp start with high cloud gave way to clear blue skies, mild temperatures and local thermals. Climbs to 4,000ft with smooth, unbroken thermals of up to 4kts average were found to the east of the airfield which allowed magnificent views of Mount Erin, Te Mata Peak, the Tuki Valley, Cape Kidnappers, Waimarama and Bare Island, Hastings and Havelock North. The thermals were no flash in the pan with the last glider landing around 4:30pm after having flown for just under 2hrs 30m.
26 April 2015
Another typical autumn day with sunshine and good conditions for training and trial flights. A number of prospective members took the opportunity to try gliding and enjoy great vistas of the area. Unfortunately there was virtually no lift which meant no soaring was possible.
19 April 2015
A pristine Hawkes Bay autumn day with brilliant sunshine and little wind. Unfortunately no towplane was available and no one went flying. The evening saw a club BBQ and the inaugural presentation of the Peter Lyons Memorial Trophy to club president Graham White for the most meritorious member for, among other things, the huge amount of work he has done for the club in maintenance, work on the Central Districts Gliding Championships and helping new pilots. Judy Lyons was on hand to present the trophy and many fond memories of Peter were recounted by various members.
12 April 2015
Unfortunately gusty and variable ground winds made conditions unsuitable for flying which was frustrating as wave was visible as forecast.
03 - 06 April 2015 (Easter Weekend)
Good Friday saw the best flying conditions of the weekend with flights around Hawkes Bay from Cape Kidnappers to Elsthorpe to Maraekakaho and surrounds with thermal and convergence lift to over 6,000ft. Saturday was a good day for training with some lift later in the day. Sunday was a no fly day due to marginal weather while Monday was also a good day for training with mostly calm conditions.
29 March 2015
Rain and showers made it a less than ideal day but Craig Hunter flew the club's Twin Astir MX from Waipukurau back to Hastings.
22 March 2015
Another non-flown day due to the unavailability of a towplane and the weekend closure of the Hastings Airfield grass runways for levelling and re-sowing.
15 March 2015
No flying today due to unsuitable weather and the unavailability of a towplane.
08 March 2015
Unfortunately gusty and variable ground winds made conditions unsuitable for flying today. Some morning wave was visible but this disappeared as the day progressed.
01 March 2015
Flying from Waipukurau airfield, a moderate southerly saw good strong thermals with plenty of heavy sink with some rough air which was unsuitable for trial flights and training. Jason Kelly took the LS4 to over 6,500ft later in the afternoon utilising thermals and convergence lift.
22 February 2015
With the final day of the Central Districts Gliding championships at Waipukurau yesterday concluding seven consecutive days of possible flying, the day dawned fine and clear with the promise of thermals. These developed as forecast which saw club members take the opportunity to enjoy some strong local convection with associated heavy sink.
15 February 2015
The first day of the Central Districts Gliding championships at Waipukurau saw flyable weather interspersed with rain showers. Some pilots took the opportunity for some local flying while the club's Twin Astir MX was ferried from Hastings to Waipukurau.
08 February 2015
A clear blue hot summer's day and lack of a towplane saw no one flying today.
05 February 2015 (afternoon)
Following on from a morning wave flight, the afternoon saw Jason Kelly launch in the LS4 and climb to over 19,500ft in pursuit of an FAI Diamond badge height gain of 5,000m. He did not quite manage this but claimed the Gold height gain of 3,000m and also the Silver 50km distance while flying to almost Woodville, north of Kereru and around for a total distance of over 365km.
After a minus two degree dawn, yet another fine sunny day greeted pilots. A light westerly on the ground varied during the afternoon with cap cloud visible on the mountain ranges to the west. Conditions were ideal locally for training and trial flights.
21 June 2015
Another fine sunny westerly day but with no clearly defined local lift. Some trial flighters did get a small taste of wave lift from a 2,000ft launch. The conditions were ideal for students to experience and practice high wind circuits with some good areas of sink in the circuit area.
19 June 2015
Specially arranged trial flights to 3,000ft saw local wave starting to develop after the first two flights. This resulted in club members Jason Kelly and John McConville taking the club's Grob 103C Twin III SL GHB on an afternoon jaunt in messy and fast changing wave. Once established, they flew south past Flemington while climbing to 10,000ft before returning to land after 1hr 42m with 179km OLC recorded. The return journey saw virtually constant 10kt sink in the last 20km of flight with a variable westerly wind greeting them on the ground.
14 June 2015
Westerly winds on the ground were no deterrent as members launched to catch the local wave. This was not classic Hawkes Bay wave but was working well enough once established to see gliders soar all over the local area from Tikokino in the south, to north of Napier and east to Havelock North at altitudes of over 10,000ft. Too much cloud and pending darkness were the main inhibitors preventing pilots soaring further distances. For some of the club's newer members, this was their first taste of wave and an experience to remember.
07 June 2015
Fine, stable conditions, typical of a Hawkes Bay winter's day, prevailed after a frosty start. With the club currently having six students, the instructor and tow pilot were kept busy all day as the conditions were ideal for training.
30 and 31 May 2015
Queen’s Birthday weekend saw the club operate from Waipukurau Airfield on Saturday and Sunday with the New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation (NZAWA) 2015 rally. After a -3°C start on Saturday morning, conditions were ideal with little wind and a calm sky. Women pilots competed for the Morrell Gliding Trophy in a blind circuit competition and the NZ Airwomen’s Gliding Cup competition for advanced pilots which involved more complex flying manoeuvres. Late afternoon saw trial flights and some weak lift. Trial flights were the order of the day on Sunday under a clear blue sky with calm conditions.
24 May 2015
The heavy rain of the previous day cleared to leave a cool day with a variable southerly ground wind. After an initially flat sky, some broken local wave formed briefly as forecast but those flying were students and trial flights so no attempts were made to utilise this lift.
17 May 2015
A cool day with random showers in places saw flying limited to training flights. A number of new members took the opportunity to take their first steps towards solo.
10 May 2015
Another crisp start saw a typical autumn day with sunshine and good conditions for training and trial flights. A number of prospective members took the opportunity to try gliding and enjoy great vistas of the area.
03 May 2015
A crisp start with high cloud gave way to clear blue skies, mild temperatures and local thermals. Climbs to 4,000ft with smooth, unbroken thermals of up to 4kts average were found to the east of the airfield which allowed magnificent views of Mount Erin, Te Mata Peak, the Tuki Valley, Cape Kidnappers, Waimarama and Bare Island, Hastings and Havelock North. The thermals were no flash in the pan with the last glider landing around 4:30pm after having flown for just under 2hrs 30m.
26 April 2015
Another typical autumn day with sunshine and good conditions for training and trial flights. A number of prospective members took the opportunity to try gliding and enjoy great vistas of the area. Unfortunately there was virtually no lift which meant no soaring was possible.
19 April 2015
A pristine Hawkes Bay autumn day with brilliant sunshine and little wind. Unfortunately no towplane was available and no one went flying. The evening saw a club BBQ and the inaugural presentation of the Peter Lyons Memorial Trophy to club president Graham White for the most meritorious member for, among other things, the huge amount of work he has done for the club in maintenance, work on the Central Districts Gliding Championships and helping new pilots. Judy Lyons was on hand to present the trophy and many fond memories of Peter were recounted by various members.
12 April 2015
Unfortunately gusty and variable ground winds made conditions unsuitable for flying which was frustrating as wave was visible as forecast.
03 - 06 April 2015 (Easter Weekend)
Good Friday saw the best flying conditions of the weekend with flights around Hawkes Bay from Cape Kidnappers to Elsthorpe to Maraekakaho and surrounds with thermal and convergence lift to over 6,000ft. Saturday was a good day for training with some lift later in the day. Sunday was a no fly day due to marginal weather while Monday was also a good day for training with mostly calm conditions.
29 March 2015
Rain and showers made it a less than ideal day but Craig Hunter flew the club's Twin Astir MX from Waipukurau back to Hastings.
22 March 2015
Another non-flown day due to the unavailability of a towplane and the weekend closure of the Hastings Airfield grass runways for levelling and re-sowing.
