< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 62 20 from previous in Aviation’ and ‘Introduction to Human Factors’. The understanding of the industry structure, regulations, and key institutions she gained enabled her to adapt to the environment quickly, and to have discussions about the industry with other professionals. Human factors knowledge also enabled her to meet the company’s requirements for staff to have regular human factors training. A major highlight for Sadie was the opportunity she received to travel to the Tasman Cargo Sydney base, “one of the best days of my life,” she says. Sadie is now working on a casual contract with Tasman Cargo while she completes her final degree courses. Sadie’s advanced Excel skills are being put to use by the company and she is now involved in improving day-to-day documentation to be more functional for the wider team. Sadie attributes the internship opportunity to making “my transition from University to the industry so seamless. I came to the Massey University BAvMan programme hoping to start a career in the aviation industry after 3 years - and I am already in the industry before the 3 years is up.” Henry Idiens: Airways NZ Henry is a final year full time BAvMan student who was pleased to secure an internship placement with Airways NZ in his home city over the summer semester. Henry’s two days per week internship placement with Airways NZ primarily involved working as an assistant to the Manager Workplace Planning and Performance in the revision of critical internal documents. Henry found the experience very rewarding and says it was very useful to “be able to transfer aspects of some of my degree courses (‘Aviation Strategic Management’ and ‘Managing Aviation Systems) to real life practice”. For more information With employers recognising that hosting Massey’s aviation management student interns is beneficial to both parties, outstanding performance in an internship placement can, and does, lead to aviation career opportunities. For more information email Anke Smith: aviation@massey.ac.nz SCENIC FLIGHTS HELI CHARTER HELI FISHING PROPOSAL FLIGHTS HOTEL TRANSFERS COMMERCIAL OPS PHOTOGRAPHY PPL and CPL TRAINING CAANZ CERTIFICATED R 22, R 44, S 300 SAFETY AWARENESS COURSES TYPE RATINGS INSTRUCTOR RATINGS NIGHT RATINGS (unlim) 09 299 9442 sylvia@heliflite.nz www.heliflite.co.nz Tanker to Aircraft Refuelling at Ardmore Tanker to Aircraft Refuelling at Ardmore Avgas and Jet A1 Call George Hoskins Phone 021 369 600 or VHF 133.1 MHz Ardmore Sky Station Ph/Fax: (09) 297 7188 Email: skystation@xtra.co.nzP: 09 298 8206 or 0800 322 206 F: 09 298 8218 E: insure@avsure.co.nz www.avsure.co.nz Contact us at AVSURE for a free no-obligation quote on any aviation related insurance requirements that you have AIRCRAFT AVIATION LIABILITY PROPERTY PERSONAL l Pleasure & Business Aircraft l Charter l Aircraft Sales l Flying Schools l Clubs l Agricultural l Helicopters l Premises l Airports l Products l Chemical l Hangar keepers l Hangars and Contents l Pilot Personal Accident l Passengers l Pilots term life AVSURE provides the most competitive insurance programmes available in the Aviation Industry. When considering your aircraft insurance, you definitely need the best ADVICE, EXPERIENCE and RESOURCES. At AVSURE, WE DELIVER. AVSURE - where aviation insurance isn’t just a sideline, it’s all we do! RPAS, UAVs, DRONES l Commercial Operator Cover for: Hull & Liability or Liability only SPECIALIST AVIATION INSURANCE BROKER Boston Marks | A Gallagher Company Aviation Insurance contributed by Bill Beard 21 2019 #2 All aviation insurance policies contain deductibles of some sort, however the nature and applications of these are not always well understood. Bill Beard from Avsure continues his series of insurance related articles, here explaining some common terms and how the process of calculating deductibles in the event of an accident is usually applied. All of the previous Avsure articles are available for download from the KiwiFlyer website www.kiwiflyer.co.nz Policy Deductibles A hull deductible (sometimes referred to as an excess), applies to all aviation policies involving repairs but may on occasions not be applied in the event of a Total or Constructive Total Loss. Hull deductibles are predominately applied as a percentage of the agreed total value. For the majority of fixed wing aircraft, the deductible is usually 1% of the hull value subject to a minimum dollar value (usually $1000) on lower valued hulls. For aviation uses involving abnormal hazards such as agriculture and for the majority of helicopters, a hull excess of 5% is usually applied and this is sometimes increased to 10% in the case of inexperienced pilots or extremely hazardous uses. The important thing to understand is that in the case of repair claims, the hull deductible/excess is calculated on the total hull value – not the amount of repairs. Third party liability property damage claims however are not usually subject to an excess or deductible. Pro-Rata/Time-Life Component