FLYING A LEGEND

LABOUR WEEKEND: 23 - 25 OCTOBER

We, that is, the lovely missus and myself planned on a long weekend at Papamoa.  I had decided to have a bit of fun and had booked a flight in Classic Flyers NZ's Boeing Stearman.  This is a 1942 vintage example, imported into NZ from the US in 1988 and lovingly cared for as the true classic that it is.  The weather was wonderful all weekend making a change from the storms and poor flying weather leading up to the holiday weekend.

So I fronted up at just before 1400 on Saturday and was introduced to Andrew, Classic Flyers CEO and Pete, chief pilot who was to take me up.  Pete showed me around the plane and took me through the preflight and start up procedures and then suggested we might do two flights as he had a booking in their Ag-Cat at 1500.  I wasn't going to object!

The first flight consisted of taxying - always a challenge in a taildragger - run-up, pre-takeoff checks and then onto Grass 25 for takeoff and a 20 minute flight just seaward of the Mount for a few medium turns and then back for approach and landing.  I was in the front cockpit as this was my first time.

My main concerns before the flight were; 1)  how would I cope with an open cockpit, and 2)  coping with a fairly large tailwheel aircraft.  As it turned out these were fairly groundless.  The open cockpit was a bit noisier and draughtier than I am used too but no real bother and the Stearman was a sight easier to fly than the 180 at Waikato Aero Club which I have had a couple of flights in.  Big and slow, sure, but very light and steady on the controls and m y turns seemed pretty good.  Pete talked me through the approach and landing which I seemed to manage fine with a bit of help (hard to know how much help in tandem cockpits).

Then it was off to tell the good lady I would be a bit late, a coffee at the cafe and all aboard again for a quick local and a few circuits.  The wind had got up a bit with about 8-10 knots cross wind from the North (right to left) which made taxying a bit more of a challenge - I managed to do the weaving technique to maintain forward vision OK but swung a bit more than I intended at one point - Pete soon sorted me out.  The circuits went fairly well, a bit lazy on the rudder on the touch-and-goes but otherwise pretty good, and I ended well pleased with my efforts.  Andrew shouted me a beer to finish which went down very nicely, thank you, and then it was home to indulge in another of my interests, cooking dinner.
What a great day!!!!!

THOSE EXPENSIVE CAPPUCCINOS AGAIN!!

SATURDAY 16TH OCTOBER

Aircraft:  Piper PA28 Archer III - ZK-WIT

POB:       2

Altitude: 2700'

Position: 2 miles West of Wairere Falls en route Tauranga

Weather: Scattered cloud at 2500 - 3000' (base) just west of the Kaimai ranges, otherwise, sky clear. Wind 290º at 15kt (forecast). 

Well, it hadn't looked too good for flying this morning with overcast skies in Hamilton and Tauranga with cloud bases under 2000'.

I had booked WIT from 1400 to take eldest daughter for a flight as she has just returned from her 3 month OE in the UK and Europe and was keen to go up.  It was also a chance for some time in WIT with all its "whistles and bells". 
I thought an "expensive coffee" at the AvGas Cafe at Tauranga would be good but it was not looking promising right up until about 1300 when the ATIS from Tauranga changed (in about an hour) from OVC 1700' to few cloud at 2500'.  Hamilton was scattered at 2000' so it looked good to go.

The weather was fine all the way apart from those few clouds on the windward side of the Kaimais (which had all but disappeared on our way back) and a bit of haze.  Coffee, a brisk walk, an ogle at the classic planes parked outside Classic Flyers, and a return trip to Hamilton, all complete by 1600.

Then the phone rang at 1700.  Hmm, an 03 number, wonder who?  Yep, it was the National Briefing Office - I had forgotten to terminate my flight plan.  Much embarrassment, but at least you know there is someone looking out for you!

Daughter dearest shot some video (which she is very good at), easy to edit and now posted on Youtube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeqkW1Q-VnU

You will see how clear it was after the morning overcast.  It was a bit windy, though, especially back in Hamilton (thank goodness for the 07/25 runways!!)

NEW VIDEO

Just finished editing and uploading my latest bit of video to Youtube yesterday.  You can check it out at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwaD4SIJUQI

ENJOY!

Went for a brief flight in DQV Thursday but conditions weren't great so passed overhead Raglan and back to Hamilton for a bit of a challenging approach and a fairly crappy landing in a 90º 10kt crosswind.  From reading some other blogs I see other kiwi flyers were challenged that day, also!

WAM RADIO UPDATE - WELL, SORT OF

Thursday 7th October

Back up in WAM again.  Despite the lovely weather of the past few days, it was a very cloudy Waikato morning and I opted for a local flight and a few circuits instead of an expensive coffee somewhere.  It was also a chance to check out the radios again.  I asked if there was anything found to explain the problem last week but no-one around at the time I arrived and departed from the club could tell me anything significant.

So, I took WAM out over to the Arapuni hydro dam, back up along Lake Karapiro and "home" for a few circuits.  Well, guess what?; everything pretty much behaved itself.  The radios were fine, the only interference being from another airborne station when it was transmitting.  Transponder OK, GPS working normally and the autopilot also behaved itself.  The only glitch was one of my landings - a bit of a bounce but that is down to me, not the plane {and there was a bit of a variable crosswind :) }.

So, WAM seemed to be OK and I am still left wondering what the problem was last week....

P.S.: Thanks for the comments on the last post, guys