WINGOVER November/December 2010 Spot Landing Competition South Island Trip Achievements Working Bee
The magazine of the Auckland Aero Club
Alter your flight path and drop into the Waitemata Bar for a quiet tipple. We’ve got a great selection of tap and bottled beer, wine and spirits, and a deck in the sun that overlooks all the action on the runway. The bar is also available for your next company or personal function. Drop in anytime, give us a call or look us up on facebook. p. 09 299 8590 Ext 206 : f. 09 299 8592
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Club Staff & Officers Patron Merv North
Chief Flying Instructor Sandra Shallard (B)
President Rob George
Deputy Chief Flying Instructor Tim Steele (B)
Club Captain Craig Pearce
Instructors Jason Woodger (B) Nathan Johnston (B)
Deputy Club Captain Greg Quinn Secretary Ian Holmes Committee Bill Bennett Jim Fraser Ron Watson Operations Manager Paddy Lozell Office Staff Kirsty Johns Scott Hickey Bar Staff Jess Barrow Wingover Editor Emma Sinnott
Part Time Instructors Andy Lorimer (A) John Ashman (B) Dee Bond (B) Adam Eltham (B) Phil Welcome (B) Nicola Evans (C) Daisuke Kimura (C) Andrew Hope (C) John Kelly (C) T.K. Lee (C) Leo Pardon (C) Aerobatic Instructors Cam Wilson (A) Peter Beaumont (B) Wayne Ormrod (B) Safety Coordinator Tim Steele Maintenance Controller Nathan Johnston
Cover photo by Greg Quinn 3
Club President Report Rob George The year is flying by (no pun intended) and with the better weather the hours are adding up. In October the team did 378 hours which is the highest for as long as anyone can remember and then we were up there again in November with 329. Unfortunately December was a bit slower due to weather. However we are on track for an increase in annual hours to around 3,400 if the weather holds. We need to keep increasing this number to be sustainable in the long term but the trend is our friend and has been for the last couple of years, so the challenge is to keep building on what we are doing. A successful South Island trip was run late November with the team enjoying Blair Huston’s hospitality in Queenstown. Although they keep saying “what goes on tour stays on tour” they all seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. Congratulations to Larry Chan for his first solo, Deborah Finlay for her CPL pass and to our two newest C Kittens, Leo Pardon and T K Lee. I am working on my CPL and I have a real empathy for the amount of work it takes to tick the boxes. Well done guys. An unusual event took place recently with the runway being closed for a fun run/walk. A lot of fun was had by all and if the stories in the bar were anything to go by then there were several world and Olympic records broken by the “athletes” who managed the entire 1300 metres that make up 03/21. Another different event took place when we set up a grid on the grass and challenged all comers around the field to a circuit and landing competition. Our own Jim Fraser won the PPL category which means we can expect big things from Jim at the nationals. Airline Flying Club took out the pre PPL event and our not so new C Cat Nicola cleaned up the Instructor event. Gary Van Der Westhuizen, from Ardmore Helicopters, was disappointed to learn his angry palm tree was not eligible. However there is no reason we could not include a helicopter circuit competition next time. The committee are really keen on holding this kind of event which like the runway run is about the community of the airfield and about the aviation enthusiasts sharing what we do. 4
Two thank you notes; Firstly, different people have contacted Paddy about business opportunities recently and when she asked why they had approached us the responses have been along the lines of “we have heard you are a really friendly lot to work with”. So thanks to the instructing and front office team who drive that culture – you are a great team well done keep it up. Secondly, there was a very well supported working bee, thanks to all involved. I was unable to help out but felt absolutely humbled by the number of people and the energy spent on making the club a special place. Thanks – your help with this stuff is really appreciated and helps make us what we are. That’s it for me, I am working through the final stages of the CPL cross country syllabus, and then it’s “just” the exam KDR reports, the handling instruction and practice, leading up to a flight test, an initial issue class one medical, a fit and proper person report and the English Language test. Easy if you say it fast. Happy Landings Rob
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Working Bee 14th November 2010 To freshen up the planes a working bee was organised. For an hour during the day each plane was cleaned and shined inside and out. The club would like to thank Greg Quinn, Steve Roberts, Jim Fraser, Emma Sinnott, Reece Harrison, John Mclean, Scott Hickey, Ron Watson, Kay Wooderson, Al Vanoordt, Larry Chan, Georgie Roy, and Richard Amor for their help along with the instructors who helped clean and supervise on the day.