Adjustments Another deduction made from a claim can be a Pro-Rata/Time-Life Component Adjustment. Particularly all helicopters and fixed-wing turbo-props (other than total or constructive total loss) are subject to contribution by the policy holder for the proportion of the overhaul or replacement cost of any unit or component in relation to the TBO or “life” of the replaced unit or component. The insurer will deduct the appropriate amount on the application of the following formula: Used Time or Hours Flown divided by Overhaul TBO, multiplied by Overhaul or Replacement Cost. This can have a major impact on the eventual proceeds of a claim following say a main or tail rotor blade strike on components nearing the end of their TBO. In recent times, a few Insurers have agreed to delete the clause relating to pro-rata contribution on Time- Life components and in the case of helicopters, under some circumstances, Betterment can be insured. To obtain further information on this subject we invite operators to contact this office to discuss. To discuss this topic or any other aviation insurance questions, or to seek quotations, contact Arden Jennings or Bill Beard at Avsure on 0800 322206. Full policy wordings and other information is available on our website www.avsure.co.nz Insurance Policy Deductibles ExplainedKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 62 22 Aerobatics contributed by Grant Benns and Paul Carran Whilst numbers were down a little this year due to aircraft unserviceability, most categories were flown, with the usual suspects present. Of note: Morris Tull and David Cranna continued their winning ways, Trish Stevens flew the flag for our female competitors, RV-series aircraft showed what a great all-round aircraft they are, and the results proved that practice pays off. 2019 Nationals Results Here are the Category results. Note the percentage score is the percentage of the maximum total available points for that category. Advanced: 1st Morris Tull / Pitts S1 62.9% 2nd Grant Benns / Laser 230 and Zlin Z-50 58.9% 3rd Steve Geard / Yak-55 56.9% The 2019 NZ Aerobatic Club Nationals took place in the beautiful skies of the Southern Wairarapa, just after Wings Over Wairarapa in late-February, hosted by the Wairarapa Aero Club. Of course KiwiFlyer Aerobatic (and more) contributor Grant Benns was there. Grant provides an introduction below and then hands over to aerobatic competition newbie Paul Carran to explain the event from a first timer’s perspective. 2019 NZ Aerobatic Club Nationals Confessions of a Newbie Mike Slack and David Cranna scored 3rd and 1st respectively in the Intermediate category flying David’s Zlin Z-50. Intermediate: 1st David Cranna / Zlin Z-50 74.1% 2nd Andrew Love / Pitts S1 73.9% 3rd Mike Slack / Zlin Z-50 69.9% Sports: 1st David Cranna / RV-7 78.3% 2nd Chris Schadler / RV-3 77.1 % 3rd Grant Benns / RV-7 75.1 % Recreational: 1st Trish Stevens / RV-6 70.8% 2nd Paul Carran / RV-8 65.1% Congratulations and thanks to all involved for a safe, well run and FUN event. The Newbie This year we introduced a new member/competitor to our ranks – Paul Carran from North Shore Airfield, flying his newly acquired RV-8. Being new to aerobatics with the ink still drying on his aerobatic rating, and thus very new to the sport of competition aerobatics, I thought it appropriate to ask him to write up his experiences, thoughts and feelings of rocking up for his first competition. The RV-series is a lovely aircraft in-general 23 2019 #2 and is also very capable of being flown competitively in any of the lower three categories – Primary, Recreational and Sports. Paul chose to fly the Recreational sequence (with some encouragement!) and he also accepted my offer to initially fly with him as safety pilot in order to learn the routines and flow of an aerobatic competition flight – something I would encourage all ‘newbies’ to seek out. After that, he was on his own. His story of his first Nationals follows: Grant Benns Paul’s Story Descending from 8000 feet over broken cloud on approach to Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, I could see clear sky ahead. At 2000 feet and a couple of miles out I was nicely positioned on the western side of the town and, with the plate torn out of the Supp with the non-standard right-hand circuit direction on my knee pad, I joined for runway 24. A brisk cross wind tried hard to lift the wing but my RV-8 wheeled on smooth - I had arrived! From regaining my PPL after a 35-year break only four years ago to getting an aerobatic rating in January 2019, it had been, and continues to be, a wonderful journey. However, it was with some trepidation that I agreed with my aerobatic instructor Grant Benns to join him and others at the Nationals. I should not have worried - it proved to be a fantastic experience and one that I would recommend to all pilots. My welcome The first impression was that, despite being a newcomer, I was welcomed by all and enthusiastically included into the activities. When not flying, I assisted the five