|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 14, 2015 21:24:42 GMT 12
from the Wairarapa Times-Age....Wairarapa lands NZ aerobatics champsBy ERIN KAVANAGH-HALL | 6:00AM - Saturday, March 14, 2015THE New Zealand Aerobatic Championships have, for the first time in three decades, found a new home — at Masterton's Hood Aerodrome.
The event, run by the New Zealand Aerobatic Club (NZAC), has been held in Hawke's Bay since 1985.
The club is relocating the event to Wairarapa following a real-estate build-up around the airfield at Waipukurau.
The Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club will host the 2015 event, and is expecting about 30 New Zealand pilots.
NZAC secretary Martyn Gosling said, thanks in part to Wairarapa's passion for all things aviation, the event will be held in Masterton “for the foreseeable future”.
“As far as we're concerned, Hood Aerodrome is going to be our home.”
“It helps that Wairarapa has a club and locals who are enthusiastic, and said ‘this sounds like a great idea’.”
“If you find a place which shares your enthusiasm for aviation, you gravitate towards it.”
NZAC previously held the championships at the Central Hawke's Bay Aero Club's airfield — but large lifestyle blocks built nearby were encroaching on the area, meaning limited room for aerobatic contests, Mr Gosling said.
“We used to only have farmland and a few cows to worry about.”
“We've got health and safety rules we have to abide by, and it'd be too noisy for the homeowners.”
“We had 29 fabulous years at Waipukurau, but sadly it's time to go.”
Mr Gosling said Hood Aerodrome was an ideal new venue, because of its expansive space, walkable distance from accommodation and other amenities, Wairarapa's favourable weather conditions, and supportive aero club.
“An aviation venue needs a combination of all the right things.”
“With Waipukurau, we had it just right: the field, the proximity, and the good attitudes of the locals.”
“That can be hard to replicate, which is why we're very keen to stay put in Masterton.”
This year's competition will feature 28 pilots and their custom-built aircraft, who perform routines within a 1000 square-metre “box” marked out on the aerodrome.
Routines are strict and meticulous — similar to Olympic gymnastics or dressage — and are set against international standards, which each manoeuvre judged out of 10.
Mr Gosling said pilots come from “all walks of life”: from factory workers, to farmers, to commercial pilots for Emirates and Cathay Pacific.
“We have male and female pilots of all ages - some of our previous champions have been grandmothers.”
Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club president Simone Hewson said it was exciting to be hosting the event.
“It's great for the region — we've already got the Balloon Festival and Wings Over Wairarapa, and this is yet another big event for us.”
• The New Zealand Aerobatics Championships run Tuesday, March 17th to Saturday, March 21st. Spectator entry is free.www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11416957
|
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 19, 2015 14:13:12 GMT 12
I haven't been out to Hood to have a look, but I've been hearing the sound of aeroplanes doing aerobatics all day.
It sounds like the NZ Aerobatic Championships are going off with no problems.
|
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on Mar 19, 2015 14:19:58 GMT 12
Hopefully one of the blogs - or a WONZ member - will have some pics to share, I'd like to see the mix of aircraft taking part  |
|
|
|
Post by DragonflyDH90 on Mar 19, 2015 22:50:52 GMT 12
I was supposed to be competing but things conspired against me, never mind, next year.
|
|
|
|
Post by machpants on Mar 20, 2015 7:00:05 GMT 12
It's been great, (almost) the sound of freedom all day for the last couple of days!  |
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on Mar 20, 2015 14:02:23 GMT 12
Has there been any coverage in the local paper? I've visited the WT-A website the past three days in a row and I've seen nothing. I'd have thought the journos would love any excuse to get out of the office, sit in the sun and snap some pretty pictures.
|
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 20, 2015 15:31:55 GMT 12
There has been nothing in the Wairarapa Times-Age since the article I posted starting this thread.
The mid-week free newspaper, Wairarapa News (Fairfax NZ) had an article about the aerobatic championships (on Wednesday?), but it hasn't appeared on The Dominion Post section of the STUFF website where articles from that paper usually appear online.
