< PreviousKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 40 Ingram Road, Hamilton Airport ARDMORE HANGARAGE Full Service Hangarage available now at Ardmore Airport 20m x 5.5m Power Doors Large Apron Sealed Taxiway Long Term or Short Term Corporate Jet Services Limited P: (09) 298 6249 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 Ronan Harvey’s 1945 Beech 18S.Andy Love lying the Pitts Special knife edge.Ground reenactors were out in full force. Roaring Forties Harvard Display Team in action.Doug Brooker and his MXS always impress.One of two German tanks built especially for the show. The Yak-52 display team excelled as always.Pyrotechnics are always done well at Classic Fighters. DC3’s were kept busy on scenic flight duties.The V1 is blown sky high after an attack from the air. GCGC GC GC GC PLR PLRPLR Geoff Soper image Geoff Soper image Classic Fighters 201941 2019 #3 Brand New Cirrus SR22 G6 Premium Special Edition 310 HP. Cruises at up to 185 kts. Luxury air conditioned interior. Avionics suite with everything imaginable including TCAS, ADSB in/out, Twin 12 inch Garmin perspective plus screens. Baronav, Bluetooth, Synthetic vision... you name it. Seating for 4 plus. Safety plus with a parachute. N738NZ has arrived in New Zealand and is available for demo anywhere. “It’s just so beautiful to fly.” This is the latest and greatest Cirrus to ever come to NZ. 25 hours total time. Please contact Bruce Brownlie 0274 438 371 or sales@cirrusaircraft.co.nz Cirrus - The world’s best selling GA single The focus of this year’s Classic Fighters Air Show was ‘Saluting Women in Aviation’ and there were lovely big sign boards around the ground and pages in the programme detailing many extraordinary women from around the world who have influenced the world of aviation. Early pilots were mentioned, Amelia Earhart, our own Jean Batten, Louise Thaden and Florence Lowe. There was a salute to women at war, the Air Transport Auxiliary Air Force (four New Zealanders were ATA pilots), the American WASPs and Germany’s Hanna Reich (who after the war became a record breaking glider pilot). The Russian Night Witches were a well-deserved inclusion. Google all of these people to discover some extraordinary stories. In the more modern era Pam Collings was well celebrated. In 1976 Pam was the first New Zealander to qualify to fly at a World Aerobatics Championship. The competition was held in the Ukraine and involved a huge logistical and fundraising challenge to get her and her Pitts Special to the event. While she only placed in the middle of the competitors it was a tremendous achievement for a New Zealand pilot. At the air show, pilot for doing just that. SQNLDR George Magdalinos, an engineer by trade, is one of the airwomen behind the ‘Schools to Skies’ programme. “We recognised a critical path and a need for recruiting for diversity. Ultimately it’s about providing the opportunities that allow everyone to fulfil their potential.” The residential technical and aviation course for Year 13 girls introduces girls to the possibilities available to them in the Air Force and aviation in general. There is also an on-the-road version aimed at Years 7 and 8 students. “The philosophy is to foster confidence and curiosity in aviation. It’s about helping young kiwis recognise the possibilities involved in aviation careers, science, maintenance, leadership, engineering, aircrew and piloting. It’s about encouraging them into STEM classes so that when they’re old enough they’ve got the right background to become involved in aviation careers.” SQNLDR Kate Bint’s voice has become very familiar to thousands of air show attendants over the years as she commentates the NZDF’s displays. This began when her husband (then boyfriend) was flying as part of the RNZAF Red Checkers Aerobatic Display Team. Kate Andrew Love flew Pam’s competition routine while Pam commentated for the audience. Pam inspired many people to come along to the New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation tent where copies of the Association’s book, Silver Wings, updated by Pam, were flying out the door. As an aviation woman myself I set out to find other airwomen at the show. The ‘Airwomens’ tent was a great place to start. One fascinating visitor, wearing a magnificent gold braided uniform was Captain Christine Clarke, Australian Defence Advisor. While technically a sailor rather than an airwoman with 30 years in the Australian Navy, Captain