judges by ‘scribing’, which is the writing down of a judge’s scores and comments of the competition sequence being flown. I found this assistive in understanding what judges are looking for and how they score the sequences. It was also a time to get to know a few people and chat between breaks before the next pilot was ready. Later in the First time aerobatic competitor Paul Carran. Clubhouse, members freely offered both congratulations for giving it a go but also useful feedback on my flying, and clarification of various rules and judging criteria. The Club has been operating for 35 years and its main annual event is the National Championships. Prior to this event, aerobatic pilots network and gather throughout the year at various regional events to practice and improve their skills. Two weeks earlier, I flew down from North Shore with Ian Young, ex CFI at North There's a new level of customer focused maintenance at Hastings Aerodrome Fixed Cost Services Repairs & Restorations Scheduled Maintenance Modifications Bring your aircraft to Plane Torque Ltd and benefit from our co-operative approach to all your aircraft maintenance requirements. Contact Nic Roberts on 021 068 2271 email: nic@planetorque.co.nz i i Mike Slack imageKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 62 24 Aerobatics Shore and now a senior captain at Cathay based in Hong Kong, to fly and tidy up our routines. Such is the draw of this competition that members like Ian and Morris Tull, a Dubai-based Emirates Captain, return year after year to have a load of fun in cool aeroplanes. Preparation Over the previous few months I had been attempting to master the recreational sequence by myself, and over a couple of dual flights it took Grant a while to correct some of the errors in my routine, all of which was gratefully received by me. The great thing about aerobatic pilots is that they critique and feedback to each other on how to improve. More on that later. Because this was my first experience of competition aerobatics, Grant walked, well flew, me through how to go about it. Operating not lower that 1500 feet AGL means starting the sequence between 2500 feet and 3500 feet. From 2500 feet, the 1000-meter square area called ‘The Box’, in which one flies a sequence, looks like a postage stamp. And at 25 squared, the O-360 powered RV-8 happily cruises at 170 knots; so straight and level, its roughly a 10 second flyby. Lots of energy to play with on up lines but this also requires concentration of down lines as speed builds up very quickly in such a slippery aeroplane. But that is the fun of it, is that not true? Docs check After arriving at Hood Aerodrome early on the Wednesday morning, and emptying the plane of everything, prior to flying a practice run Morris (Mo) Tull came over and gave the aircraft a thorough technical inspection as well as checking with me about my prepping the plane for flight. This was but one example of how professional and safety conscious the organisers and participants are in managing and flying in the competitions. Before I could fly, I had to go through paperwork with the Contest Director, Mike Slack, whose diligence was laudable. Key items were sighting the pilot’s license, aerobatic rating, current BFR and not less than $2m third party insurance, as well as confirming knowledge and understanding of the event operating procedures. As an ‘Aviation Event’, the competition is run strictly in accordance with a Procedures manual approved by NZ Warbirds. Furthermore, all pilots had to attend the obligatory daily safety briefing. Starting Prior to all flights, a line safety person called ‘The Starter’ interrogated every pilot once he or she was strapped in their cockpit. IMSAFE had to be answered, as well as confirmation of setting QFE, reporting fuel drains checked, and adequate fuel quantity was on board. The goal is to have as small a quantity of fuel as required for the aerobatic flight plus a safety margin, in order to keep the weight down and not over-stress the airframe. Once satisfactorily completed it was “prop clear” and start up to taxi. Holding With Grant in the back to show me the ropes for this first official practice flight, we took off and climbed to 3000 feet over the ‘Ponds’ holding point. This was the designated holding area prior to entering the Aerobatic Box, over the Masterton sewage ponds. Whilst holding, the HASELL checks were carried out: HEIGHT, not below 1500 feet and not above 3500 feet; AIRFRAME, VA 123kts, VNE 200kts, fuel caps on, flaps up; SECURITY, harness, hatch and no loose objects; ENGINE, power set 25/25, mixture rich, fuel pump on, fuel left tank with flop tube, Ts and Ps green; LOCATION, checked clear; LOOKOUT, traffic. The Box, The Box! The local radio frequency is 119.1 which was used to vacate Hood Aerodrome and fly to The Ponds hold. Once vacating The Ponds, pilots changed to the designated chat frequency, which was monitored by the Chief Judge. Once the preceding competitor had confirmed they had vacated The Box, a quick call was made to