15 March 2015
No flying today due to unsuitable weather and the unavailability of a towplane.
08 March 2015
Unfortunately gusty and variable ground winds made conditions unsuitable for flying today. Some morning wave was visible but this disappeared as the day progressed.
01 March 2015
Flying from Waipukurau airfield, a moderate southerly saw good strong thermals with plenty of heavy sink with some rough air which was unsuitable for trial flights and training. Jason Kelly took the LS4 to over 6,500ft later in the afternoon utilising thermals and convergence lift.
22 February 2015
With the final day of the Central Districts Gliding championships at Waipukurau yesterday concluding seven consecutive days of possible flying, the day dawned fine and clear with the promise of thermals. These developed as forecast which saw club members take the opportunity to enjoy some strong local convection with associated heavy sink.
15 February 2015
The first day of the Central Districts Gliding championships at Waipukurau saw flyable weather interspersed with rain showers. Some pilots took the opportunity for some local flying while the club's Twin Astir MX was ferried from Hastings to Waipukurau.
08 February 2015
A clear blue hot summer's day and lack of a towplane saw no one flying today.
05 February 2015 (afternoon)
Following on from a morning wave flight, the afternoon saw Jason Kelly launch in the LS4 and climb to over 19,500ft in pursuit of an FAI Diamond badge height gain of 5,000m. He did not quite manage this but claimed the Gold height gain of 3,000m and also the Silver 50km distance while flying to almost Woodville, north of Kereru and around for a total distance of over 365km.
05 February 2015 (morning)
Another great Hawkes Bay wave day. The morning saw the club's Grob 103 C III SL piloted by John McConville and Jason Kelly fly south to almost Woodville before returning to Hastings while flying over 250km in total.
Another great Hawkes Bay wave day. The morning saw the club's Grob 103 C III SL piloted by John McConville and Jason Kelly fly south to almost Woodville before returning to Hastings while flying over 250km in total.
03 February 2015
A classic Hawkes Bay wave day with the club's Grob 103C III SL piloted by Jason Kelly traversing over 600km up and down Hawkes Bay. Unfortunately a Cambridge GPS fault meant it did not record an FAI approved trace of this flight. However, a trace is available as below and using the OLC (Online Competition) optimisation tool and other details, this shows:
Flight time: 5 hours 05 minutes
Total distance covered: 775km
Cross Country (OLC) distance: 641.7km
Three turnpoint triangle: 492.3km
Maximum height: 15,019ft
Some photos are below.
Not a bad flight for a club machine!
A classic Hawkes Bay wave day with the club's Grob 103C III SL piloted by Jason Kelly traversing over 600km up and down Hawkes Bay. Unfortunately a Cambridge GPS fault meant it did not record an FAI approved trace of this flight. However, a trace is available as below and using the OLC (Online Competition) optimisation tool and other details, this shows:
Flight time: 5 hours 05 minutes
Total distance covered: 775km
Cross Country (OLC) distance: 641.7km
Three turnpoint triangle: 492.3km
Maximum height: 15,019ft
Some photos are below.
Not a bad flight for a club machine!
North of Napier in wave
Classic wave clouds
1 February 2015
An overcast and humid day did not prevent members flying. While there was basically no lift, calm conditions were ideal for training. The club also saw two new members join: Shelley Keogh and Alexandra Thompson.
25 January 2015
A morning with some clouds cleared to a virtually blue sky afternoon. There were thermals that were hard to work as forecast. This did not prevent some soaring with Graham White reaching 4,500ft and as far south as Waipawa in his LS8. Craig Hunter (Open Cirrus), Jason Kelly (LS4), Brian Kelly and Richard Keir (ASH25M) also took the opportunity to practice in difficult thermals and achieving flight times of over one and a half hours plus each.
18 January 2015
A scorching Hawkes Bay summer's day was ideal for trial flights and training. A convergence formed later in the afternoon and club member Craig Hunter who flew his open Cirrus GG reported:
After one 18 minute attempt, I re-launched releasing above the Pekapeka swamp at 3,000ft just south of Hastings. I then continued on a southward track noting turbulence and wisps forming over Lake Poukawa. Soon after I struck lift of 4 to 6kts and climbed to 7,000ft. I then proceeded using a line of convergence to the SW passing Te Aute, Argyll and then eventually Kereru, then NE across the Ngaruroro river to the Taihape Rd then directly tracking back to Hastings. Best altitude 8,000ft . Really enjoyed the blue conditions and the fantastic views. Photos below.
An overcast and humid day did not prevent members flying. While there was basically no lift, calm conditions were ideal for training. The club also saw two new members join: Shelley Keogh and Alexandra Thompson.
25 January 2015
A morning with some clouds cleared to a virtually blue sky afternoon. There were thermals that were hard to work as forecast. This did not prevent some soaring with Graham White reaching 4,500ft and as far south as Waipawa in his LS8. Craig Hunter (Open Cirrus), Jason Kelly (LS4), Brian Kelly and Richard Keir (ASH25M) also took the opportunity to practice in difficult thermals and achieving flight times of over one and a half hours plus each.
18 January 2015
A scorching Hawkes Bay summer's day was ideal for trial flights and training. A convergence formed later in the afternoon and club member Craig Hunter who flew his open Cirrus GG reported:
After one 18 minute attempt, I re-launched releasing above the Pekapeka swamp at 3,000ft just south of Hastings. I then continued on a southward track noting turbulence and wisps forming over Lake Poukawa. Soon after I struck lift of 4 to 6kts and climbed to 7,000ft. I then proceeded using a line of convergence to the SW passing Te Aute, Argyll and then eventually Kereru, then NE across the Ngaruroro river to the Taihape Rd then directly tracking back to Hastings. Best altitude 8,000ft . Really enjoyed the blue conditions and the fantastic views. Photos below.
11 January 2015
Another typical Hawkes Bay summer's day ideal for trial flights and training. A number of ATC cadets took the opportunity to get a taste of gliding. In Omarama at the National Gliding Championships, Graham White and Jason Kelly achieved 2nd place in a wave task completing over 477km at an average speed of 104.8km today. Some photos are below. Earlier in the week, they completed an epic seven hour flight of over 520km using thermals and convergence lift.
Another typical Hawkes Bay summer's day ideal for trial flights and training. A number of ATC cadets took the opportunity to get a taste of gliding. In Omarama at the National Gliding Championships, Graham White and Jason Kelly achieved 2nd place in a wave task completing over 477km at an average speed of 104.8km today. Some photos are below. Earlier in the week, they completed an epic seven hour flight of over 520km using thermals and convergence lift.
04 January 2015
A typical Hawkes Bay summer's day - fine with clear blue sky and warm temperatures. However, the air was very calm both on the ground and in the air making the stable conditions ideal for trial flights and training. A number of people took trial flights with superb views of Hawkes Bay and the surrounding vista. Graham White and Jason Kelly have travelled to Omarama with the ASH25M GRJ for the 2015 National Gliding Championships.
28 December 2014
The RASP predicted good thermals but morning high cloud left some early doubts in pilots minds. However, once launched, plenty of thermals along with good convergence lift saw pilots climb to over 7,500ft while traversing to Onga Onga in the south and Ngamatea in the north west. The OLC maximum triangle achieved was 231km by the ASH25M GRJ. Flight details can be seen from the pdf files attached below.
A typical Hawkes Bay summer's day - fine with clear blue sky and warm temperatures. However, the air was very calm both on the ground and in the air making the stable conditions ideal for trial flights and training. A number of people took trial flights with superb views of Hawkes Bay and the surrounding vista. Graham White and Jason Kelly have travelled to Omarama with the ASH25M GRJ for the 2015 National Gliding Championships.
28 December 2014
The RASP predicted good thermals but morning high cloud left some early doubts in pilots minds. However, once launched, plenty of thermals along with good convergence lift saw pilots climb to over 7,500ft while traversing to Onga Onga in the south and Ngamatea in the north west. The OLC maximum triangle achieved was 231km by the ASH25M GRJ. Flight details can be seen from the pdf files attached below.
