Mt Cook conquered by paraglider.

[corsair67]

German makes first paraglider flight over Mt Cook
| Wednesday, 16 January 2008


A German tourist has become the first person to fly a powered paraglider over Mount Cook.


Gerry Mayr, 42, took off at 11am from the Fox Glacier airstrip and landed at Mount Cook airfield about 1.20pm, his support crew Tim Haller said.

Mr Haller said Mr Mayr got up to about 13,000 off feet to cross the peak of Mount Cook.

"The flight up was pretty smooth," said Mr Heller, "but he hit some pretty severe turbulance in the lee of the hills coming down. It was a bit like being in a tumble dryer and he was falling 500 feet a minute. That's like falling like a stone."

He said Mr Mayr had a few problems with language on the radio he was carrying but otherwise it was a successful trip.

The idea for the unusual trip occurred to Mr Mayr in Germany while he looked at photos of the New Zealand mountain scenery.

- NZPA

[flyjoe180]

This guy got into some trouble after the flight as he had flown throug the Mt Cook region with no radio contact with other aircraft.

[corsair67]

Well, the Germans do have a history of doing whatever they like! ;D

[flyjoe180]

Inquiry into daredevil gliders
5:00AM Thursday January 24, 2008

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is investigating two separate incidents of foreign paragliders possibly flying illegally in New Zealand skies.

German tourist Gerry Mayr, 42, flew a powered paraglider over Aoraki Mt Cook last Wednesday.

Two French tourists stunned passengers when they flew past the Kingston Flyer train in motorised paragliders on January 9.

CAA spokeswoman Emma Peel said the CAA was undertaking an enforcement investigation into the French paragliders and a less formal investigation into the German's flight.

An enforcement investigation can result in criminal charges being laid.

She said there was a "range" of potential charges that could be laid against the French paragliders.

Ms Peel said the CAA had talked to all three paragliders as they were still in the New Zealand.

"It does raise problems for us that they are tourists, but if a prosecution is laid it will sit on file and if they ever return it will be waiting for them."

The CAA initiated investigations after seeing media reports.

Ms Peel said the CAA was seeing "more and more" cases of dangerous paragliding.

"Hundreds of people are flying everyday and safely. As the population grows, people who are not part of the aviation community are able to access crafts without the background information."

She said paragliders flying in New Zealand were required to be members of the Handgliders and Paragliders Association of New Zealand, hold a pilot certificate and follow airspace rules.

- NZPA

www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10488418

[flyjoe180]

A German paramotor pilot under investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority yesterday defended his record flight over Aoraki Mt Cook.


Gerry Mayr's flight on January 16, made him the first person to fly a powered paraglider over the country's highest peak.

The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating Mr Mayr's flight, partly because he lacked a New Zealand pilot's licence.

Now back in Germany, Mr Mayr said he was critical of the authority questioning his flight.

"It's bulls**t," he said.

"When you are flying in Germany the whole of Europe accepts Europe certification." Authority spokesperson Emma Peel said New Zealand's unique climate meant everyone wanting to fly here needed to be certified locally.

She acknowledged the New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association might not have communicated this to Mr Mayr effectively.

The Authority was also investigating Mr Mayr's lack of communication with other pilots.

"He entered a mandatory broadcast area and wasn't making the required radio calls. What that does is put all the other aircraft in the area into a dangerous situation," Ms Peel said.

However, Mr Mayr said he had encountered radio trouble.

"I asked the airport three times `I want to land here, is it possible?' I didn't recieve an answer... and I thought that's the way they do things here in New Zealand." Certification and radio problems aside, Mr Mayr had stern words for those criticising his flight into turbulent air on the leeward side of Mt Cook.

"I have two or three European certifications. I went to school and knew what to do on the other side of the mountain." New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association chief executive Ross Gray said anyone flying into a "leeside rotor" on the back side of a mountain was asking for death.

www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4384294a6570.html