Flying NZ "Cook area" regional comps: Post 4 - Two ship formation

There was only one formation team at this year's Regionals, from Hawkes Bay & East Coast Aero Club. The team had a practice on Friday afternoon which is where I captured these photos.

Not a bad job considering the conditions - with a little more work will be able to give Canterbury and North Shore a run for their money at the Nationals :-)

Flying NZ "Cook area" regional comps: Post 3 - more grid photos

Given that the grid is such an important part of competition day, I thought I would include a few more pictures from the grid. Unfortunately I didn't get photos of every aircraft as I was running back and forth between the grid and the aero club buildings with people, results and the like.

You'll see in the photos that it was a lovely [hot] day - thank goodness for lots of sunscreen and some shelter!

Anyway, here are a few that I did get. Top to bottom are:

Piper PA38-112 Tomahawk, ZK-FJS, registered to Air Hawkes Bay

Piper PA38-112 Tomahawk, ZK-FRS, registered to Wanganui Aero Club going around

Piper PA38-112 Tomahawk, ZK-FML, registered to Wellington Aero Club

and... lastly... a local Pacific Aerospace Cresco 08-600, ZK-WAT, registered to Wanganui Aero Work [and not flying in the comps!]

Oh yeah - there were a large percentage of Tomahawks at the comps, 9 out of around 25 aircraft.

Flying NZ "Cook area" regional comps: Post 2 - the grid

In a flying competition, the "grid" is a marked [in our case, mown into the grass runway and indicated by marker boards] out in 10 meter intervals, and a "fence" 1.2 meters high off the end. The idea is that the aircraft pass over the fence then land in the middle segment on the grid for maximum points.

Easier said than done? Perhaps, but there were really impressive landings anyway! The grid is used for circuit competitions as well as for simulated forced landing competitions.

The photos in this post consist on a photo of the fence, down the grid and the "sweet spot" in the middle of the grid. Following this, are several photos of competition aircraft trying to get onto the grid. Top to bottom are:

Cessna 172M, ZK-DKD, registered to a Masterton address

Cessna 152, ZK-JIA, registered to Kapiti Districts Aero Club

Tecnam P2002 Sierra, ZK-MVT, registered to Wairarapa & Ruahine Aero Club

Cessna 172N, ZK-KAS, registered to Kapiti Districts Aero Club

TL TL-3000 Sirius, ZK-EBG, registered to a Marton address

Flying NZ "Cook area" regional comps: Post 1

The past weekend was a very busy one with the Flying NZ "Cook area" regional competitions being held at Masterton [Hood] aerodrome. The competitions were officially hosted by Wellington Aero Club, but with a lot of work also done by Flying New Zealand and the Wairarapa-Ruahine Aero Club.

Competitors came from Hawkes Bay & East Coast, Wanganui, Kapiti, Wairarapa-Ruahine and Wellington aero clubs and competed in a range of competitions including circuits and landings, aerobatic, forced landing, navigation, low flying, and my two favourite comps [which I competed in], bombing and liferaft dropping :-)

Arrival for officials, competitors, supporters and their aircraft was Friday with the competitions themselves occurring on Saturday. The competition dinner and awards presentation occurred on Saturday night.

In this first post, there are pictures of the aircraft I competed in and a small selection of other photos. The remaining posts will have various other pictures from the comps.

Anyway, on to the pictures. Top to bottom are:

Cessna 172N, ZK-FLT, registered to Wellington Aero Club
Piper PA38-112 Tomahawk, ZK-WAC, registered to Wellington Aero Club

Piper PA18-150 Super Cub, ZK-BPM, registered to Air Hawkes Bay

Bolkow Junior, ZK-CJB, registered to a Napier address

Lastly... it's got to be good for you... Yeah Right!

Visitors to the Aero Club apron

Just a couple of visitors seen on the aero club apron today.

The first is a Beech 76 Duchess, ZK-EZX, registered to Ardmore Flying School. Next is a Piper PA28-161, ZK-LJJ, registered to Canterbury Aero Club. Finally we have Piper PA28-140, ZK-DEJ, registered to a Mosgiel address.

Other aircraft at the open morning

One of the great things of an open morning from an aviation geeks point of view is that I get to see things from a different perspective. It would be an extremely rare occurrence to be able to walk around part of the apron of an international terminal, and I certainly did not want to miss the opportunity.

Here are a few of the other photos that I took. Top to bottom these are:

Airbus A320, ZK-OJM, registered to Air New Zealand

Airport fire truck doing a demo

Boeing 737, ZK-NGF, registered to Air New Zealand

Cessna 208, ZK-TZR, registered to Sounds Air

de Havilland Canada DHC-8, ZK-NER, registered to Air Nelson

Boeing 737, ZK-NGH, registered to Air New Zealand

Nanchang display at the airport open morning

A number of flying and static displays had been arranged for the Wellington International Airport open morning. According to airport publicity, this included Brendan Deere's Supermarine Spitfire, the RNZAF Historic Flight's North American Harvard, RNZAF Bell UH-1H Iroquois, a Life Flight Trust rescue helicopter winching display and Wellington Aero Club's [WAC] Nanchang CJ6.