21 December 2014
Despite the forecast for much of the week predicting rain, a good looking sky saw pilots enjoy some Hawkes Bay thermals and convergences with lift of over 6kts on the averager in places and climbs to over 5,000ft. A fast changing sky did not prevent flights to Waimarama to the east, Otane to the south and Maraekakaho in the west.
14 December 2014
A cool, overcast day with persistent rain, drizzle and easterly winds prevented all flying.
06 & 07 December 2014
The local ATC squadron enjoyed ideal first flight conditions on Saturday with a calm sky, light ground wind and some thermal activity, especially in the morning prior to the arrival of the sea breeze. Sunday morning conditions were rough so cadet flying was postponed. Conditions improved in the afternoon and a number of members took advantage of weak local lift to fly for up to an hour and a half and to around 3,500ft.
30 November 2014
Strong and gusty winds prevented all flying today which was frustrating as good wave was evident.
23 November 2014
The forecast great soaring did not eventuate with high cloud thickening. This left a flat day which was ideal for trial flights and instructor training.
16 November 2014
A great looking sky saw pilots launch to just over 1,000ft to be hit by 8 knot thermals and promptly climbing to over 7,000ft. While it looked like wave to the west, only weak climbs were found so pilots returned east where they could cruise around in 7/8 knot thermals up to around 8,000ft. It was reported that pilots just could not get low. This allowed high speed runs under the clouds. 5 knot average climbs over to the Tuki were also present. Heading back to the airfield at around 3,000ft, HB ran into a thermal that tried to tear the wings off. The pilots reported no idea of the thermal strength as the varios were locked solid at the stops and was one of the strongest thermals experienced. After a few turns they were back at cloud base. Full airbrakes were required to get down and land. Wow, what a day. The best thermals for many a year.
09 November 2014
Early morning cloud and fog cleared to reveal a pristine clear, fine and calm Hawkes Bay spring day. This was perfect for trial flights and training but stable air and an early sea breeze prevented any convection and soaring.
02 November 2014
A cool morning quickly warmed up with the temperature peaking at around 27 degrees. A light NW on the ground was replaced by a sea breeze around 2pm which killed all local convection. Those who launched early were able to fly for around an hour or so in the less than ideal soaring conditions. However, the day was ideal for trial flights with a number of potential members taking to the sky to enjoy the sport.
26 October 2014
After a near overnight frost, the forecast and largely blue sky did not look great. But, those that launched were richly rewarded with wave assisted thermals of up to 8kts. While these were situated locally to the airfield, flights of up to 5,000ft, out to Waimarama Beach and south of Lake Poukawa were recorded. The lift became better marked later in the afternoon and the main challenge faced by Jason Kelly and Graham White in the ASH25M was descending with lift to be found in most places around the airfield. Airbrakes proved to be the most effective solution as they landed just after 5pm with strong lift still evident.
19 October 2014
The farmers were smiling but others were frustrated as persistent rain prevented all flying.
12 October 2014
Not a pretty day but plenty of thermals which were largely broken and difficult to work. Morning cumulus cloud largely cleared to a blue afternoon but the lift persisted to after 5pm. This allowed members to fly all day locally with climbs to over 3,000ft and complete flights in excess of two hours.
05 October 2014
With no rain forecast, the RASP predicted difficult to work thermals with a strengthening westerly wind on the ground. The ground wind did not occur but the sky delivered and more. Thermals to 3kts up to around 4,500ft with some wave available in a short afternoon window saw pilots fly for up to three hours to over 10,000ft high, south to Waipukurau and north of Puketapu. Finally a day to go flying despite the forecast!
28 September 2014
Another Sunday, another day of rain. The persistent forecast rain was present all day in varying intensities. As such, the club did not fly.
27 September 2014
Some flying at last! Brian and Jason Kelly launched in the ASH25M GRJ into weak and broken looking wave. The sky delivered as indicated with small pieces of lift up to 2kt. Returning to Hastings airfield, they found weak local thermals which enabled height to be comfortably maintained.
21 September 2014
A fine morning soon changed to random showers and a strengthening southerly. As such, no flying was undertaken.
14 September 2014
The weather forecast offered drizzle, showers, cloud and a strengthening southerly. Early morning actual weather gave blue sky with little wind which suggested flying would be possible. Unfortunately, a bitingly cold southerly strengthened to over 25kt gusts with random showers and drizzle by 10am. Accordingly, flying was abandoned yet again before it started.
07 September 2014
The persistent eastern weather again saw morning drizzle and showers which did cease around 11am to leave a cool and partly cloudy day which was not ideal for flying. A well swept hangar and no flying was the result.
31 August 2014
The last official day of winter saw more rain, drizzle and cloud. While flying between the drizzle and showers was possible, time was spent instead on working on the gliders in preparation for Spring.
24 August 2014
The late winter of discontent continued with scattered morning drizzle. The afternoon had sunny breaks with a light southerly with conditions most suitable for lectures for the new instructors in training. No flying was undertaken.
17 August 2014
Whilst the morning cloud at times looked like it would burn off to reveal a clear sky and let the temperature rise to possibly cause some convection, it just never happened. This left a grey sky with a light southerly which saw little flying. Conditions were suitable for trial flights and training.
10 August 2014
A harsh morning frost gave way to a fine, cool, calm day. While the maximum temperature was only 14°C, there was some weak convection with a steady two knot climb to 2,800ft reported along with other weak and broken climbs. Later in the day, as predicted by the RASP, in perfect blue conditions, there was a small convergence which gave a smooth and steady climb with flying only ceasing due to impending darkness.
03 August 2014
Rain, showers and more rain encouraged members to stay home in front of the fire.
27 July 2014
A cold day with increasing cloud and a blustery southerly deterred everyone from flying today.
20 July 2014
Rain was the feature of the day with heavy morning rain turning to heavy overcast and showers later in the afternoon. Consequently, there was no flying.
13 July 2014
A spring like day saw temperatures reach 18 degrees celsius under a clear blue sky. With light winds on the ground, it was another ideal day for trial flights and training. Jason Price rigged and flew his recently purchased DG-200 GLZ.
06 July 2014
The RASP suggested some weak afternoon convection and the weather delivered. A sunny but cool morning saw afternoon blue conditions with weak, broken and hard to work lift up to 2,500ft locally. The conditions allowed pilots to fly for over an hour with climbs of up to 2-3 knots in places.
29 June 2014
Another pristine fine, calm, sunny and mild Hawkes Bay winter day after a cold frosty morning. The local aeroclub were invited as part of their club day to try gliding and the sky was flat and calm which was ideal for this experience along with training and trial flights. The evening was rounded out with a BBQ at the aeroclub.
22 June 2014
A cool, wet morning slowly warmed up and cleared. This deterred members from taking to the sky.
15 June 2014
After a freezing cold morning start, the day slowly warmed up with the temperature varying as the high cloud varied in thickness. The sky was extremely flat and calm all day with no wind on the ground which was ideal for training and trial flights.
08 June 2014
The day was fine and warmed to a mild afternoon after a morning frost. However, the sky was flat and calm which was ideal for training and trial flights.
01 June 2014
The forecast low cloud and drizzly showers persisted all day which prevented flying.
25 May 2014
While some parts of the country were battered by high winds and bad weather, members took advantage of wave conditions to explore both locally and the lower North Island with Graham White completing just under 500km as he flew south to Lake Ferry and return at heights of up to 15,000ft. Wind speeds of 80kts+ were recorded in the process. Blue wave close to Hastings Airfield saw Craig Hunter in his Open Cirrus and Jason Kelly and Richard Keir in the club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL easily reach 10,000ft while flying around the local area. A number of potential new members also enjoyed trial flights in fine and sunny conditions.
18 May 2014
Yes, deja vu - another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind which was an ideal day for trial flights and training. A number of members took the opportunity to practice blind circuits for the upcoming competition.
11 May 2014
Yet another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind which was an ideal day for trial flights and training. A number of members took the opportunity to practice blind circuits for the upcoming competition.