advise we were now entering The Box, all the while a spotter on the ground, with a handheld radio on 119.1, was scanning the skies for other aircraft to ensure they kept clear of the aerobatic airspace. This proved to be vital when an aircraft on a later day wandered into the aerobatic area. The lesson is that you can never assume that other pilots have read the SUPPs or NOTAMS containing information about the competition. Low-Lines Now was time to locate The Box and think about the approaches to it. But first, two perpendicular straight and level flights at 1500 feet were required to establish the ‘Low-Line’, first in the direction of flight (into wind) and over the centre marker from edge to edge of The Box, then at right angles to that line and over the judges seated 200 metres from the edge. This was done at 1500 feet, being the Recreational category lower altitude limit, in order to assist the judges in getting their eye ‘in’ for assessing the lower limit. Also, a wing waggle was required at the entry, middle and exit points in each direction. It sounded easy but I duffed it and so I had identified the first thing I need to practise before the next time! Always learning - that was my mantra for the entire competition. The contenders’ flight line.25 2019 #2 180° NoSymbolCat. No.KTotal KMarksRemarksPos 1 7.2.2.1 9.1.3.2 6 4 10 2 2.2.1.14 4 3 1.1.6.3 9.11.1.4 10 5 15 4 5.2.1.117 17 5 8.4.1.113 13 6 8.5.6.1 9.1.4.2 10 4 14 7 7.4.1.110 10 8 1.1.1.1 9.1.3.4 2 8 10 C L U B Form A Pilot ID NZAC Recreational Known Compulsory Flight # ItemKGrade Pos. 6 Fig KTotal K 9399 Penalties Too Low Too High Interruptions Insertions Trg Violation Wing Rocks Disqual Fig Other(note...) Final Freestyle Duration MinSec Judges Details Signature Name Number Pilot A/C Safety Manoeuvres After leaving the Box, we climbed back to 3000 feet before returning to carry out safety manoeuvres. Two are allowed, to make sure the aircraft is performing satisfactorily and that there are no loose FOD, as well as for assessing the effects of the wind at competition altitude. A stall turn and a roll, holding inverted for a second or two, was the ticket for the FOD check. My RV-8 has a ‘half’ inverted oil system, which captures oil on the vertical up and down flight-lines rather than spurting it out the breather. The O-360 engine is also carburetted rather than fuel-injected, so without a fully inverted fuel and oil system my RV has limited inverted capability. Nevertheless better than my present skill level. The Recreational Known category that Paul competed in. Start a new conversation “I wish you could teach others in your profession how to be awesome at their job. I appreciate the updates very much; saves me a tonne of time.” Rhonda Abrams Meggitt; Aircraft Braking Systems. What can we do for your business? supported by offices in New Zealand . Australia . United Kingdom members of the Aerospace Logistics Group www.aerospacelogistics.aero Aubrey Inston 0508 412 205 021 595 608 aubrey@talkcargo.aero www.talkcargo.aero Aviation Logistics SpecialistsKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 62 26 That was it? The third entry into the Box was for the sequence-proper and in what seemed to be the blink of an eye, it was all over and I was exiting to gather myself up and settle down before joining to land. After a debrief and tying the plane down for the night it was off to town for pizzas for dinner. The rubber hits the road Thursday was the first day of the competition for my category, and for my first flight I elected to have Grant sit in the back as a safety pilot. Once I commenced the Box entry he didn’t (and couldn’t) say a word, and I did my thing. Aerobatics is like an aerial ballet and timing becomes important. Counting between manoeuvres and during them assists but doesn’t save you from a poorly executed entry, exit or manoeuvre itself. On my second competition flight, which I did solo, instead of being slow enough in the middle of The Box for the spin, I was almost to the upwind edge, so I broke away and came back to try it again rather that doing the stall turn that followed the spin well outside The Box. Good move, but the problem was I didn’t warn the judges I was ‘breaking’ from the sequence by doing a wing waggle… silly boy. I can now confess that I also forgot to do my safety check stall turn and roll and didn’t waggle my wings on entry either. More things to practise. Flying my Recreational Sequence The most basic level of aerobatic competition is Primary, but no one flew that this year. A couple of us flew Recreational and as this article is mainly for the benefit of those interested in starting aerobatics, I’ll run through the sequence as follows: 1. Flying to the upwind end of the Box with a quick check of Altitude (2500’), Instruments (170kts) and Position (The Box), pull up into a 4G half loop, keeping in balance, arrest with forward stick before the nose goes through the horizon, full left aileron and plenty of rudder to gain about 500 feet and be heading towards the downwind aiming point in the distance. 