2016 Ferry DIscount Details

 

GROUP RATES QUOTED FOR 

 

National Paragliding and Hang Gliding 

 

Group Booking Reference:FA5655 

 

The below rates are based on return travel, prices to date, inclusive of GST and subject to availability. 

 

Off Peak Fares:                            Each Way 

Adult                                              $45.00 

Premium Plus                                 $45.00  18yrs plus 

Child                                               $25.00 

Car/Van/4x4 

Up to 5.5 metres                             $124.00 each 

Extra half meter over 5.5m            $19.00 

Trailer up to 2.5 tonne                    $124.00 

Extra half metre over 5.5m             $19.00 

Trailer 2.5 tonne to 3.5 tonne          $227.00 

Extra half metre over 5.5 metre       $37.00 

Off Peak Dates: 

09-11 February 16 

22 February – 16 March 16 

 

Peak Fares:                                     Each Way 

Adult                                                $52.00 

Premium Plus                                  $45.00  18yrs plus 

Child                                                $25.00 

Car/Van/4x4 

Up to 5.5 metres                              $137.00 each 

Extra half meter over 5.5m             $22.00 

Trailer up to 2.5 tonne                    $137.00 

Extra half metre over 5.5m             $22.00 

Trailer 2.5 tonne to 3.5 tonne          $227.00 

Extra half metre over 5.5 metre       $37.00 

Peak Dates: 

12-21 February 16 

 

 

Group Booking conditions and instructions for members are: 

 

• Each reservation must be made direct with Interislander –  
• Online at http://www.interislander.co.nz/Booking/Group-Bookings.aspx 
• Entering FA5655 into the Discount Code  
• Every reservation will be given an expiry/payment date, required to be paid in full by that date 
• Space is subject to availability at the time of the booking request 
• Bookings are 90% refundable if cancelled after payment made, but prior to final check in time.  No refund if advised after this time. 
• Paragliding or Hang Gliding Licence must be shown at check in or retail fares will be charged. 
• Fares valid for travel  18 January through to 16 March 16 

2016 Nationals Ferry Discounts

Any North Island pilots coming to the Nelson HG National Championship who may be interested in a group booking discount for the ferry trip?

 

Mark Alton will be coordinating this. Please contact Mark if this appeals to you

markalton@yahoo.com, 0221955746

2016 Nationals - The Nelson Golden Triangle

Glenn Meadows has started to do the groundwork for the 2016 Nationals.

The dates are Sat 13 Feb to Sat 20 Feb with 21st Feb as a reserve day.

There are some accommodation links on the left. Sites are:

Sherry River (preferred site if weather favourable)

2WD, skyfloaters ok.

Inwoods Lookout
4WD but good, Advanced Pilots only - no skyfloaters

Tapawera
4WD last 100m, novice site. For stronger SW winds.

Mt Murchison (if we want a drive)
4WD and driver essential.

All vehicles shall require a fire extinguisher and a shovel to be carried at all times in forestry areas. Also having a driver is essential for some of our sites due to access restrictions and difficult roads.

There are links to Topomaps on the left.

Registration procedure as for Wanaka - link is on the left.

Dalby Day 7 - April 18 (Last Day)

Weather: NNE 25Kmh winds Heavy coverage of cloud with rain possible in the late afternoon.

Task: Dalby Airport to Millmerran Airport 76Km to the south. Cloud base 5500ft

With pilots having flown over 25hrs so far, the short task to Millmerran Airport was welcomed for the last day. Dense cloud cover did not allow a lot of sun in  but with the dark bases and strong tail wind it looked to be a quick run. This proved to be wrong. The first half of the course was slow and it was hard to find lift. Zeros had to be made the most of until about 35km from goal when good lift was found. About 30 pilots made it to goal with Konrad Heilmann making goal first in 1hr 11min. A great last day task.

Chris Lawry was the first Kiwi in, coming in 2^nd followed by Conrad Loten in 4^th place

John Durand Snr took out the overall winner

Nils Vesk in second place and Konrad Heilmann came 3^rd

Hagen was the highest scoring Kiwi coming 7^th followed by John in 10^th place, Chris Lawry 12^th, Conrad Loten 13^th.

Captian Flockheart’s final log entry: “Many Lessons were learnt and will hopefully be applied at the next Dalby Big Air”

Dalby Day 6 - April 17

Wind: NE flow 15 -20Kmh, 30kmh at boundary layer. 550ftm climbs Temp 30deg

Task: Dalby Airport to Flint, WSW 182Km.

As towing started, the skies above Dalby airport started to blue out. But with a 10km start circle which allowed pilots to find clouds around the perimeter of the airfield. Half an hour before the start the main gaggle was above the town of Dalby gaining good height.

As the start neared the cloud started to dissipate and only a few pilots managed to stay high for the start. The course out to the second forest crossing had good lift which allowed the pilots to stay within sight of each other. Pilots who were fast on this part of the course had good climbs over the second forest but those slightly behind found weak broken thermals just before and this slowed them down and spread out the field.

After crossing the second forest the sky had blued with only a few cumulus clouds and with high cloud moving in, things started to slow down. Good lift could be found to over 6000ft but at around 50Km from goal only light lift and slow climbs could be found and a few pilots started to land out.