04 May 2014
Another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind which was an ideal day for trial flights and training. The club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL returned to self launching status after some recent engine maintenance.
27 April 2014
A typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind. A relatively stable sky had some small pieces of random lift. It was an ideal day for trial flights and training.
20 April 2014
A club flying day at last. Fine weather with a variable strength and direction wind saw an unstable sky which was constantly changing. Bits of random lift appeared and disappeared constantly which made soaring extremely challenging. A number of trial flights managed a small taste of gliding with some small climbs achieved.
13 April 2014
The "big wet" continued with heavy overcast and occasional drizzle. As such, flying was cancelled for the day.
06 April 2014
Morning drizzle and rain persisted intermittently all day which did not allow any soaring.
30 March 2014
A clear and flat looking sky was deceiving as there was some thermal activity to sustain flight with Craig Hunter staying aloft for almost two hours with climbs of 2-4kts and a maximum altitude of around 2,700ft. It was an ideal idea for training and trial flights.
23 March 2014
Morning drizzle cleared to an overcast but flyable afternoon. With the club towplane (CPD) back in the air, the club's PW5 YP was first to be towed off followed by the Twin Astir MX. There was some thermal activity later in the day to sustain flight.
16 March 2014
The tail end of Cyclone Lusi saw fine weather with strong and gusty winds so there was no flying today.
14 March 2014
A number of students from William Colenso College in Napier were introduced to gliding with trial flights today. Weather conditions were ideal with little wind and a flat sky that did start to bubble with thermal activity later in the day. These introductory flights were sponsored with a grant from the Eastern and Central Community Trust.
09 March 2014
The club trialled a Foxbat microlight as a towplane today. In calm conditions, it had no problems as it worked its way through a PW5, Twin Astir one up then two up and then an Open Cirrus.
The sky cleared from morning murk to reveal the best thermal day of the year with big, strong, lazy thermals to be found. Climbs of 6-8kts up to cloud base at around 5,600ft were utilised by both Craig Hunter in his Open Cirrus and Brian and Jason Kelly in their ASH25M. A convergence later in the day also provided some good lift.
Despite the forecast for much of the week predicting rain, a good looking sky saw pilots enjoy some Hawkes Bay thermals and convergences with lift of over 6kts on the averager in places and climbs to over 5,000ft. A fast changing sky did not prevent flights to Waimarama to the east, Otane to the south and Maraekakaho in the west.
14 December 2014
A cool, overcast day with persistent rain, drizzle and easterly winds prevented all flying.
06 & 07 December 2014
The local ATC squadron enjoyed ideal first flight conditions on Saturday with a calm sky, light ground wind and some thermal activity, especially in the morning prior to the arrival of the sea breeze. Sunday morning conditions were rough so cadet flying was postponed. Conditions improved in the afternoon and a number of members took advantage of weak local lift to fly for up to an hour and a half and to around 3,500ft.
30 November 2014
Strong and gusty winds prevented all flying today which was frustrating as good wave was evident.
23 November 2014
The forecast great soaring did not eventuate with high cloud thickening. This left a flat day which was ideal for trial flights and instructor training.
16 November 2014
A great looking sky saw pilots launch to just over 1,000ft to be hit by 8 knot thermals and promptly climbing to over 7,000ft. While it looked like wave to the west, only weak climbs were found so pilots returned east where they could cruise around in 7/8 knot thermals up to around 8,000ft. It was reported that pilots just could not get low. This allowed high speed runs under the clouds. 5 knot average climbs over to the Tuki were also present. Heading back to the airfield at around 3,000ft, HB ran into a thermal that tried to tear the wings off. The pilots reported no idea of the thermal strength as the varios were locked solid at the stops and was one of the strongest thermals experienced. After a few turns they were back at cloud base. Full airbrakes were required to get down and land. Wow, what a day. The best thermals for many a year.
09 November 2014
Early morning cloud and fog cleared to reveal a pristine clear, fine and calm Hawkes Bay spring day. This was perfect for trial flights and training but stable air and an early sea breeze prevented any convection and soaring.
02 November 2014
A cool morning quickly warmed up with the temperature peaking at around 27 degrees. A light NW on the ground was replaced by a sea breeze around 2pm which killed all local convection. Those who launched early were able to fly for around an hour or so in the less than ideal soaring conditions. However, the day was ideal for trial flights with a number of potential members taking to the sky to enjoy the sport.
26 October 2014
After a near overnight frost, the forecast and largely blue sky did not look great. But, those that launched were richly rewarded with wave assisted thermals of up to 8kts. While these were situated locally to the airfield, flights of up to 5,000ft, out to Waimarama Beach and south of Lake Poukawa were recorded. The lift became better marked later in the afternoon and the main challenge faced by Jason Kelly and Graham White in the ASH25M was descending with lift to be found in most places around the airfield. Airbrakes proved to be the most effective solution as they landed just after 5pm with strong lift still evident.
19 October 2014
The farmers were smiling but others were frustrated as persistent rain prevented all flying.
12 October 2014
Not a pretty day but plenty of thermals which were largely broken and difficult to work. Morning cumulus cloud largely cleared to a blue afternoon but the lift persisted to after 5pm. This allowed members to fly all day locally with climbs to over 3,000ft and complete flights in excess of two hours.
05 October 2014
With no rain forecast, the RASP predicted difficult to work thermals with a strengthening westerly wind on the ground. The ground wind did not occur but the sky delivered and more. Thermals to 3kts up to around 4,500ft with some wave available in a short afternoon window saw pilots fly for up to three hours to over 10,000ft high, south to Waipukurau and north of Puketapu. Finally a day to go flying despite the forecast!
28 September 2014
Another Sunday, another day of rain. The persistent forecast rain was present all day in varying intensities. As such, the club did not fly.
27 September 2014
Some flying at last! Brian and Jason Kelly launched in the ASH25M GRJ into weak and broken looking wave. The sky delivered as indicated with small pieces of lift up to 2kt. Returning to Hastings airfield, they found weak local thermals which enabled height to be comfortably maintained.
21 September 2014
A fine morning soon changed to random showers and a strengthening southerly. As such, no flying was undertaken.
14 September 2014
The weather forecast offered drizzle, showers, cloud and a strengthening southerly. Early morning actual weather gave blue sky with little wind which suggested flying would be possible. Unfortunately, a bitingly cold southerly strengthened to over 25kt gusts with random showers and drizzle by 10am. Accordingly, flying was abandoned yet again before it started.
07 September 2014
The persistent eastern weather again saw morning drizzle and showers which did cease around 11am to leave a cool and partly cloudy day which was not ideal for flying. A well swept hangar and no flying was the result.
31 August 2014
The last official day of winter saw more rain, drizzle and cloud. While flying between the drizzle and showers was possible, time was spent instead on working on the gliders in preparation for Spring.
24 August 2014
The late winter of discontent continued with scattered morning drizzle. The afternoon had sunny breaks with a light southerly with conditions most suitable for lectures for the new instructors in training. No flying was undertaken.
17 August 2014
Whilst the morning cloud at times looked like it would burn off to reveal a clear sky and let the temperature rise to possibly cause some convection, it just never happened. This left a grey sky with a light southerly which saw little flying. Conditions were suitable for trial flights and training.
10 August 2014
A harsh morning frost gave way to a fine, cool, calm day. While the maximum temperature was only 14°C, there was some weak convection with a steady two knot climb to 2,800ft reported along with other weak and broken climbs. Later in the day, as predicted by the RASP, in perfect blue conditions, there was a small convergence which gave a smooth and steady climb with flying only ceasing due to impending darkness.
03 August 2014
Rain, showers and more rain encouraged members to stay home in front of the fire.
27 July 2014
A cold day with increasing cloud and a blustery southerly deterred everyone from flying today.
20 July 2014
Rain was the feature of the day with heavy morning rain turning to heavy overcast and showers later in the afternoon. Consequently, there was no flying.
13 July 2014
A spring like day saw temperatures reach 18 degrees celsius under a clear blue sky. With light winds on the ground, it was another ideal day for trial flights and training. Jason Price rigged and flew his recently purchased DG-200 GLZ.