Clarke was there to support the RAAF personnel who were at the show. “New Zealand and Australia are each other’s closest allies and how we support each other goes beyond what we do in conflict.” There are 23 Australian defence force personnel working throughout New Zealand. Captain Clarke enjoys being a role model for women and girls. “It is not only about the fact that if you can’t see it you can’t do it, it’s also about creating awareness of opportunities.” She praised our RNZAF ‘Schools to Skies’ programme Saluting Women in Aviation Tia Warwick, Andrew Love and Pam Collings.Captain Christine ClarkeGeorge Magdalinos contributed by Jill McCawKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 42 Women in Aviation Tail Wheel Ratings Aerobatic Ratings PPL - CPL - BFRs Friendly atmosphere Regular club activities Competitive Rates Very experienced B-Cat MEIR Commercial Pilot-Instructor Wanganui Aero Club 06 345 0914 WanganuiAeroClub.co.nz or look us up on Facebook as we can. Air New Zealand is committed to raising the visibility of women pilots in the media, for instance in the Air New Zealand inflight magazine, and at career expos and schools. We’re working toward better rostering around parental responsibility for both sexes and easing the transition for women coming back to work after parental leave.” Hannah started her flying career at the Walsh Flying School in 1996. She trained at Ardmore, worked as an instructor for the Wellington Aero Club and then flew for Capital Air, flying Wellington to Golden Bay. “That was fun. There were five potential weather systems to work around.” She had eight years with Air Nelson and has been on the Dreamliner for three years. Angela Cronin is a Captain for Air Nelson and has been in Air New Zealand’s regional fleet for five years. She has been flying for 22 years and moved to Air New Zealand, after time in the Air Force. “I got excited about aviation from meeting some amazing women. They had all had challenges but with others’ support made it through. I’m involved with the new support forum PAN – the Peer Assistance Network. PAN has an arm that is the Women’s Assistance Forum as women have other challenges on top of flying. PAN aims to offer a confidential helping hand.” A small potential airwoman arrived at the Airwomen’s tent looking for Catalina pilot Dee Bond. Anna Amelia Cookson, who proudly told the air women her middle name, had been so impressed by Dee and the Catalina at the Wairarapa Air Show that she made her Dad bring her to Omaka especially to see them again. She had drawn Dee a picture and was so excited to present it to her. Dee was deeply touched to find herself an unexpected role model for the next generation. Prior to flying the Catalina, Dee had had a seaplane rating, having bought a Lake Buccaneer and learned to fly it. is Staff Officer – Aeronautical Systems. By trade, she is an Air Warfare Officer and has flown on the P-3K2 Orion as a Tactical Co-ordinator. Karina joined the RNZAF straight from school and over her 16 years’ service has had many different jobs. “What I love most about the RNZAF are the opportunities it has given me. I have ended up in places all around the world working with amazing people.” She loves to see that more women are joining up now, particularly in the flying trades, and of course that means more females in senior leadership positions. “This is a really positive change for the RNZAF, for us to have senior female role models and more peers to turn to for support.” Air New Zealand had ten Ambassadors, female and male at the show. This group was fabulous; its enthusiasm and passion providing inspiration to the many young people visiting the Air New Zealand tent. The most standout uniform award would go to engineer Bernice Hintz for her lilac work overalls. Bernice wants to point out that engineers can be girly if girl engineers want to be. “I want to promote more females into piloting and engineering by being a working model of a female engineer. The only way to get more females is to be visible and talk about what I do. Girls need to know the door is open.” Like George Magdalinos, Bernice talks about the need to focus on the right things at school. Bernice’s father was an engineer and both her parents flew. She says it didn’t occur to her not to be an aircraft engineer. Although she now owns her own plane and can fly it, that came after a career in electronics and radio, then teaching and lastly aviation. Now she