Unfortunately, due to weather, the only display was performed by WAC's Nanchang CJ6, ZK-MAO, and then just a handling display rather than an aerobatic routine. Still, the crowd seemed to appreciate it which is good. My photos don't do justice to it, but here are a couple of the better shots.

New international terminal at Wellington - The Rock

Today was the Wellington International Airport open morning for the new international terminal, dubbed The Rock [and unofficially, a few other things...].

It was a good chance to walk through the new terminal, especially considering the amount of publicity it has gained since the plans were announced some time ago. Also, it's not often that you get to walk through an international terminal without having to buy a ticket somewhere :-)

There were displays from various airport related bodies, including aviation security, airport fire rescue and others. There were supposed to be various flying displays and an Air New Zealand Airbus A320 to walk though also, but due to the weather, there was no A320 and the only flying contribution was Wellington Aero Club's Nanchang CJ6.

Despite all of this, the main attraction was the new terminal building. Unfortunately, I can't say that I like it too much. Despite all the effort that has gone in to design and build it, it comes across as a dark and very constrained space - not one that I would wish to spend a couple of hours in waiting for a flight.

An indication of how tight is that I only saw one coffee/ light snack outlet [did I miss anything?], and as for dark, see for yourself. There appears to be very little natural light [despite the brochures/ marketing] and there are few places where you can look out over the airfield or surrounding areas. I'm left with the impression that the design will date quite quickly also.

Customs/ immigration/ biosecurity areas were bright and open areas [despite appearing to be all internal areas with little or no natural light], so I'm not sure why the terminal/ gate area turned out the way it is. Just my opinion of course, and maybe everyone else will like it.

Here are some photos. My favouite is the first one of the outside of the terminal - it looks nicer from outside than the inside perhaps? Maybe I'm being a bit tough? If you went to the open morning, leave a comment with your opinion of The Rock.

Another fun flight...

I had another fun flight today - this time sitting in the right hand seat, most of the time as a passenger, but also as safety pilot for a club pilot practising simulated IF [Instrument Flying] for a CPL flight test.

It was bumpy in places, but Masterton had its usual fine weather. I know I often say this, but it is awesome to be able to sit back and watch the scenery go by rather than having to concentrate on flying the plane!

Tomorrow is supposed to be an "open day" at the airport. I say "supposed to be" as the weather is forecast to be pretty awful, but we'll see what happens. All going well, there will be aerial displays by a Spitfire, Harvard and the Club's Nanchang CJ6!

Military and Civil visitors

Today's photographed visitors consist of two military and two civil aircraft.

Firstly from the Royal New Zealand Airforce [RNZAF] are a Beech B200, registration NZ1883 soon after takeoff, then two pictures of Lockheed Martin C130H Hercules, NZ7005 after landing.

Next is an Air New Zealand Boeing 737, ZK-NGH landing on runway 16 and finally a Jetstar Airbus A320, VH-VQD taking off.

Cessna and Mooney

Just two pictures from today. The first is a Cessna 172S, ZK-CTZ, registered to CTC Aviation Training of Hamilton. This aircraft was on a IFR flight plan, had just refueled at the aero club and was about to head off down south somewhere.

The second is a Mooney M20C, ZK-CKF, registered to a Christchurch address. Still with the most worn out paint job I have seen on an aircraft, this seems to show its good side [compared to the last time I photographed this aircraft - check out the label link below if you want to]!

Canterbury Aero Club Alpha R2160

I was out at the aero club for an excellent presentation/ discussion from Rob Neil of Pacific Wings magazine. As I arrived at the club this Alpha R2160, ZK-VCA, registered to Canterbury Aero Club pulled up.

This aircraft was previously registered to CTC Aviation Training as ZK-CTX and passed through Wellington in July on its way to Christchurch.

A quick trip to Masterton: post 3 of 3

In this final post from today's quick trip to Masterton are two photos after arrival back at Wellington. First is an Air New Zealand Airbus A320, ZK-OJO at the holding point for runway 16. Second is another picture of the Vincent Aviation SAAB 340B, VH-UYA.

A quick trip to Masterton: post 2 of 3

In this second post of the quick trip to Masterton, here are a few of the aircraft sitting and flying around.

Top to bottom are:

SE5A

Nanchang CJ6A, ZK-MAO, registered to Wellington Aero Club

de Havilland DH82A Toger Moth, ZK-BLK, registered to NZ Sport & Vintage Aviation Society

Pacific Aerospace Cresco 08-600, ZK-WAT, registered to Wanganui Aero Work

Pfalz DIII

Tecnam P2002 Sierra, ZK-MVT, registered to Wairarapa & Ruahine Aero Club