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Landing Competitions 12th December 2010 The 12th of December was decided to be the day where the whole airfield could come together and prove they could land on the spot. I would like to sincerely thank Ian Holmes for taking time out to help with the mowing of the grid, Tim Steele for devoting his day to being the ground judge, the air judges Nicola Evans and T.K. Lee, Adam Eltham for organizing the Ardmore Flying School boys and for sponsoring the prizes, Alan Bostock for his help in Unicom and B.P. for sponsoring prizes also. We had some brilliant airmanship and landings but there can only be one winner. The winner of the Pre-PPL category was David Underwood from Airline Flying Club. The winner of the post PPL category was Jim Fraser and the winner of the instructor category was Nicola Evans both from the Auckland Aero Club. Thank you to all those who entered and I hope you all had an enjoyable day.
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CFI REPORT Sandra Shallard
Hoping everyone has a very merry Christmas and enjoy the great weather and festivities of the season. We look forward to seeing members out at the club for some great summer flying. When you’re next out, please introduce yourself to our two new C Cat instructors, TK Lee and Leo Pardon. Congratulations to you both and welcome to the team! Also new to the club is a glass cockpit Garmin 1000 Cessna 172, JRE. Members with a PPL and 100 hours flight time can hire this out after completing one-on-one tuition on the Garmin 1000 and demonstrating competency with using the Garmin 1000. The last couple of months have been busy at the club with some great events including a successful Ardmore airfield competition day, a South Island trip, working bees, Christmas parties and the airfield fun run. We hope to provide members with more exciting trips away in the near future, including a 90 mile beach trip, white water rafting and luging trips. Please contact the club if you are interested in joining us or if you have any suggestions for other trips you would like to see the club run. For those of you who will be sitting a PPL or CPL licence later on in the year, terrain awareness and basic mountain flying will be tested during flight tests from July 2011. For current licence holders, this training shall be covered during your next BFR. In preparation of this requirement, the club will be holding several basic mountain flying ground courses and flight training exercises for members. Please contact the flight desk to register your interest. Safe flying, Sandra
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Safety Matters Tim Steele
Its very pleasing to see that recently we have had no reports of incidents amongst the club members. Even though summer is traditionally a busy period, this seems to be running smoothly. December’s weather has slowed the number of flying hours down, and it’s important to remember that the low cloud and drizzle that is associated with the humid weather often sticks around for a couple of days. This is especially important if you are planning a summer trip away. A recent addition to the club flying procedures is the adding of the TCTWO briefing prior to flight, and when approaching an aerodrome to land. This checklist is a means by which we can formalise the Threat and Error management for each flight. If you are unsure about what this stands for or how to use it, please contact one of the instructors who can organise a brief for you. The Walsh Memorial Flying School will be operating at Matamata Aerodrome from the 7th of January 2011 for approximately two weeks. During this time Matamata will become a controlled aerodrome, with intense training activity. Please refer to your latest supplement for information regarding the changes and if you are unsure about procedures there, speak to one of the instructors. We’ve had a really productive summer, so let’s see that continue with proper planning leading to enjoyable flying.