06 July 2014
The RASP suggested some weak afternoon convection and the weather delivered. A sunny but cool morning saw afternoon blue conditions with weak, broken and hard to work lift up to 2,500ft locally. The conditions allowed pilots to fly for over an hour with climbs of up to 2-3 knots in places.
29 June 2014
Another pristine fine, calm, sunny and mild Hawkes Bay winter day after a cold frosty morning. The local aeroclub were invited as part of their club day to try gliding and the sky was flat and calm which was ideal for this experience along with training and trial flights. The evening was rounded out with a BBQ at the aeroclub.
22 June 2014
A cool, wet morning slowly warmed up and cleared. This deterred members from taking to the sky.
15 June 2014
After a freezing cold morning start, the day slowly warmed up with the temperature varying as the high cloud varied in thickness. The sky was extremely flat and calm all day with no wind on the ground which was ideal for training and trial flights.
08 June 2014
The day was fine and warmed to a mild afternoon after a morning frost. However, the sky was flat and calm which was ideal for training and trial flights.
01 June 2014
The forecast low cloud and drizzly showers persisted all day which prevented flying.
25 May 2014
While some parts of the country were battered by high winds and bad weather, members took advantage of wave conditions to explore both locally and the lower North Island with Graham White completing just under 500km as he flew south to Lake Ferry and return at heights of up to 15,000ft. Wind speeds of 80kts+ were recorded in the process. Blue wave close to Hastings Airfield saw Craig Hunter in his Open Cirrus and Jason Kelly and Richard Keir in the club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL easily reach 10,000ft while flying around the local area. A number of potential new members also enjoyed trial flights in fine and sunny conditions.
18 May 2014
Yes, deja vu - another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind which was an ideal day for trial flights and training. A number of members took the opportunity to practice blind circuits for the upcoming competition.
11 May 2014
Yet another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind which was an ideal day for trial flights and training. A number of members took the opportunity to practice blind circuits for the upcoming competition.
04 May 2014
Another typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind which was an ideal day for trial flights and training. The club's self launching Grob 103 C III SL returned to self launching status after some recent engine maintenance.
27 April 2014
A typical Hawkes Bay autumn day with fine weather and little wind. A relatively stable sky had some small pieces of random lift. It was an ideal day for trial flights and training.
20 April 2014
A club flying day at last. Fine weather with a variable strength and direction wind saw an unstable sky which was constantly changing. Bits of random lift appeared and disappeared constantly which made soaring extremely challenging. A number of trial flights managed a small taste of gliding with some small climbs achieved.
13 April 2014
The "big wet" continued with heavy overcast and occasional drizzle. As such, flying was cancelled for the day.
06 April 2014
Morning drizzle and rain persisted intermittently all day which did not allow any soaring.
30 March 2014
A clear and flat looking sky was deceiving as there was some thermal activity to sustain flight with Craig Hunter staying aloft for almost two hours with climbs of 2-4kts and a maximum altitude of around 2,700ft. It was an ideal idea for training and trial flights.
23 March 2014
Morning drizzle cleared to an overcast but flyable afternoon. With the club towplane (CPD) back in the air, the club's PW5 YP was first to be towed off followed by the Twin Astir MX. There was some thermal activity later in the day to sustain flight.
16 March 2014
The tail end of Cyclone Lusi saw fine weather with strong and gusty winds so there was no flying today.
14 March 2014
A number of students from William Colenso College in Napier were introduced to gliding with trial flights today. Weather conditions were ideal with little wind and a flat sky that did start to bubble with thermal activity later in the day. These introductory flights were sponsored with a grant from the Eastern and Central Community Trust.
09 March 2014
The club trialled a Foxbat microlight as a towplane today. In calm conditions, it had no problems as it worked its way through a PW5, Twin Astir one up then two up and then an Open Cirrus.
The sky cleared from morning murk to reveal the best thermal day of the year with big, strong, lazy thermals to be found. Climbs of 6-8kts up to cloud base at around 5,600ft were utilised by both Craig Hunter in his Open Cirrus and Brian and Jason Kelly in their ASH25M. A convergence later in the day also provided some good lift.
Foxbat microlight
Lake Poukawa from around 5,000ft in thermals
ASH25M GRJ in a convergence heading north
02 March 2014
No club flying due to the unavailability of a towplane. The ASH25M flew but found the lift broken and hard to work and could only manage a climb to 4,000ft 20km south of Hastings.
28 February 2014
The RASP predicted wave and blue wave there was which was up to 8kts of lift in places. The sky changed quickly with improving signs of wave as the afternoon progressed. Brian Kelly took a passenger in the ASH25M for a grand tour of Hawkes Bay reaching heights of just over 9,000ft.
No club flying due to the unavailability of a towplane. The ASH25M flew but found the lift broken and hard to work and could only manage a climb to 4,000ft 20km south of Hastings.
28 February 2014
The RASP predicted wave and blue wave there was which was up to 8kts of lift in places. The sky changed quickly with improving signs of wave as the afternoon progressed. Brian Kelly took a passenger in the ASH25M for a grand tour of Hawkes Bay reaching heights of just over 9,000ft.
23 February 2014
Another "spring" wave day! The weird weather of the summer continued with Jason Kelly launching in the LS4 just after midday to report shortly after release he was climbing at 17kts and that was on the averager! Unfortunately the ground wind increased which made further take offs unsafe so flying was cancelled for the day with the club gliders derigged into their trailers and returned to Hastings. Meanwhile, Jason Kelly attempted his Gold badge height gain but was thwarted by Ohakea Control until just about when the wave started to collapse. This did give him the desired low start point for his declared Silver 50km distance flight and he managed to use the rapidly decaying remaining wave to reach Hastings.
Another "spring" wave day! The weird weather of the summer continued with Jason Kelly launching in the LS4 just after midday to report shortly after release he was climbing at 17kts and that was on the averager! Unfortunately the ground wind increased which made further take offs unsafe so flying was cancelled for the day with the club gliders derigged into their trailers and returned to Hastings. Meanwhile, Jason Kelly attempted his Gold badge height gain but was thwarted by Ohakea Control until just about when the wave started to collapse. This did give him the desired low start point for his declared Silver 50km distance flight and he managed to use the rapidly decaying remaining wave to reach Hastings.
16 February 2014
A club flying day at last! The weather turned out much better than forecast with thermals to around 3,500ft. They looked good but generally were broken and hard to work. However, this did not stop Craig Hunter from flying to Hastings in his Open Cirrus.
A club flying day at last! The weather turned out much better than forecast with thermals to around 3,500ft. They looked good but generally were broken and hard to work. However, this did not stop Craig Hunter from flying to Hastings in his Open Cirrus.
Club gliders MX and YP at Waipukurau
DAL about to tow YP
15 February 2014
The final day of the Central Districts Gliding competition and the best thermal day of the year. Club captain Mike Richardson set off just before midday in the club's PW5, YP, in pursuit of his five hour duration. He achieved this along with his Silver height gain (1,000m). Congratulations to Mike. Copies of his altitude and route are below. In the contest, Graham White took out the day and the contest. Jason Price completed the task, an excellent effort in challenging conditions, while James Foreman landed back at Waipukurau. Jason Kelly struggled so flew locally before trekking back to Hastings with the aid of a sea breeze front.
The final day of the Central Districts Gliding competition and the best thermal day of the year. Club captain Mike Richardson set off just before midday in the club's PW5, YP, in pursuit of his five hour duration. He achieved this along with his Silver height gain (1,000m). Congratulations to Mike. Copies of his altitude and route are below. In the contest, Graham White took out the day and the contest. Jason Price completed the task, an excellent effort in challenging conditions, while James Foreman landed back at Waipukurau. Jason Kelly struggled so flew locally before trekking back to Hastings with the aid of a sea breeze front.
09 February 2014
The summer of gliding discontent continued with rain and drizzle seeing flying cancelled yet again due to unsuitable flying conditions.
02 February 2014
Flying was again cancelled due to unsuitable flying conditions.
26 January 2014
Flying was cancelled due to unsuitable flying conditions.