2. Down to the other end of The Box, to execute a 180 degree turn, briskly rolling to 60 degrees angle of bank, a big pull and plenty of top rudder to hold altitude. This is a seemingly simple manoeuvre that I have yet to completely master. Who would have thought a turn is an aerobatic manoeuvre but a barrel roll isn’t (at least in competition)? 3. Now it’s time to check altitude for the spin. 3000 feet minimum is good. At 60 knots it’s getting mushy. Flying solo, I was wishing Grant was in the back to assist with giving the RV-8 a more aft C-of-G - the RV8 doesn’t like to spin when flown solo. A burp of power with stick hard back and full left rudder and it goes into the spin. Or is it a spiral dive? The mind is racing and then it is recovery - forward stick to get a vertical down line and pull out with power going full-on established on the downline before settling it back to 25 squared to gain speed for the pull up into the stall turn. 4. Look at the left wing, then right and back to left. Straight? Vertical? Still climbing? Glance at the ASI. Under 40 knots. Time to give it full left rudder and right aileron with forward stick. If I get it right my RV-8 yaws over nicely, otherwise I’m flying it over - not so good. Pull the throttle a little going down over 80 knots. Push the stick forward to get the vertical down line, watch the airspeed, recover, pull up to horizontal and count to 3 while doing ‘A-I-P’ (see point 1 above). Aerobatics27 2019 #2 F K Paul Carran’s RV-8. 5. Quick! A Humpty-bump. Pull to vertical. Is the left wing vertical? Count 2 seconds. Pull over top, release pressure, increase pressure on the stick to make a nice round dome then establish the down line. Get that stick forward so that the wing shows vertical, whoa, airspeed is building up, pull to horizontal. What’s next? Where am I? That’s right, a half Cuban. 6. Pull 4G, ease over the top and spot the 45-degree down line. (Still struggling to perfect that…). Stick forward then arrest. Hold 2 seconds, full aileron and plenty of rudder. Blast (I said something stronger to myself) - didn’t hold the stick forward enough and yawed. Rudder it back on line. 7. On the home run now. A simple loop and a roll. Ha! -more easily said than done. A round loop is a work of art. And seldom achieved. The egg-shaped loop is as common as sparrows. And so it was for me. I didn’t push and float over the top as well as I have done in practice. Excuses, yes but also the reason we were all there. To test ourselves in a safe environment with like-minded people and to have fun doing it. 8. And as for the roll. Not bad but in my elation at having finished my first solo aerobatic sequence I scooped the rollout. So many things to practice before next year. So, I have completed my first Aerobatic Competition. I didn’t win but I did have a fantastic time and will be back. Do come join us. It’s highly recommended. Paul Carran Bottoms up. Grant Benns helping Steve Geard bleed the brakes on his Yak-55. For all your engine overhauls Lycoming, Continental, Gipsy... and now Rotax. Part 145 approved Call Bill O’Neill or Graeme Daniell 03 489 6870 or 027 307 5850 Taieri Airport, Mosgiel. www.southair.co.nz Call Liviu: (09) 296 2354 or (09) 268 1199 or 021 048 7055 e: liviu.filimon@liviuavionics.com www.liviuavionics.com For All Fixed Wing or Rotary Avionics and Instruments Requirements l Repair, Calibration, Tests, new units l a/c 24 month inspections l New installations: Mode S, ADSB, a.o. Est. 2003 Ian Young imageKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 62 28 Invited to New Zealand by the Matamata Soaring Centre committee, Sebastian Kawa left a lasting impression with everyone he met in the NZ gliding community, and especially those he flew with. Jill McCaw tells the story: The World’s Best Glider Pilot in NZ He’s the most famous pilot you have never heard of. Polish medical Doctor Sebastian Kawa is literally the world’s greatest competition soaring pilot. At the end of the last Northern Hemisphere soaring season he held a grand total of 29 FAI World titles for winning every type of officially sanctioned glider competition there is over the space of the last 15 years. He has flown and competed all over the world, including a personal highlight, a stint exploring the wave clouds of the Himalayas. He won three world titles back to back in the space of last year, the gliding Grand Prix Final held in Vitacoura, Chile, the World 15m champion in Ostrow back home in Poland and only a few weeks later was lifting the trophy for the 20m championship at Hosin in the Czech Republic. And then in February he came and flew the New Zealand Club Class Nationals at Taupo. Unsurprisingly he won. Sebastian Kawa was invited to New Zealand by the Matamata Soaring Centre committee. With the aim of transferring knowledge, educating and enhancing the gliding of members, over the years the Soaring Centre has brought many notable international pilots, coaches and people like sports psychologists Sebastian Kawa with his New Zealand