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Post by thomarse on Feb 19, 2017 7:49:14 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 19, 2017 8:31:50 GMT 12
Very cool. What is the little thing that extends out of the wing near the wingtip?
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Post by thomarse on Feb 19, 2017 8:56:26 GMT 12
It's an airbrake Dave.
The author implies that they had a bit of difficulty getting back down. From my experiences of Wairarapa wave conditions, I can imagine - it's often necessary to find some descending air to come down in as the lift is so strong.
I recall one occasion with 4-up in a Cherokee 180 when we were playing in the wave and had the nose down at an incredible angle but were still going up.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Feb 19, 2017 9:14:23 GMT 12
Over the past couple of months I have noticed a lot of gliding activity at Hood Aerodrome and in the skies around Masterton, which has surprised me, as I thought most gliding in Wairarapa was now based at the new Gliding Centre near Greytown where Wairarapa Gliding and Wellington Gliding Club now operate from. I wasn't even aware that there was a separate entity called Masterton Soaring Club. I guess you learn something new all the time. |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Feb 19, 2017 9:19:35 GMT 12
It's an airbrake Dave. The author implies that they had a bit of difficulty getting back down. From my experiences of Wairarapa wave conditions, I can imagine - it's often necessary to find some descending air to come down in as the lift is so strong. I recall one occasion with 4 pax in a Cherokee 180 when we were playing in the wave and had the nose down at an incredible angle but were still going up. At the 75th Airline Anniversary in Haast back in 2009, I was chatting to a retired airline pilot who was flying DC-3s for NAC during the 1960s, including services out of Masterton after SPANZ was wound up, and he told me he got caught out in the lee of wave lift off the Tararua Ranges while climbing out of Masterton on one occasion and even though he had the undercarriage lowered, flaps wound out and engines at idle, the DC-3 was still climbing and they were along for the ride whether they like it or not until he managed to fly out of the wave lift. |
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Post by conman on Feb 20, 2017 15:33:18 GMT 12
I heard that some ANZ pilots used to regularly use the wave systems in Canterbury to reduce fuel consumption on the run into Christchurch, all good unless you fly through the rotor
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Feb 20, 2017 21:46:43 GMT 12
Similarly, I was flying a C-177 Cardinal in the wave on my way to Masterton from Wanganui. Had the power at idle, full nose down, going up at 1500 fpm and about to unintentionally bust controlled airspace when all of a sudden the situation had become the exact reverse... Fun! Certainly an object lesson for respecting the elements
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Post by kevsmith on Mar 20, 2017 15:02:57 GMT 12
I guess a lot of us have similar tales to tell of wave in powered aircraft. My tale is of a day in a SAFE Bristol Freighter and we were flying Wellington to Napier on an NAC freight run. We left Wellington at probably Max Take Off Weight (can't remember whether we were IFR or VFR but the VFR T/O weight was 44,000lb) and the flight progressed normally until east of the ranges and from memory on the Pahiatua to 2YZ track. The captain was Rex Handley, a well known glider pilot and despite idle power and full flap (and the gear welded down) we simply went up until we ran out of the up part of the wave.
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Post by planewriting on Mar 21, 2017 12:56:54 GMT 12
Many years ago I saw footage of Gerald Westenra flying Tiger Moth ZK-BJQ deadstick in the Canterbury wave. Apparently he often used to do that after a glider released from tow in strong lift. Pity the poor glider pilot paying for the aero-tow! I gather some gentlemanly arrangement was in place in those circumstances.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 21, 2017 13:24:18 GMT 12
I'd love to see that footage!
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Post by planewriting on Mar 21, 2017 15:23:56 GMT 12
We are talking 1969/70 here when I saw it and it was old stuff even then. T-31 and Eon Baby type gliders if I recall correctly. It was shown during a glider pilot training session one evening at the Auckland Gliding Club. I think it was shown by the CFI Frank Gatland. I will ask around and see if it can be traced once more.
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