has a job that combines all three. Hannah Mallard pilots Air New Zealand’s 787 Dreamliner and is involved in Air New Zealand’s WINGS Network. “WINGS is Women Inspiring the Next Generation. As a pilot ambassador it’s about encouraging as many female pilots is English and started her career in the RAF. Before her boyfriend ‘recruited’ her to New Zealand in 2006 she was with 70 Squadron operating Hercules and then instructing on the Grob Tutor. Once in the RNZAF she instructed on the Beech B200 King Airs of No 42 Squadron, and subsequently became Executive Officer of Flying Training Wing HQ. “I’ve been in FTWHQ ever since, with two children along the way and a husband who is a pilot. The Defence Force is exceedingly supportive of staff with family responsibilities. They’re a fantastic employer.” Assisting Kate with the commentary was SQNLDR Karina Chipman. She is not flying at present; her current role Karina Chipman and Kate BintBernice HintzHannah Mallard2019 #3 43 F K When the Catalina project came up, she got a multi-engine rating and then a conversion onto the big flying boat. Although it’s much bigger it has a very similar approach to a Lake Buccaneer she says. She and her husband Neil Young who is the one flying the Catalina displays, have owned the aircraft for 25 years, the longest anyone has owned her. They are the people behind the Mercer Airfield and the aviation hospitality venues surrounding it. The runway is being improved at the airfield and a large WWII hangar is being shifted on to the site and rebuilt to give the Catalina a permanent home. The hangar will become part museum of aviation and will also house the Airwomen’s archives and memorabilia. “Our mission, as part of the ‘Warbirds’ is to keep aircraft flying so that people connect to them.” Air New Zealand Boeing 777 captain Liz Needham was probably the most noticeable woman pilot at the show, displaying the Mk XIV Spitfire, Kittyhawk ZK-CAG and flying in the NZ Warbirds Association’s ‘The Roaring Forties’, Harvard Display Team. Liz has been a display pilot with ‘The Roaring Forties’ for a decade. “It is commitment with consistent practice that is needed to be a display pilot.” She has an instructing background, gaining the first ‘A-Cat’ issued to a woman. “The Classic Fighters air show was superbly organised. We had a few weather delays getting home to Ardmore but that’s aviation.” One of the youngest airwomen at the show was Oxford Area School student Tia Warwick. She has won the Gateway ServiceIQ Flying NZ Flight Training scholarship for 2019. Tia joined 88 Squadron Air Training Cadets and in 2016 attended a flying weekend. Despite her fear of heights, she had a go and was so impressed she decided then and there to become a pilot. She gained a trophy that gave her 10 hours flying, in which she went solo. Later she may attend Massey for a Bachelor of Aviation degree. Airlines are in the plans with an interest in Flying Doctor Services. Rhona Fraser came to the show for the Saturday. 60 years ago, Rhona was the prime mover of the establishment of the New Zealand Airwomen’s Association (NZAWA), now called the New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation. Rhona was a welder who loved to fly. She learned to fly at Rongatai, doing most of her student flying in the mornings before going to work. In 1958 she had a trip to Australia, flying at a gathering of the Australian Women’s Pilots Association. She thought of the money she had spent going to Australia to fly with women and decided she’d be better off spending that sort of money setting up something similar here. The AWPA only accepted members from powered flying pilots and she saw New Zealand having a much more inclusive membership, including ATC members, glider pilots, balloonists and parachutists. I asked Rhona what she felt about her association now. She said, “It has been beyond anticipation.” What a great weekend Classic Fighters turned out to be. Jill McCaw Dee Bond and Amelia Angela CroninKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 44 NZ Warbirds contributed by Frank Parker With airshows, events and flypasts over the last few months, there hasn’t been much rest time for NZ Warbirds pilots. Frank Parker provides an update of NZ Warbirds Association displays, flypasts and activities, including on the logistics of supporting southern events from Ardmore. Busy Times for a Warbirds Pilot this year’s Classic Fighters, authorise the show under our CAA Part 