19 January 2014
A typical Hawkes Bay summer's day - fine with clear blue sky and scorching temperatures reaching into the 30°C plus range. However, the air was very calm both on the ground and in the air making the stable conditions ideal for trial flights and training. A number of people took trial flights with superb views of Hawkes Bay and the surrounding vista. Unfortunately, no soaring was possible due to no thermal, wave or convergence lift being produced.
12 January 2014
A fine, clear blue day with the ground wind being a SW most of the afternoon. There was plenty of broken, hard to work thermal lift in the local area up to around 3,000ft with the occasional steadier climb up to around 2,500ft. The PW5 flown by Mike Richardson and the LS4 flown by Jason Kelly both achieved good flights in the challenging conditions.
10 January 2014
Good afternoon thermals up to 6,500ft south of Hastings and west to Gwavas Forest were utilised by club members as actual conditions later in the day exceeded those forecast.
05 January 2014
Spring like westerly gales saw flying cancelled due to unsuitable weather.
29 December 2013
Flying was again cancelled due to unsuitable weather.
22 December 2013
Flying was cancelled due to unsuitable weather.
14 & 15 December 2013
Saturday saw the ASH25M flown by Jason Kelly and Graham White traverse down Hawkes Bay utilising a convergence to reach just north of Weber before turning around and returning to Hastings between rain showers and thunder storms.
Club flying from Waipukurau on Sunday was abandoned after it was decided the grass growth caused by the warm and wet weather made airfield conditions unsuitable. The Twin Astir GMX returned to Hastings by aerotow while the PW5 GYP was trailered back.
The summer of gliding discontent continued with rain and drizzle seeing flying cancelled yet again due to unsuitable flying conditions.
02 February 2014
Flying was again cancelled due to unsuitable flying conditions.
26 January 2014
Flying was cancelled due to unsuitable flying conditions.
19 January 2014
A typical Hawkes Bay summer's day - fine with clear blue sky and scorching temperatures reaching into the 30°C plus range. However, the air was very calm both on the ground and in the air making the stable conditions ideal for trial flights and training. A number of people took trial flights with superb views of Hawkes Bay and the surrounding vista. Unfortunately, no soaring was possible due to no thermal, wave or convergence lift being produced.
12 January 2014
A fine, clear blue day with the ground wind being a SW most of the afternoon. There was plenty of broken, hard to work thermal lift in the local area up to around 3,000ft with the occasional steadier climb up to around 2,500ft. The PW5 flown by Mike Richardson and the LS4 flown by Jason Kelly both achieved good flights in the challenging conditions.
10 January 2014
Good afternoon thermals up to 6,500ft south of Hastings and west to Gwavas Forest were utilised by club members as actual conditions later in the day exceeded those forecast.
05 January 2014
Spring like westerly gales saw flying cancelled due to unsuitable weather.
29 December 2013
Flying was again cancelled due to unsuitable weather.
22 December 2013
Flying was cancelled due to unsuitable weather.
14 & 15 December 2013
Saturday saw the ASH25M flown by Jason Kelly and Graham White traverse down Hawkes Bay utilising a convergence to reach just north of Weber before turning around and returning to Hastings between rain showers and thunder storms.
Club flying from Waipukurau on Sunday was abandoned after it was decided the grass growth caused by the warm and wet weather made airfield conditions unsuitable. The Twin Astir GMX returned to Hastings by aerotow while the PW5 GYP was trailered back.
08 December 2013
Club members flew from both Bridge Pa and Waipukurau today. Graham White took his LS8 from Bridge Pa south of Waipukurau in dying wave along with thermals. Conditions from Waipukurau saw hard to work thermals but there was plenty of lift above 3,000ft to keep aloft. After being towed from Bridge Pa to Waipawa, Jason Kelly and Dion Sloan tested the Waipukurau triangle task in the club's Twin Astir GMX. After releasing from tow, they climbed in thermals before starting the task from Waipukurau. This flight was "hors concours", i.e. for fun, as they started above the allowed starting height of 3,000ft and they completed the task in 24 minutes 03 seconds at an average speed of 85.8km/h. Flying ended prematurely as the towplane was involved in an incident which saw it land safely in the paddock next to the airfield but suffering damage in the process.
Club members flew from both Bridge Pa and Waipukurau today. Graham White took his LS8 from Bridge Pa south of Waipukurau in dying wave along with thermals. Conditions from Waipukurau saw hard to work thermals but there was plenty of lift above 3,000ft to keep aloft. After being towed from Bridge Pa to Waipawa, Jason Kelly and Dion Sloan tested the Waipukurau triangle task in the club's Twin Astir GMX. After releasing from tow, they climbed in thermals before starting the task from Waipukurau. This flight was "hors concours", i.e. for fun, as they started above the allowed starting height of 3,000ft and they completed the task in 24 minutes 03 seconds at an average speed of 85.8km/h. Flying ended prematurely as the towplane was involved in an incident which saw it land safely in the paddock next to the airfield but suffering damage in the process.
01 December 2013
Flying from Waipukurau was not possible due to the condition of the airfield but with the wild westerlies of Saturday gone, conditions were ideal from Hastings Airfield for thermals and wave with a south westerly wind dominating the day. Club members launched to as low as 1,800ft before using the available thermals to get into wave and reach heights of just under 15,000ft. Gliders flew south of Dannevirke, west into the ranges and north of Hastings. With clearly defined gentle wave clouds spreading out across the countryside, it was possible to fly right out to the east coast and even over the sea while still being in lift. While the wave was not overly strong, it was very gentle and smooth. Lift was still evident just before 6pm as the last glider landed which required the use of airbrakes to lose height. Conditions were such that Brian and Jason Kelly tested the triangle competition task ex Bridge Pa in the ASH25M GRJ. Flying "hors concours", i.e. for fun as they started above the allowed starting height of 3,000ft, they completed the task in 11 minutes 07 seconds at an average speed of 179.7km/h.
Flying from Waipukurau was not possible due to the condition of the airfield but with the wild westerlies of Saturday gone, conditions were ideal from Hastings Airfield for thermals and wave with a south westerly wind dominating the day. Club members launched to as low as 1,800ft before using the available thermals to get into wave and reach heights of just under 15,000ft. Gliders flew south of Dannevirke, west into the ranges and north of Hastings. With clearly defined gentle wave clouds spreading out across the countryside, it was possible to fly right out to the east coast and even over the sea while still being in lift. While the wave was not overly strong, it was very gentle and smooth. Lift was still evident just before 6pm as the last glider landed which required the use of airbrakes to lose height. Conditions were such that Brian and Jason Kelly tested the triangle competition task ex Bridge Pa in the ASH25M GRJ. Flying "hors concours", i.e. for fun as they started above the allowed starting height of 3,000ft, they completed the task in 11 minutes 07 seconds at an average speed of 179.7km/h.
Using the brakes to descend to return to Hastings as the lift was still working just before 6pm.
24 November 2013
Early morning fog and cloud cleared to a clear blue day with a strong sea breeze present most of the day. The sky was ideal for trial flights and training.
16 & 17 November 2013
Local ATC Cadets had the chance to experience gliding in the club's two seat aircraft with an instructor. Thermals on Saturday were used by Mike Richardson in the PW5 while a relatively poor looking Sunday sky, with thick high cloud, contained some good lift with Graham White flying south of Waipukurau from Bridge Pa before deciding to land at Waipukurau. Other members also took the opportunity to fly locally.
10 November 2013
Morning cloud burnt off to reveal a pristine clear blue day. The sky was dead flat but ideal for trial flights and training.
03 November 2013
Thermals for all today with plenty of flying with not many flights required to keep the gliders airborne much of the day. Pilots reached 5,000ft flying locally and as far south as past Lake Poukawa. Personal milestones were achieved by Mike Richardson with a solo flight of over an hour in the club's PW5 followed by another good flight in the club's Twin Astir while Jason Kelly passed over 100 gliding hours for the calendar year to date. With pilots busy soaring, the planned landing competition was again delayed but thanks largely to Grant Jarden, members enjoyed the scheduled BBQ dinner anyway.
