WARBIRDS OVER WANAKA - PART 1

Waikato Aero Club Trip to Warbirds Over Wanaka

5 - 8th April 2012

What a truly AMAZING weekend.  This tale will take several posts to tell as a lot of (mainly aviation) activity was crammed into a short space of time.

Thursday 5th April

An early start at the Aero Club - 0700 "sharp" was the instruction.  I arrived a few minutes before that and set to work unwrapping and preflighting Archer "FWS".  My day had started an hour previously, though, with a printout of the weather to update the flight plans I had done for each leg of the trip, make my packed lunch, and double-check I had everything before setting off.  The weather forecast was good for the South Island but rather breezy with a stiffish south-easterly for the central North Island and the possibility of low cloud over the Cook Strait.
It was still deemed a "go" by the instructors (three on the trip), so we loaded up the four club planes (Archers FWS, UFS, WIT and C-172 WAM) and the privately owned 172 DXP with the 18 travellers, luggage, etc., and off we went.  I was with instructor, Allanah and father and son Andrew and Hamish.  Allanah was instructing Hamish for the first leg to Foxpine, then I was to fly to Kaikoura (shortest runway of the four), Allanah P-in-C again to Timaru and then self again from Timaru to Queenstown.  I was jolly glad Allanah had experience of flying into Queenstown as it is not at all straightforward and she would be able to guide me through the approach between the mountains along the Kawarau Gorge.

It all went swimmingly well.  It was a bit bumpy in the lee of Ruapehu (initial plan to go to the East of the mountains was thwarted by low cloud over the Desert Road corridor) but by the time we were abeam Wanganui the coast was clear, literally, and we landed at Foxpine for a refuel.

Foxpine - Jacob gasses up DXP while WAM waits its turn

Then it was over to me for the awkward take-off from 09 at Foxpine which requires a turn to the left ASAP to avoid the pines to the east of the field.  This was fine - short field technique with 10º flap saw up climbing away in a gentle left hand turn towards the coast and the Cook Strait.  The "low cloud" turned out to be a cloud base of around 2700' half way across the strait on a direct track from Foxpone to Kaikoura with good visibility throughout so there was no need to take the "reserve plan" of crossing east-west (shortest distance over water) and around the eastern Marlborough coast.  The approach to Kaikoura went really well - 05 was "duty" runway, joining left hand downwind - the landward side - for a pretty landing which one of the other guys said looked really good watching from the fuel pumps - thanks for that :)
We did a quick refuel and change round of seating and it was off to Timaru with Allanah "driving" again from the right hand seat.

"Smile", Allanah

The conditions were perfect from here southwards.  We stopped at Timaru for a refuel of plane and personnel (late lunchtime) and then it was over to me as P-in-C for the flight over the mountain passes to Queenstown.  With Allanah's local knowledge it was unevenful with an approach along the Kawarau gorge and straight in for runway 23.  I flew while Allanah did the radio calls and acted as local guide for me.

Group photo at Timaru

The scale of things - WAM almost lost among the mountains on the way to the Lindis Pass from Timaru

All aircraft arrived safely and were all tied down by about 1600 - excellent timing reflecting efficient work by all concerned at the waypoints to minimise time on the ground.  A good start to the weekend - more to come soon, watch this space!!