149 Authority. Our main contribution is aircraft and for Omaka we had the Roaring ’40s Harvard Team, Mk IX Spitfire, P-51 Mustang and P-40 Kittyhawk attending. This may read ‘easy’, however, each air show is a little different with display lines and local restrictions so the pilots need to ‘tune’ their display to the Omaka One of the highlights of my association with NZ Warbirds is the annual Easter Air Show which alternates between Wanaka and Omaka. This time the event was at Omaka. Planning for these events starts more than 12 months ahead and for the air show staff it is a very busy six months leading up to the show. NZ Warbirds is often involved in a support role where we can lend our expertise, and in the case of Flying the FW 190 and Mk XIV Spitfire were two of Frank’s numerous ‘jobs’ at Omaka this year. CAA Part 115 certified LIVE YOUR DREAM FLY IN A WARBIRD EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF FLIGHT IN A WWII FIGHTER WITH WARBIRD ADVENTURE RIDES HARVARD l P-40 KITTYHAWK l SPITFIRE WWW.WARBIRD.CO.NZ GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE Gavin Conroy image45 2019 #3 footprint. This year the Roaring ‘40s Team has a new line-up and had spent a number of months putting a display together and practising for the event. An additional contribution was two of our WWI aircraft, the BE.2 and recently acquired Bristol Scout. Of course it’s not reasonable to fly these aircraft form Ardmore to Omaka so they had to be disassembled and packed into a 40 foot container for the trip south, then reassembled on arrival to be disassembled again when the show was complete… you get the picture. The air show is not the only challenge; you have to get there and back and there is often a weather component to contend with. For the deployment before the show the weather Gods were in a settled mood and with a sustained high over the country we had a leisurely jaunt to Omaka in the Spitfire and P-40. I went a couple of days early as the locally based FW 190 and Mk XIV Spitfire which I was flying required maintenance test flying. No sooner was this complete it was time for ‘photo flight’ commitments which seem to be an integral part of the show preparations now. To the air show; another well organised event by the Team at Classic Fighters. The Saturday display was held in excellent weather. Unfortunately, despite collective wishes to the contrary, Sundays forecast rain arrived and curtailed the flying display after a few events. The next challenge was the return to Ardmore. Sunday’s weather hung around for a few days necessitating endless viewing of various weather websites just to be sure nothing was changing. A few venturers managed to ‘escape’ and a few returned. I have defined weather minima to fly our ‘grandmothers’ and often in jest suggest that I have learnt how to fly in bad weather, and I don’t really need to practice more! In the end we had an uneventful flight north on Wednesday with the Spitfire, P-40 and P-51 keeping each other company. Another Easter done and dusted. Hot on the heels of Omaka we had the ANZAC Day flypast in Auckland. This is now commissioned by Auckland Council and Auckland RSA and we aim to flypast a number of area RSA Parades. This year many Parades were cancelled, nonetheless we covered Howick, Waikumete, Point Chevalier, Waiheke and of course the main City Parade at the Auckland Cenotaph. Almost time for a rest, however Saturday 27th was a special occasion with the unveiling of a Statue of Sir Keith Park at Thames, his birthplace. Once again we mustered a fleet of aircraft (2 Fighters, 7 Harvards, 6 Yak 52s and an Airtrainer) befitting of this occasion to provide a flypast. The next item on the Warbirds agenda was “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” a social event with a splash of ’30s nostalgia much appreciated by members. To signal the end of the flying ‘season’ we have our first annual Open Day planned for 2nd June. Not surprisingly the theme is 75 years since D-Day, the start of the invasion of Nazi held Europe. The format will be along the established lines with three flying display slots and lots to see on the ground between times. These days are an important fundraiser for the Association and make for a great family outing. Come winter I think I will have earned a wee break. Regards, Frankly@xtra.co.nz F K www.avcraft.co.nz Avcraft Engineering NZ Ltd. Feilding Aerodrome 06 212 0920 mat@avcraft.co.nz For a fresh look at