Fly Safe Tim
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T C TWO Safety briefing (Prior to start up and revise prior to descent) T = threats and risks associated with the route / flight. Strategies for mitigation (if an identified risk cannot be managed, the flight does not proceed) C = review charts and AIP available for the route, with route drawn on chart T = terrain associated with the route, minimum safe heights W = weather associated with the route, establish met minimums, alternate plans O = operational / other factors: Lifejackets / radio chatter frequency / no formation / experience levels / fuel availability / food and drink for flights longer than 1 hour
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Maintenance Bits Nathan Johnston Hi all, Not much to report this time around, just a few friendly reminders. Firstly please beware the carburettor heat is an unfiltered air source so caution must be used when operating with carb heat on the ground. Before operating the carb heat check the area is clear of dust and other debris ie grass etc. If this is not done you may find yourself dealing with an engine failure after take off. FVS has a new cylinder and needs to be run at a higher power setting for the first 50 hours. It is also using a different grade of oil, this can be found in the Tech Log. If you have any queries or questions please contact any of the instructors or the desk staff. Defect reporting is a very important part of keeping the aircraft maintained to a high standard. If in doubt, write down the defect and we can either have it deferred or repaired. When 03 is in use run ups are not to be carried out at the 03 holding point as per the Ardmore Ops manual, however this does not mean you can become a nuisance. There is space available at the end of our ramp and taxiway delta. Please remember to check the area in the vicinity of the propeller is clear of anything that could be lifted by the propeller and cause damage to the aircraft or anything behind the aircraft. Oil for all aircraft needs to be signed out so we can keep an accurate track of oil consumption and therefore engine condition, if you need oil please talk to an instructor or the desk staff. Lastly the computer system is going well, thank you all for your effort in adjusting to the new system, it has improved the efficiency of the maintenance by maximising utilisation of aircraft and minimising down time. Keep it up! Cheers Nathan 12
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South Island Trip 27/11/10—2/12/2010 With weeks of planning, the 27th November finally came and we set off for what can now be described as a fantastic trip with 8/8’s of blue sky for most of the trip. The morning of the 27th Nicola, Scott and Greg climbed into JRA and Tim, Emma and a lot of baggage climbed into JAZ for a days flying that ended up in Nelson. We stopped at New Plymouth, Stratford, Wanganui and Paraparaumu before crossing the Strait and over the Marlborough Sounds before finally arriving at Nelson for the night. The second days flying took us from Nelson into Kaikoura, where we did a bit of whale watching before heading onto Christchurch. We took off from Christchurch after a spot of lunch and headed to Alexandra before finally landing at Queenstown for the night. The third day was a short trip over to Wanaka and to the museum before heading back to Queenstown for another night. The fourth day we made it to Omaka from Queenstown via Kaikoura for a fuel fill up on the way. The fifth day was across the Strait and into Wellington for the night. The sixth day was back up the west coast via Palmerston North and New Plymouth before finally landing at Ardmore, the end of a memorable trip. On the west coast on the way down to New Plymouth
Crossing the Marlborough Sounds
Run-ups at Ardmore Filling up at Paraparaumu
Filling up at Paraparaumu
JRA on the ground at Nelson JRA on the ground at Nelson On the ground at Christchurch leaving for Alexandra
Whale watching at Kaikoura
On final at Christchurch
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On final at Alexandra
Filling up at Alexandra
Central Otago Flying Club at Alexandra
Heading into Queenstown with the road on our right
Heading over Cromwell First view of Queenstown
JAZ and JRA on the ground at Queenstown Turning final at Wanaka JAZ on the ground at Omaka
The view of the runway from the house at Queenstown
Wellington International Airport
The group of us at Omaka
Leaving Wellington JAZ on final into Palmerston North
Final into Palmerston North
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Club Captain’s Report Craig Pearce Hi everyone, With all this hot humid weather we are having, don’t forget to take a drink bottle with you when you go flying. Also remember not to leave it the plane after the flight. It is the perfect time of year to hire an aircraft and fly somewhere for a couple of hours with some friends for that memorable flight. Some suggestions for this are Pauanui for stroll down the beach or swim, Raglan for lunch and a browse around the shops or head to our friends at North Shore Aero club to say hello. Other ideas are to go on an extended scenic flight of Auckland, head out around the Manukau harbour, up the west coast past Piha, then head over to the east coast around some of the islands in the gulf and back to Ardmore. Just remember to watch the boundaries of any controlled airspace. Have fun as you explore the region this summer Craig
Deputy Club Captain’s Report Greg Quinn Hello and a warm welcome, Firstly I would like to thank the committee for asking me to take on the role of Deputy Club Captain, it is an honour and I will endeavor to do my very best for the club and all its members. For those of you who I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, allow me to introduce myself. I was born in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) where I fell in love with flying at a very young age helped by the fact we had a glider field next door. My family moved to the UK in the mid 80's where we settled in Southampton, a stone's throw away from the airport that was the home of the maiden flight of the Spitfire, K5054. I spent many a day with my fingers firmly hooked through the fence taking in the sights, sounds and smells of that small but busy airport. At the age of 11 I joined the Air Training Corps (ATC) and after my first of many aerobatic flights in a Chipmunk, decided that my future would be in flying. After leaving the cadets I was awarded a scholarship with 622 VGS an RAF Gliding school based in Upavon on Salisbury Plain where I stayed for a year before heading off to University in Cardiff, Wales. It would be well over a decade of interesting and varied jobs, a lot of travel and a quirk of fate before I'd fly again. My dream was realised at the beginning of 2010 when I began my PPL.