I've been working early shifts (out of bed at 3am and starting work at 4am), so haven't really had the energy to head out to Hood for a closer look.
But it is definitely all happening. You can hear the aeroplanes and see them if you look in the direction of Hood. On the way home from work this afternoon, I stopped off to empty my PO Box, and quite a few people in the carpark off Dixon Street (adjacent to Uncle Ben's and the PO Box lobby) were watching the aerobatics in the sky a couple of kilometres away.
However, I'll be very surprised if there isn't a further article in the WTA, perhaps on Saturday (tomorrow), or next Monday after it is all over.
|
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 21, 2015 12:21:53 GMT 12
The following article appeared in today's Wairarapa Times-Age newspaper. The photograph accompanying the online version of the article was published on the front page of the print edition, with four additional photographs being published with the actual article, which was printed on page 13 of the newspaper.
from the Wairarapa Times-Age....Air acrobats happy with new venueBy ERIN KAVANAGH-HALL | 6:00AM - Saturday, March 21, 2015 CHILLING OUT: Pilot Morris Tull, of Dubai, and his Pitts S1S and fellow pilot Andrew Love,
of Christchurch, who had just competed in this plane.SMOOTH flying conditions and “unbelievable” hospitality have made for a successful first national aerobatics competition in Wairarapa.
The New Zealand Aerobatic Championships relocated this year to Hood Aerodrome, after almost 30 years at the Central Hawke's Bay Aero Club's airfield at Waipukurau.
The Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club took over hosting the competition, after it was forced to move because of encroaching real estate at the Waipukurau airfield.
New Zealand Aerobatic Club president and competing pilot Grant Benns said the first Wairarapa event has gone “brilliantly” so far.
“It's been unbelievable,” Mr Benns said.
“We knew the Hood Aerodrome was going to be a good venue, because of space available and the history of the airfield.”
“But we've been blown away by the hospitality of the aero club here and the support of the locals.”
“Everyone's been so helpful — us pilots have felt welcome and right at home.”
The 2015 event has featured 20 pilots of varying levels of experience — from trainees “going for their licence”, to commercial airline pilots, to Aucklander Wayne Ormond, who earns a living “taking people for joy rides” in his plane.
Pilots hail from all over the country, with one travelling from Dubai for the champs.
Competitors take part in four categories, according to skill level and “horsepower”.
Mr Benns, who flies a Boeing 777, said, despite the “chilly” weather, flight conditions have been favourable.
“There's been a brisk southerly, which makes flying very smooth.”
“The nice, flat terrain helps as well.”
And the meals haven't been too bad either.
“We've had barbecues, cheesecake and perfectly cooked lamb steaks.”
“I think we'll be going home 2kg heavier.”www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11420694 |
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 21, 2015 14:39:18 GMT 12
BTW....it's still going.
I'm at home, but I've been hearing it all afternoon since I got home from work about 1:15pm.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brett on Mar 21, 2015 17:42:08 GMT 12
I called in at the aero club on the way home just as things were winding up.
Aircraft parked in the club area were:
ZK-DES RV-7
ZK-DGY CT4
ZK-EES Pitts S-1
ZK-FRJ Pitts S-1S
ZK-FXY Alpha R2160
ZK-JMV CT/4B
ZK-REF Super Decathlon
ZK-RRV RV-7A
ZK-RVF RV-6A
ZK-WHO RV-3
ZK-XRA Extra EA 300/L
ZK-YKV Yak-55M
ZK-ZSO Zlin Z 50 LS
Some may have left before I arrived, but it is an interesting mix of aircraft.
|
|
|
|
Post by slackie on Mar 27, 2015 10:09:02 GMT 12
You could always check out the NZ Aerobatic Club's website, I know the webmaster! There's a Gallery. This year we also had live scoring... where in the past the first question a pilot would get asked on landing was "So how did tht go?" has now been replaced with "So why did you score that zero!" :-D |
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 27, 2015 10:50:57 GMT 12
|
|