02 November 2013
A fine and sunny day with specially arranged trial flights in the morning followed by strong in places but hard to work thermals in the afternoon. With Graham White taking HB to Taupo for the Central Plateau Championships, MX flew up to 4,600ft locally in the challenging conditions.
27 October 2013
More wave although not clear or well defined. However, this did not stop pilots climbing to 9,500ft and flying as far south as Flemington. With a mid afternoon cold front passing through, some strong wind gusts and wind direction changes kept pilots on their toes. All in all, another good fun flying day.
20 October 2013
A clear, fine and sunny warm spring day with no lift which was perfect for training, trial flights and starting a landing competition.
14 October 2013
Strong wave, registering up to +15kts / - 20kts on the averager in the club's Grob 103C Twin III, saw members flying between Napier and Takapau at heights of up to 12,000ft. Very strong upper winds were evident with the wave continually, and rapidly, rolling eastwards with clouds forming and vanishing constantly. The photo below was published in the local HB Today newspaper.
Early morning fog and cloud cleared to a clear blue day with a strong sea breeze present most of the day. The sky was ideal for trial flights and training.
16 & 17 November 2013
Local ATC Cadets had the chance to experience gliding in the club's two seat aircraft with an instructor. Thermals on Saturday were used by Mike Richardson in the PW5 while a relatively poor looking Sunday sky, with thick high cloud, contained some good lift with Graham White flying south of Waipukurau from Bridge Pa before deciding to land at Waipukurau. Other members also took the opportunity to fly locally.
10 November 2013
Morning cloud burnt off to reveal a pristine clear blue day. The sky was dead flat but ideal for trial flights and training.
03 November 2013
Thermals for all today with plenty of flying with not many flights required to keep the gliders airborne much of the day. Pilots reached 5,000ft flying locally and as far south as past Lake Poukawa. Personal milestones were achieved by Mike Richardson with a solo flight of over an hour in the club's PW5 followed by another good flight in the club's Twin Astir while Jason Kelly passed over 100 gliding hours for the calendar year to date. With pilots busy soaring, the planned landing competition was again delayed but thanks largely to Grant Jarden, members enjoyed the scheduled BBQ dinner anyway.
02 November 2013
A fine and sunny day with specially arranged trial flights in the morning followed by strong in places but hard to work thermals in the afternoon. With Graham White taking HB to Taupo for the Central Plateau Championships, MX flew up to 4,600ft locally in the challenging conditions.
27 October 2013
More wave although not clear or well defined. However, this did not stop pilots climbing to 9,500ft and flying as far south as Flemington. With a mid afternoon cold front passing through, some strong wind gusts and wind direction changes kept pilots on their toes. All in all, another good fun flying day.
20 October 2013
A clear, fine and sunny warm spring day with no lift which was perfect for training, trial flights and starting a landing competition.
14 October 2013
Strong wave, registering up to +15kts / - 20kts on the averager in the club's Grob 103C Twin III, saw members flying between Napier and Takapau at heights of up to 12,000ft. Very strong upper winds were evident with the wave continually, and rapidly, rolling eastwards with clouds forming and vanishing constantly. The photo below was published in the local HB Today newspaper.
13 October 2013
Warm temperatures with a south westerly wind saw good thermals which lead to wave. While not classic Hawkes Bay wave, it was smooth and up to 10kts in places with pilots flying north of Tutira, south to Tikokino and deep into the ranges while struggling at times to keep below the 9,000ft airspace clearance given.
Warm temperatures with a south westerly wind saw good thermals which lead to wave. While not classic Hawkes Bay wave, it was smooth and up to 10kts in places with pilots flying north of Tutira, south to Tikokino and deep into the ranges while struggling at times to keep below the 9,000ft airspace clearance given.
06 October 2013
A fine and sunny warm spring day which was perfect for training and trial flights.
29 September 2013
Another wave day with just three gliders taking to the sky. Despite weak and messy lift, the maximum altitude reached was just under 10,500ft with flights ranging from Napier in the north to Dannevirke in the south.
A fine and sunny warm spring day which was perfect for training and trial flights.
29 September 2013
Another wave day with just three gliders taking to the sky. Despite weak and messy lift, the maximum altitude reached was just under 10,500ft with flights ranging from Napier in the north to Dannevirke in the south.
22 September 2013
Early morning high cloud, drizzle and rain gave way to a typically fine, warm and sunny Hawkes Bay day. This brought with it good early Spring local thermals with the club two seaters both achieving one hour plus flights with some good strong climbs achieved.
15 September 2013
Cool, overcast conditions with drizzle prevented any flying today. The day concluded with the monthly committee meeting followed by the AGM. The only change to the club executive was the appointment of Mike Richardson as Club Captain with Grant Jarden assistant club captain.
09 September 2013
A wave day but not as we know it in Hawkes Bay with scrappy lift under 6,000ft and no normal roll clouds. This was probably caused by the strong southerly component which registered a 54kt head wind at one stage while heading south. Despite this, flights north almost to Tutira and south to Takapau were achieved with climbs to 12,000ft.
Early morning high cloud, drizzle and rain gave way to a typically fine, warm and sunny Hawkes Bay day. This brought with it good early Spring local thermals with the club two seaters both achieving one hour plus flights with some good strong climbs achieved.
15 September 2013
Cool, overcast conditions with drizzle prevented any flying today. The day concluded with the monthly committee meeting followed by the AGM. The only change to the club executive was the appointment of Mike Richardson as Club Captain with Grant Jarden assistant club captain.
09 September 2013
A wave day but not as we know it in Hawkes Bay with scrappy lift under 6,000ft and no normal roll clouds. This was probably caused by the strong southerly component which registered a 54kt head wind at one stage while heading south. Despite this, flights north almost to Tutira and south to Takapau were achieved with climbs to 12,000ft.
08 September 2013
By the time members launched, early morning wave had largely dissipated due to a passing cold front which lead to rough and short flights and a short flying day.
01 September 2013
The first official day of Spring saw a typical Spring day of showers, sunshine and more showers.
25 August 2013
While the forecast during the week ranged from rain to sunshine, the only one that mattered was on the day. It turned out to be a great day for trial flights and training with mostly calm air and a light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a cool start.
18 August 2013
Another typical glider pilots week ....... spring like weather during the week with showers and rain on Sunday making no flying possible.
11 August 2013
After a week containing spring like weather, persistent drizzle and rain on Sunday made no flying possible.
04 August 2013
Persistent rain all day saw no flying and the planned landing competition postponed until a normal sunny Hawkes Bay day.
28 July 2013
Yet again another perfect day for trial flights and training with calm air and a very light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a crisp start. Suitable weather for good thermals is getting closer!
21 July 2013
Another perfect day for trial flights and training with calm air and a very light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a crisp start. Mike Richardson progressed to the PW5 and is looking forward to summer to further his gliding.
14 July 2013
Again the forecast rain set in for the day preventing all flying.
07 July 2013
A wave day with pilots enjoying up to 14kt average lift while flying between Bay View in the north to south of Takapau at heights of up to 11,000ft. The local air traffic controller called it "a wall of gliders" when advising traffic to passing AirNZ flights. Much of the day was blue with the few clouds changing rapidly. Thankfully the ground winds never reached the extremes predicted and peaked at around 15-20kts before changing to mostly southerly later in the day which destroyed all local wave lift.
30 June 2013
A perfect day for trial flights and training with calm air and a very light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a crisp start. Stunning views of Hawkes Bay from above were enjoyed by those who took to the air.
By the time members launched, early morning wave had largely dissipated due to a passing cold front which lead to rough and short flights and a short flying day.
01 September 2013
The first official day of Spring saw a typical Spring day of showers, sunshine and more showers.
25 August 2013
While the forecast during the week ranged from rain to sunshine, the only one that mattered was on the day. It turned out to be a great day for trial flights and training with mostly calm air and a light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a cool start.
18 August 2013
Another typical glider pilots week ....... spring like weather during the week with showers and rain on Sunday making no flying possible.