avionics, talk to our skilled engineers. We are Authorised Dealers for Garmin, JP Instruments, Avidyne, Aspen Avionics, and more. Ask us about tailoring a package to suit your requirements and budget. Gavin Conroy imageKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 46 En route contributed by Nick Ashley A long overdue university graduation ceremony, and a nice big high pressure weather system created the perfect opportunity to try flying in a different part of New Zealand. Peering out the window from the back of an Air New Zealand A320 on finals for Wellington, trying to spot the tell-tale signs of fog forming, all I could see were just a couple of stratocumulus tufts hanging in the still air. My brother Zac, also a Private Pilot, was to be my Cessna 172S co-pilot for our planned crossing to the South Island the En route: An inter-island excursion Before departing our shores for work opportunities in Australia a couple of years back, Nick Ashley contributed a regular series we called ‘En route’, each article being about looking for interesting things whilst flying about, rather than just straight- lining it on a GPS track from A to B. Nick recently returned for a short time and couldn’t resist the opportunity of going for a fly and writing about it: next day and in the morning we wasted no time heading out on the 45-minute drive north to the airport. Zac’s friend Kaitlin was joining us, and she was suitably excited about her first experience in a light aircraft. Kapiti Coast Airport, found in the AIP as the nearby town of Paraparaumu (NZPP), was once the main airfield serving Wellington and one of the busiest in the country. However, with the advent of jet aircraft the field became less suited for commercial traffic due to rising terrain to the east and west, and so the more suitable but still sometimes precarious field at Rongotai was developed into what we know today as Wellington International (NZWN). NZPP is now mostly a busy GA airport, with only occasional scheduled air transport services. When we arrived at the airfield its reputation of heavy traffic seemed unfounded. There simply was no activity. Zac and I busied ourselves with preparing the 172, and by the time we were done there was another pilot pulling his Cessna over to the fuel pump and an R22’s growling Lycoming disturbing the silence. By the time we were ready to taxi just a few minutes later, the radio was alive with calls from pilots both inbound and outbound, clearly eager to make the most of the conditions. One callsign stood out from the rest though... a Dash 8 was inbound to land. The response was amusing, as pilots of the slower GA aircraft scrambled to stay clear of the comparatively big turboprop; holding short and making orbits to allow the airliner to touch down unobstructed. It was almost like an intrusive shark scattering a shoal of nervous fish, but with the service’s subsequent cancellation, will no longer be seen at NZPP. Once the Dash 8 was off the runway the airfield operations were quickly back to business as usual, with a light twin entering and backtracking to cut in front of us and make a quick getaway. We weren’t in a hurry and waited for a twin-seat Cessna to make a touch-and-go before lining up. The Passing downtown Wellington on the return leg to Paraparaumu.47 2019#3 favourable density altitude did wonders for our take-off performance and the 172 surged down the runway, its propeller eagerly biting into the thick air. Our left turn to follow the coast to the south highlighted one of the reasons that Kapiti Coast Airport never became Wellington’s air transport hub – an obtrusive island of the same name. Kapiti Island looked like a surfaced sea creature, and while it seems innocent enough from the perspective of a Cessna, the island was considered a potential hazard to early jet aircraft. It is a sanctuary for native birds, but some metal flying machines may have struggled to clear its bulk if they’d been unlucky enough to lose engine power on take-off. I was busy checking over the sleek G1000 glass cockpit instruments when Zac, on lookout duty, pointed out the mirror-like Porirua Harbour off to our left. The high-pressure system was still doing an excellent job of keeping the winds down, which was perfect for Kaitlin in the back seat who was happily taking photos. By now we were overhead Mana island, which was a cue to start thinking about airspace. A corner of NZWN’s controlled airspace juts out off the