Club Class trophy from the Nationals and at right with Dion Manktelow at Taupo. New Zealand Soaring contributed by Jill McCaw to training weeks and competitions. Inviting Kawa was a masterstroke. His trip was funded by New Zealand gliding members who paid $800 each for the chance to fly a day with him in competition. When the seats went on sale, they sold out within four hours and by the next day were oversubscribed by 50%. A generous donor purchased a seat for a lucky Youth Glide pilot and Trevor Terry, the owner of the two-seater Duo Discus used for the flights donated the hire charge of the glider to Youth Glide Taupo. During the competition and the rest of his trip Sebastian proved to be affable, friendly and happy to share his experiences and flying adventures at talks and club barbeques around the North Island. He’s well educated and speaks great English. What did pilots get for their $800? They got the focus of the champion for the whole day. Many participants mentioned the amount of work and preparation that Sebastian put into the day’s task, long before the briefing and actually knowing what the task was. David Johnson from Tauranga said, “The glider was washed, ballasted and on the grid before briefing at 10am. Briefing over and while most of the other pilots were gridding their gliders Sebastian spent a good half hour on his laptop looking at all the predicted wind strengths/directions, thermal strengths and energy lines for all times of the day over the task.” Sebastian had a plan for the flight well before getting airborne. “At the launch point before take-off, Sebastian’s eyes were already skywards, looking at conditions not only around the field but also out into the distance.” There was even another quick canopy wash just before take-off.29 2019 #2 F K Derek Kraak from Christchurch, one of this country’s top competition pilots described his flight with Kawa as humbling. “He is incredibly accurate, uses outstanding planning and his ability to read the weather is extraordinary.” While most of the pilots who flew with Kawa would describe themselves as experienced both as cross-country and competition pilots, they all found themselves challenged in all aspects of their flying. Sebastian would want them to fly closer into the rising air of a ridge, fly further between sources of lift, to fly faster when they wanted to slow up and conserve energy. He had safety margins that felt slimmer than most people were used to, but they came to realise that they hadn’t been fully utilising the lift available. Murray Wardell remembers his flight very well. “I said to Sebastian that I wasn’t feeling happy in an area with limited land- out options. ‘I think it will be all right,’ Sebastian said. This phrase has stuck in my mind. He taught me to fly much faster than I had been and to fly the energy lines, every wisp and bit of cloud.” In comparison to the other pilots who flew with Sebastian, the young pilot who took the Youth Glide seat, Josh Ferguson is relatively new to cross-country flying but Sebastian still gave him a valuable master class, taking the time after the flight to sit down with Josh and discuss exactly what they had done and why, as it “ And then in February he came and flew the New Zealand Club Class Nationals at Taupo. Unsurprisingly he won. ” can be difficult during the event to properly understand particular instructions. Sebastian helped his lecture along with some hand drawn diagrams that Josh will treasure for ever. For the man who has flown everywhere, was there any part of flying in New Zealand that might have left him rattled, just a little bit? It turns out, yes. Prior to the contest Aucklander Murray Wardell took Sebastian out to soar the West Coast cliffs in his two-seater Arcus. When the wind is from just the right direction it is possible to soar the coast from Muriwai in the north to south of Raglan. Most of the flight, including harbour crossings is done under 1000 feet. Murray says, “We arrived at the coast relatively high, about 1,800 feet. I commented on the wind direction and strength from the generous number of white caps to the horizon. There was an eerie sense of quietness from the back seat. At this time Sebastian was temporarily out of his comfort zone. After a short familiarisation on the coastal cliffs, I said, ‘You have control,’ – and he certainly did. There was nothing to teach him about here – it was like he’d flown it all his life.” David Johnson pointed out that it was interesting that during the contest Sebastian was flying with a different student every day, letting them do most of the flying, and he still won the competition. Sebastian Kawa is just that good. New Zealand was very lucky to have him here. We can’t promise you the world’s best, but all our clubs have experienced instructors to give you a go at learning to read energy lines and keep a non-powered craft airborne. Find your local club on the Gliding NZ website, and for subscriptions to the national soaring magazine SoaringNZ, see www.mccawmedia.co.nz. Jill McCawNext >