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I joined AAC in March as a full time student and completed my PPL in June now half way through my CPL which I hope to have before the end of summer, then moving on to my C-Cat. So here I am, a proud member of a club that is steeped in history with a hugely bright future ahead of it. Now onwards and upwards, we are fast approaching the 2011 National RNZAC championships which are to be held in Canterbury at West Melton Airfield from the 14th-20th February. We have a large contingent heading down which is fantastic and we will do our very best to bring back as much of the Silverware as possible. I would like to give a special mention to Mr. Scott Hickey who if he wins the Sir Frances Boys Cup, will go on to represent New Zealand in Australia, no pressure there then! And the final word comes from, - Gunter's Second Law of Air Travel. "The strength of the turbulence is directly proportional to the temperature of your coffee". Until next time, Greg Quinn.
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A Step back in Time with the Auckland Aero Club Between 1939 and 1945, no training or recreational flying continued at the club. The following are exerts from the New Zealand Herald. NZ Herald 12th Oct 1945 – Mangere Airfield – State Purchase Plan “Negotiations are in progress between the Government and the Auckland Aero Club for the purchase of the club airfield at Mangere, which was used during the war by the New Zealand Air Force. No agreement had been reached concerning the price to be paid, but the Government, under an agreement, had the right to take over the club’s land and buildings, and it proposed to exercise its right. A price would be fixed by arbitration.” NZ Herald 16th Jan 1946 – Club Flying Starts at Weekend “Limited flying will be resumed by the Auckland Aero Club at Mangere this week-end when it is hoped that the first of six Tiger Moths will be available. The aircraft has been overhauled for civilian use by the de Havilland Aircraft Company and will be flown from Rongotai to Mangere tomorrow by a club member, Mr DA Greig, a former Air Force PiPost war airfield photo lot. The secretary MR Swan said the club now had over 1000 members, about 600 of whom wished to fly. Of the 546 new members admitted in the last three months more than two thirds were already pilots. “ NZ Herald 4th March 1946 – First Solo Flight “The first member of the Auckland Aero Club to make a first solo flight since the activities of the club started again took off yesterday in one of the aero club’s Tiger Moths. He was a 19 year old youth, Mervyn North, whose home is at Mangere. His flight was taken after only five hours ten minutes dual instruction. Most pilots take from eight to 12 hours to gain the proficiency required to allow them to take the air alone”
Merv after his 1st solo
NZ Herald 10th April 1946 – Air Ambulance “After wartime service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force the Auckland Aero Club’s Beechcraft machine is expected to be returned to the club shortly and will once again be available for ambulance work. The aircraft was bought in 1936 by public subscription at a cost of over 2500 pounds. The aircraft had been extensively damaged and later rebuilt by the Air Force, and was now undergoing an overhaul which was reported practically complete.”
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NZ Herald 3rd June 1946 – Aero Club Display “Several hundred people visited Mangere yesterday when the Auckland Aero Club held its first field day since the war on a pre-war scale. The Beechcraft passenger and ambulance machine was used on passenger flights and the Tiger Moths and a Moth Minor were in the air. An aerobatics display was given by the clubs chief instructor Mr K B Robinson in a Tiger Moth and a height guessing competition was another popular attraction. A similar fixture will be held today” NZ Herald 3rd August 1946 - Full Fleet of Aircraft “With the arrival of a Moth Minor from Wellington today the Auckland Aero Club will have attained its full fleet of 11 aircraft. The Moth Minor is an open two-seater, single engine monoplane, but will be closed in after its arrival at Mangere. Now that the club has a full complement of aircraft an official reopening will be held soon. The clubhouse, which Moth Minor was commandeered by the Air Force during the war, has been renovated and will be ready for use in a few weeks. Although the clubhouse was built in 1939, replacing the old building which was destroyed by fire, the club has never had the use of it. On the buildings completion in 1939 it was immediately taken over the Air Force. NZ Herald 17th September 1946 – Price About 23,000 pounds– Area over 100 acres – All buildings included “The purchase of Mangere aerodrome by the Government would relieve the club of the financial burden of providing an airport for the city and would free up capital, now held in land and buildings, for the development of the club’s own flying activities, said the secretary of the Auckland Aero Club, Mr L.W. Swan, last night. The purchase price has not yet been approved by the Minister, but is understood to be in the vicinity of 23,000 pounds. Rather more than 100 acres in area the aerodrome site was bought by the club from Mr W. M. Peacock in 1929. When club flying began in 1928 a small paddock on Mr Peacock’s land was used as a field, but with the arrival of more aircraft a larger ground became necessary. About 90 acres, including the original paddock, were purchased and the aerodrome remained this size until it was taken over at the outbreak of war by the Air Force and a new runway was added on the south-west corner. The Government took an option on Mangere some years ago when it used unemployed labour to level the aerodrome. This meant that in the event of the club wishing to dispose of the aerodrome it had first to be offered to the Government. The Club will now lease the field, its own clubhouse and its hangar, all of which are included in the purchase. Union Airways , now under the New Zealand National Airways Corporation will continue to use the aerodrome, but the club will no longer receive rental from the Company.”