coast, and while it’s possible to scoot underneath through the transit lane, our plan was to go higher, rather than descend. Rather than shying away from the layers of Class C above, the safest way to traverse the twelve or so miles of Cook Strait is actually to climb up past 2,500 ft; with a Kapiti Island (2) Cook Monument is a white dot on the shore (9) Waikawa Bay with Picton behind (13) An interislander ferry on the way to Picton (12) All quiet at Picton Airport (15) The isolated Brothers’ Island lighthouse (7) Contact Logan for New & Used Alpi Sales and Servicing Requirements 027 490 1553 or jenandlogan@xtra.co.nz www.alpiaviation.co.nz FAST GETS EVEN FASTER NZ’s Only Authorised Agent for Pioneer Microlight Aircraft, Alpi Aviation NZ Ltd. is proud to introduce a Brand New Model P 300 Griffon l Improved aerodynamics l Wider cabin interior l Larger bubble l New ergonomic seats l Integrated avionics options l New console and arm rest l Outstanding Performance 140 kt cruise (@75% and sea level) from 16 lph for an 860 mile range 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 www.planetorque.co.nzKiwiFlyer Magazine Issue 63 48 En Route clearance first of course. Unfortunately, after making enquiries with the friendly approach controller it turned out that we had hit the morning rush hour at NZWN, and we’d need to remain in Class G. While our brief crossing was tracked by radar it turned out to be wholly uneventful, with the Cessna’s engine continuing to produce its monotonous yet comforting drone. The first bit of land we approached on the other side was The Brothers, a cluster of rocky outcrops most notable for a lighthouse perched atop, which was built to replace a less effective beacon on our last waypoint of Mana Island. While we were now technically over land, the Marlborough Sounds’ topography is only slightly more suitable for an emergency landing than Cook Strait but at least the airspace is less restrictive, facilitating a cruise climb up to 3,500 ft as we tracked towards Ship Cove. The ship in question was HMS Endeavour which first anchored there 248 years ago. A monument to Captain Cook was visible as a white dot near the shoreline as we soared ever-higher overhead. The most common large ships seen in the area today are inter-island ferries shuttling back and forth, one of which we were now chasing down as it cruised through a calm Queen Charlotte Sound towards its berth in Picton Harbour. There was no sign of the other regular transport link between Wellington and Picton. We had evidently passed through between the regular Sounds Air turboprop services and all was quiet at Picton Airport. Our destination airfield was a little further to the south near Cloudy Bay - these days probably better known from the vineyard of the same name, which was now visible off to our right near Woodbourne Airport (NZWB). Also known as Marlborough or Blenheim Airport, NZWB shouldn’t be confused with Omaka Aerodrome (NZOM) just three miles to the southeast. But we were headed to a small grass strip near the coast; a more recent addition to the AIP as Cloudy Bay (NZCL). Being located just within Woodbourne’s control zone, but also barely outside of the nearby transit lane (NZT654), a brief conversation with the local controller is needed to use the field. This awkward airspace arrangement was reviewed in 2018, but the strip’s proximity to NZWB’s instrument sector unfortunately precluded any changes. The 800 metres of dry grass was more than enough to get the Cessna down, and a herd of cattle in the neighbouring paddock greeted us, clearly familiar with occasional winged visitors. In addition to a generous length, the simple strip is well maintained, and has recently been improved with solar lighting on both the runway and nearby high-voltage power line hazards. There’s little else to see or do though - not even facilities for a hundred-dollar hamburger. After a quick stretch it was back into the 172 for our return voyage. Our route back home would be slightly different, crossing the strait further south towards Karori Rock, which is home to yet another lighthouse, highlighting the treacherous nature of this stretch of water. Kaitlin spotted another ferry in the distance manoeuvring into Fitzroy Bay as we crossed the southernmost group of West Wind’s 62 wind turbines. Despite the ATC restrictions imposed on our earlier crossing, we were cleared straight into the Wellington Control Zone via the Karori