11 August 2013
After a week containing spring like weather, persistent drizzle and rain on Sunday made no flying possible.
04 August 2013
Persistent rain all day saw no flying and the planned landing competition postponed until a normal sunny Hawkes Bay day.
28 July 2013
Yet again another perfect day for trial flights and training with calm air and a very light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a crisp start. Suitable weather for good thermals is getting closer!
21 July 2013
Another perfect day for trial flights and training with calm air and a very light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a crisp start. Mike Richardson progressed to the PW5 and is looking forward to summer to further his gliding.
14 July 2013
Again the forecast rain set in for the day preventing all flying.
07 July 2013
A wave day with pilots enjoying up to 14kt average lift while flying between Bay View in the north to south of Takapau at heights of up to 11,000ft. The local air traffic controller called it "a wall of gliders" when advising traffic to passing AirNZ flights. Much of the day was blue with the few clouds changing rapidly. Thankfully the ground winds never reached the extremes predicted and peaked at around 15-20kts before changing to mostly southerly later in the day which destroyed all local wave lift.
30 June 2013
A perfect day for trial flights and training with calm air and a very light and variable wind all day under brilliant sunshine after a crisp start. Stunning views of Hawkes Bay from above were enjoyed by those who took to the air.
Clear skies above Hawkes Bay
Climbing under power in GHB, the club's Grob 103C III SL.
Soaring Magazine Club News June - July 2013
The last two months have been relatively quiet on the flying front punctuated with the occasional brilliant thermal day and some good convergences. Wave has been rare at the time of writing and mostly seen on weekdays with a number of members taking advantage to fly on ANZAC Day afternoon.
One of the founding members and early presidents of the club, Gerry van Asch (father of the current Club President Gerrit), passed away recently. Brian Kelly organised a fly past for the funeral service utilising the club’s towplane, Graham White’s LS8, the club’s Grob 103SL motorglider and Brian’s shared ASH25M. This was appreciated by the family.
The club website at www.glidinghbw.co.nz is now up and running. Further development of this site is planned as time progresses.
Club Captain Grant Jarden is organising a spot landing competition and club BBQ scheduled for May. The club is also applying for funds to try and run a youth scholarship to help bolster our flying ranks and maintain good flying levels during the winter months.
23 June 2013
A freezing cold southerly deterred members from taking to the sky today. It must be mid-winter.
16 June 2013
The forecast rain arrived early and settled in for the day so there was no flying.
09 June 2013
The forecast rain never eventuated but lead to most pilots not flying today in what turned out to be a good day for training.
02 June 2013
An interesting flying day with early northwest cross winds on the ground dying out. Strong westerlies higher up and heavy sink were evident in places but no local wave could be found. Smooth air and weak inconsistent lift saw climbs to over 4,300ft with the LS4 managing to stay aloft for over two hours until near dark.
The last two months have been relatively quiet on the flying front punctuated with the occasional brilliant thermal day and some good convergences. Wave has been rare at the time of writing and mostly seen on weekdays with a number of members taking advantage to fly on ANZAC Day afternoon.
One of the founding members and early presidents of the club, Gerry van Asch (father of the current Club President Gerrit), passed away recently. Brian Kelly organised a fly past for the funeral service utilising the club’s towplane, Graham White’s LS8, the club’s Grob 103SL motorglider and Brian’s shared ASH25M. This was appreciated by the family.
The club website at www.glidinghbw.co.nz is now up and running. Further development of this site is planned as time progresses.
Club Captain Grant Jarden is organising a spot landing competition and club BBQ scheduled for May. The club is also applying for funds to try and run a youth scholarship to help bolster our flying ranks and maintain good flying levels during the winter months.
23 June 2013
A freezing cold southerly deterred members from taking to the sky today. It must be mid-winter.
16 June 2013
The forecast rain arrived early and settled in for the day so there was no flying.
09 June 2013
The forecast rain never eventuated but lead to most pilots not flying today in what turned out to be a good day for training.
02 June 2013
An interesting flying day with early northwest cross winds on the ground dying out. Strong westerlies higher up and heavy sink were evident in places but no local wave could be found. Smooth air and weak inconsistent lift saw climbs to over 4,300ft with the LS4 managing to stay aloft for over two hours until near dark.
26 May 2013
Unfortunately no flying today due to the unavailability of a towplane.
19 May 2013
Congratulations to Mike Richardson on his first solo flight today.
25 April 2013
Good wave today with club members flying north to Tutira and south to Dannevirke.
Soaring Magazine Club News April - May 2013
With the return of “normal” summer weather, the club has seen considerably more flying than last year from both our Waipukurau and Hastings bases. While good flying has been had from both sites, it has been noted that on some days better soaring has occurred from Hastings. Hopefully the flyable weather continues well into autumn and we get the usual wave.
Our self launching Grob 103C Twin III SL (GHB) has been flying from both sites with members flying from Hastings to Waipukurau and back both with only thermals and the aid of power. We are planning to use this glider to help train pilots further in cross country flying. It can also be used in training pilots to obtain self launching ratings.
Our students John Pluymers and Richie van Overeem have both gone solo while Dick Ryan, Dion Sloan and Mike Richardson are working towards this goal. Craig Hunter has rejoined the club as an associate member and is planning to base his Open Cirrus at Hastings.
The Central Districts Championships were held from Waipukurau in mid-January with a disappointing number of entries. After a pilot’s meeting on the future of the event, a discussion document has been drawn up by this year’s contest director, David Davidson, and this has been distributed to all North Island clubs for their comments. It is also available on the web at http://cdchamps.blogspot.co.nz/ for any others who wish to comment. Congratulations to Graham White who not only was the weatherman, task setter and scorer but also won this years competition.
The club executive has seen some mid-term changes with Rod Wellwood appointed Chief Tow Pilot replacing Steve Holder who is currently spending more time throwing people out of a perfectly serviceable airplane hoping that their rag will open and stop them bouncing and Jason Kelly as Club Secretary, replacing David Davidson.
David has been a stalwart of the club for many years having acted as President, Secretary, and Contest Director at different times. It is great to see new blood in the club and great to have the seasoned advice of people like David to assist in ensuring the club remains successful into the future.
Unfortunately no flying today due to the unavailability of a towplane.
19 May 2013
Congratulations to Mike Richardson on his first solo flight today.
25 April 2013
Good wave today with club members flying north to Tutira and south to Dannevirke.
Soaring Magazine Club News April - May 2013
With the return of “normal” summer weather, the club has seen considerably more flying than last year from both our Waipukurau and Hastings bases. While good flying has been had from both sites, it has been noted that on some days better soaring has occurred from Hastings. Hopefully the flyable weather continues well into autumn and we get the usual wave.
Our self launching Grob 103C Twin III SL (GHB) has been flying from both sites with members flying from Hastings to Waipukurau and back both with only thermals and the aid of power. We are planning to use this glider to help train pilots further in cross country flying. It can also be used in training pilots to obtain self launching ratings.
Our students John Pluymers and Richie van Overeem have both gone solo while Dick Ryan, Dion Sloan and Mike Richardson are working towards this goal. Craig Hunter has rejoined the club as an associate member and is planning to base his Open Cirrus at Hastings.
The Central Districts Championships were held from Waipukurau in mid-January with a disappointing number of entries. After a pilot’s meeting on the future of the event, a discussion document has been drawn up by this year’s contest director, David Davidson, and this has been distributed to all North Island clubs for their comments. It is also available on the web at http://cdchamps.blogspot.co.nz/ for any others who wish to comment. Congratulations to Graham White who not only was the weatherman, task setter and scorer but also won this years competition.
The club executive has seen some mid-term changes with Rod Wellwood appointed Chief Tow Pilot replacing Steve Holder who is currently spending more time throwing people out of a perfectly serviceable airplane hoping that their rag will open and stop them bouncing and Jason Kelly as Club Secretary, replacing David Davidson.
David has been a stalwart of the club for many years having acted as President, Secretary, and Contest Director at different times. It is great to see new blood in the club and great to have the seasoned advice of people like David to assist in ensuring the club remains successful into the future.