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NZ Herald – 4th February 1947 – Clubhouse Fire – Building Saved The action of two ground engineers and a pilot who clambered on to the roof with foam extinguishers and the prompt arrival of a fire engine from Otahuhu saved the Auckland Aero Club’s clubhouse at Mangere from destruction yesterday afternoon when the roof above the kitchen caught fire. Before the fire was under control the supply of foam ran out, so buckets of water were handed up to the men on the roof. The Auckland Fire Brigade received the alarm a few minutes before 2 o’clock and three machines, two from Otahuhu and one from Onehunga, went to the aerodrome. At the height of the fire the power supply to the Mangere control tower was interrupted when the lines were burned. Two passenger aircraft of the National Airways Corporation which were approaching to land, one from North Auckland and the other from New Plymouth, could not be signalled and an urgent call had to be made to Whenuapai from where the machines received their landing directions, both arrived safely. NZ Herald – 1st December 1947 – Twenty years flying – Auckland Clubs Record “New Zealand’s largest civil flying training organisation, the Auckland Aero Club, with its nearly 800 pilot and pupil members will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. The club was founded in 1928 and in the interval has grown to the most prominent organisation of its kind in the Dominion, with scores of experienced wartime fliers among its total of 1139 members, and a fleet of 13 light aircraft. Events have proved just how mistaken were those who considered that young men who had been flying Spitfires and Corsairs, Ventura’s and Lancaster’s, would scorn to bother again with the modest Tiger Moth. Contrary also to other expectations that those members of Air Force crews who had survived the war would have little wish to fly again, some of the club’s keenest members are returned pilots unwilling to ground themselves. They still look back, with certain regrets, to the days not so long ago when flying was their daily work instead of their week-end hobby.” NZ Herald 17th December 1948 – Aero Club Secretary Resigns The resignation of Mr L.W. Swan managing secretary of the Auckland Aero Club, has been announced. Secretary of the club since its foundation in 1928, Mr Swan has seen the whole growth of club flying in Auckland and has also been intimately associated with similar developments in the Waikato. From an organisation of modest size, the Auckland Aero Club has become the biggest in New Zealand during Mr Swan’s secretaryship. It now has 17 aircraft, 860 members and accumulated funds of some 16,000 pounds. Mr Swan served also as secretary of the Hamilton branch of the club until the formation of the Waikato Aero Club in 1937.” To Be Continued.....
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Club Achievements November/December 2010
T.K. Lee completed his C-Cat on 22/11/2010 Larry Chan completed his first solo on 2/11/2010
Deborah Final completed her CPL on 10/12/2010 Leo Pardon completed his C-Cat on 1/12/2010 21
Upcoming Events
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Our Mission Statement Auckland Aero Club is committed to developing our member’s flying skills at all levels. We strive for high levels of flying competence by providing access to well qualified instructors and to a wide range of aircraft. From our unique facilities at Ardmore Airfield, we promote the ongoing development of a range of initiatives to enhance the flying experience and the sharing of aviation interest. In undertaking this we aim to increase the membership of the club, and enhance its profile in the wider community through numerous aviation related events and activities.
www.aac.org.nz Auckland Aero Club, 500 Harvard Lane, Ardmore Airport, Ardmore P.D.C. 14, Papakura. Phone: +64 9 299 8590 Fax: +64 9 299 8592 Email: flightdesk@aac.org.nz
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