If you were lucky enough to stay up, the ground started to give off heat and good climbs could be found. 15 pilots made it to goal, with John Smith arriving first.

Landing out was tough as there was no phone reception and no one in many of the homesteads. On the way back to Dalby well after dark many roo’s made driving back treacherous. We sighted a Brahma bull just before sunset at the side of the road that must have weighed well over 1000kg. Not something you would want to run into.

John Smith had a bad start but he pushed on fast under good clouds and caught up at first forest with the leaders. He went left of the course line at the second forest and getting in front of the group after the crossing.  Finding a  few clouds over 6000ft lift in blue and with high cloud moving in the group of three flew in zeros for half an hour preserving height until the sun came out again. Being the first to find lift, John had the jump on them 30km out and getting to 7000ft on a good climb and being 25km out from goal, John went for goal needing a 22:1 glide. Finding sink along the way he needed to stay in zeros. 10km short he found lift and then got a 12:1 glide and made it to goal on course line.

Captian Flockheart’s log: A search to windward should always be considered before heading off down wind.     

Dalby Day 4 - April 15

Weather: Light easterly dropping off around midday and increasing late afternoon. Clouds.

Task: WNW to Warra then NE to Jandowae, ESE to Bell racecourse then back to Dalby 133Km

With light lift above the airfield, it was a slow climb to cloud base at 5900ft.  Gaggles formed to the west of take-off but had to keep moving up wind to stay within the 5Km start circle. Most pilots were in the air when the 12:30 start gate opened but not all made it high enough to leave. 

John Smith was one of the lower pilots and lead the lower pilots to the first thermal from start. It was a good climb and even the higher pilots stopped to top up. There was a fast pace to Warra and the few pilots that got low at the turn-point had slow climbs up. The lead gaggle had a fast line to the second turn-point but those who got low along this part of the course had slow climbs out as the cloud shadows on the ground left very little room for sun to get through. Many low saves were made on route to WPT 3.

John said over breakfast the next day “That if he had got a save at WPT 3 that he would have gone to Jesus”. But when John’s feet hit the ground he accepted the inevitability of his position and realised the only way he was going to get to goal was by car.

With the high cloud moving in and the wind picking up the day started to slow down with a lot of pilots landing around Bell.  Big John went well north of the task line to Bell and this manoeuvre won him the day. Those lucky enough to get around WPT 3 had a 21Km run to Dalby airport with a sky that was blueing out, so those who stayed high managed to get to goal, with around 12 pilots making it in. Conrad was the first Kiwi in with quite a few pilots dropping just short of goal.

It was a very technical day and the cycles very different from the previous days when climbs where everywhere. Most of the young guys who had been doing well did not make goal with most of the old timers making it. Staying high seemed to be the best course for the day.

Another great day at Dalby and it does not look like there will be a lay day as the forecast for the rest of the comp is good.

Quote of the day from Captain Flockhart log: “Survive the course’s filters”

Advice for the day “Pace yourself”

 

Dalby Day 3 - April 14

Clear blue skies with clouds building early morning. Wind light and variable filling in from the NE around 16:00 and becoming stronger up to 17Kmh. Clouding in from the east 6500 -7000 increasing to a 8000 ft cloud base later on in the day.

Task: Dalby to Broadwater Dam 26.5km to the SW. Then north 61Km to Jandowae and return to Dalby Airport. 132 km triangle.

The start gate opened and the gaggle to the west of take-off were in the best position for the start. The lift around the airport was light and shifty in some places and stronger in others and those who got high quick had no problem staying high.

The run down to Broadwater Dam was fast and the pilots did not thin till the run down to turn point 2. A few pilots got low along here but most managed to find good lift back to cloud base.

For the lead pilots, those who stayed right of course had the quicker fly and in a good position for the run to goal. A cloud street to the east of course allowed pilots to get a good glide towards goal only needing a slight top up on the way to goal. Some pilots had a low save in a massive thermal which was became a cloud of sorghum as it sucked all the leaves off the ground. Other pilots got into thermals with dozens of Swifts that were feeding on the bugs in the thermal.

John Smith was on the left of course to turnpoint 2 and got down to 2000ft AGL and lost 10 minutes getting back to cloud base and put him into 6^th for the day. The forecast wind had not developed which allowed around 20 pilots to make it to goal, three of those are on the Kiwi Trans-Tasman Challenge team, John, Hagen and Conrad. Kurt Warren won the day

Lisa put in another fantastic fly in her fluoro Red Moyes Malibu. Taking off at 13:00 she made a slow but steady pace around the course to land at 17:00. Four hours in the air to get within 15Km of turn point 2. Asking Lisa about her day all that was head was “Awesome!” Well done Lisa.

Three fantastic flying days in a row. So far this has been an outstanding Dalby!

Trans-Tasman Challenge; The Australians are winning with 12,505 points and the Kiwi team have 8991 points

Captain Flockhart’s quote of the day:  “if you’re not in Dalby where the hell are you?”

Advice for the day: Don’t always follow the gaggle if you think their decision is wrong.