sector, and Kaitlin again pointed out a local landmark, this time hidden amongst the native bush below. Wrights Hill Fortress was one of many WWII coastal defences constructed in the 1940s, and like all the others it never fired a shot in anger. Ironically, the two guns were subsequently sold as scrap metal to a Japanese company. Barely two minutes later the scenery had changed completely, and we were out of the hills and in the middle of downtown Wellington, from where a route following the coast was necessary to avoid the airport’s instrument departure sector. Thanks to the stable and still decidedly non-Wellingtonian weather in the harbour, it only took a couple of minutes to cruise over to the easterly Hutt Sector, and our transit also corresponded with a lull in the action at NZWN making things a little less stressful. The home of one more lighthouse passed by just to our right. Somes Island’s lamp was the first in New Zealand to guide ships within a harbour. The island is also a refuge for a Tuatara variant introduced from The Brothers, amongst other vulnerable wildlife. There are also similarities to islands near Christchurch that I passed by in a previous flight, being a home over the years to Māori Pā, a quarantine station, and a WWII heavy antiaircraft battery. We said goodbye to Wellington Tower, and once clear of the control zone the Class C’s 2,500 ft lower limit was high enough to allow a direct track. However, with plenty of fuel remaining we decided on a scenic routing, following Hutt Valley on a more easterly heading. The twin Stuart Macaskill lakes further up the valley are a major part of the region’s water supply, and an excellent navigation waypoint. The water is drawn from the upper Hutt River at the filming location for Rivendell in the Lord of The Rings trilogy, and so just might have magical properties. We made a turn to the north just before the lakes though, to head back via the Akatarawa River. Further along the valley, we crossed the westernmost tip of the Tararua Forest Park, the first to be managed by the Department of Conservation, and now the largest in the North Island. I had travelled to the Wellington region many times before, but only really appreciated the vast extent of native bush nearby after viewing from the air. The first sign that we were heading out of the wilderness was the CFZ at Akatawara saddle, shortly followed by the MBZ at NZPP. Our lunchtime arrival meant that aircraft movements had died down, but in their place was a light easterly from offshore, providing the very first couple of bumps after what had otherwise been a perfectly smooth ride. Touching down just two hours after our departure earlier in the morning, we had managed to cover a lot of ground - and water - in a short time, passing many interesting sights along the way. While the fortunate weather certainly made for an easier trip, crossing the strait is quite straightforward with some prior planning. As it turned out, the high-pressure system hung around for just long enough for my commercial flight back home (currently that’s Sydney). I have still yet to experience any of the famous winds in the skies around Wellington, and while it’s surely inevitable, with more places to explore in the area I’m happy to wait for that day a little while longer. Nick Ashley Nick’s route. Numbers relate to images along the way. F K49 2019 #3 Marlborough’s vineyards stretch into the distance (16) Karori Rock lighthouse was tilted to withstand wind (20) Wellington Airport (25) The southern-most West Wind turbines (21) The Macaskill lakes provide drinking water (27) Approaching Cloudy Bay NZCL (17) Wright’s Hill Fortress (23) Downwind at Paraparaumu (29) Visitors at NZCL (18) August 4th - 7th Aviation NZ Conference / Trade Expo Cordis Hotel Auckland. Themed ‘Personal Health, Business Health’. Speakers, Divisional Meetings, Networking, Awards Dinner, Trade show Monday and Tuesday, Claude Vuichard Traing Day on Wednesday. More info: aviationnz.co.nz August 17th Hawera Aero Club 90th Anniversary Dinner The club invites all past and present members to attend an anniversary dinner on Saturday 17th August. All enquiries and registration of interest to secretary@ haweraaeroclub.org.nz or 06 278 6301 August 18th Hawera Aero Club Annual Dawn Fly-In Cooked breakfast, spot landing on arrival, prizes and no landing fees. Contact Julie Ingram 021 150 2351, ja.ingram@gmail. com www.facebook.com/HaweraAeroClub Event GuideNext >