Flytec
Wills Wing

Oz Report

Volume 5, Number 195
9 pm, Sunday, December 9 2001

https://OzReport.com
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

to Table of Contentsto next topic Getting connected in a strange land

Fri, Dec 7 2001, 7:00:00 pm EST

Belinda Boulter|sailplane|weather

Belinda and I are camped in Omarama, a town of 250 folks in the interior of the south island of New Zealand.  There is no one here.  First, there is no one here in the motor park because the Kiwi's don't take off until Christmas week with their kids, should be 800 people here in this camping facility in two weeks.

Second, the weather sucks so no one it here.  No rain today but quite cold.  It has apparently been cold and raining quite a bit for at least three weeks.  No summer in summer.

Third, no one lives here.  We drove up from the lush green east coast just north of Duniden, a Scottish university town near the south end of the island, and encountered brown grass.  Ooh, all we had seen was emerald green since we got to this country and here it was beginning to look like eastern Washington.  No desert, but drier.

Still there had been plenty of rain here and there was green grass growing under the older dead brown grass.  Wild rose bushes everywhere instead of sagebrush.  And lots of foxglove in full bloom.  Even in the dry spots this island is lush.

There isn't anyone living out here.  Even less than Australia it seems.  Huge valley here, with lots of wide pastures and hardly a sign of even a ranch house.  No wonder Americans like this country.  Looks like theirs before there were over 200 million people in it.

This is a world famous (at least among sailplane pilots) gliding center, and there are maybe three or four gliders visible at the airport.  Maybe twenty trailers, most likely with gliders in them.

A couple of Polish pilots are here, and they aren't getting too many flights.  The rivers are too turbid for the fisherman, from all the rain.

It's a bit harder to put out the Oz Report in a foreign land as I've got to find an Internet connection for my laptop.  I found out this afternoon that you look for the "E-Mail" sign.  That means the nearby shop has a computer with an Internet connection.  I was able to go to the Sierra Motel near the airport and just use their phone lines (no need to use their computer).

Of course, the physical phone connection was not an RJ-11 (US and world standard) nor the old one used in Australia (which I was prepared for), but we were able to come up with an adapter.  Earthlink has six POP's (no doubt provided by another company) here in New Zealand, and it was easy to dial in on an 800 number (the one provided by the phone card) to connect.  This avoided the local connect fees that you'll find in many countries.

It's a lot easier to find an Internet café and use their computers, which doesn't help me out one little bit.  Belinda's Win modem didn't work on today's connection, but these types of modems are always very flaky.  I'll put a PC Card modem in her computer tonight.

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to Table of Contentsto next topic Albos

Fri, Dec 7 2001, 7:00:01 pm EST

Yesterday we went out on the Otago Peninsula on the south side of the Dunedin harbor to look at the only mainland colony of Royal Albatrosses.  There are only nineteen nests, so there aren't that many of these seagoing birds around to see near land.

The albatrosses started coming to the Tairoa head (at the head of the Peninsula, obviously) to nest only 80 years ago.  It would appear that the construction that was done to the former fort there made these little pathways there were perfect of albatross nesting.

Now humans keep the introduced predators away from the nests so that the population, as small as it is, can thrive.  The fledgling birds fly off on their first flight (after a lot of practice holding their wings up to launch) and don't come back to shore again for four years.  The albatrosses are sea birds and only need the land for nesting.

When they come back the juveniles are still not breeding or paired up and they spend their time hanging out or rigid soaring, as they were when we got there.  The wind was blowing at about 15 to 20 mph steady.

Looks like an ATOS to me!

The married folks sat on the egg, or went fishing.  The singles rigid soared, sometimes six at a time.

Discuss "Albos" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Sat, Dec 8 2001, 12:00:02 am GMT

to Table of Contentsto next topic December 7th – a day that will live in infamy

Flytec Championship 2002

That's the first day you can register for the 2002 Flytec Championship (sign up on-line at www.flytec.com) or the Wallaby Open Nationals (send e-mail to Laurie at «fly»). They will run out of room and you will be unhappy if you don't get on their list.

If you are a European or Brazilian pilot, sign up right now!  Your options are somewhat restricted due to the requirement that American pilots get more spots for the first 30 days.

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to Table of Contentsto next topic Dragonflies – no longer protos

Fri, Dec 7 2001, 7:00:03 pm EST

Dragonfly|Michael "Zupy" Zupanc|Ricky Duncan

(Zupy|Zupanc)|Dragonfly|Michael "Zupy" Zupanc|Ricky Duncan

Dragonfly|Michael "Zupy" Zupanc|Ricky Duncan|Zupanc)

Dragonfly|Michael "Zupy" Zupanc|Ricky Duncan

Ricky Duncan «RickD» writes:

Here's the deal.  From Airborne's point of view we would prefer that there are more tugs available at the comps.  It is good for hang gliding and as we are a hang glider manufacturer it is good for business.  The fact is that we have absolutely nothing to do with drafting the legislation.

In Australia the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) require a two seat ultralight or a tug to be certified before it can be operated legally.  To my knowledge the only other certification standard which is acceptable to CASA is the British section S. This means that the British trikes can legally tow.

The problem Moyes have with the Dragonfly is that they were operating under a permit to fly (Two aircraft). There were more than two planes but I think they may have had the same rego numbers.  A permit to fly is issued to allow certification flight-testing.  My understanding is that after 10 years CASA refused to extend the permit.  The Dragonfly then became illegal to fly.

Michael Zupanc «zupy» writes:

Moyes had a "prototype approval" (or words to that effect) that allowed them fly two aircraft for developmental purposes.  Our regulatory bods then decided that there were too many flying or it was taking too long (not sure of the details here), and they pulled the approval.

Last year at Hay, the Australian boss of the sport aviation regulatory authority was in the tow paddock when the tugs were flying around with passengers on board!  (highly illegal) I suspect that that might have had something to do with their change of attitude.  (Only a suspicion)

As far as I am aware, the governing bodies are not too worried if we are "not quite legal" as long as we are out of harms way, like in some isolated paddock in some isolated part of the country where we cannot do any damage

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to Table of Contentsto next topic ATOS distributor site

Fri, Dec 7 2001, 7:00:04 pm EST

Ivan «imr» writes:

Had to change cell # to 801-598-8657 fax, e-mail the same, simple web site you mentioned to send you for contacts and inquiries.  Ivan/Altair http://www.geocities.com/altair_industries/

Discuss "ATOS distributor site" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Fri, Dec 7 2001, 7:00:05 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic Oz Report

Will Greenwood «will.greenwood» writes:

One of the British League members is out in Oz at the moment and is doing a diary of his flying, etc.  It's quite amusing.  You may remember Mike Byfield from Wallaby Comp last year, fly's a Moyes.  If you want to check it out www.mikebyfield.com

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Fri, Dec 7 2001, 7:00:06 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic Hang Gliding Award

photo|USHGA

Gerry Donohoe «gerry» writes:

On behalf of the 85 members of the Wind Riders Hang Gliding Club (WRHGC), located in south-central Pennsylvania, it is my pleasure to nominate two couples for the Commendation and Special Commendation Awards for the 2001-2002 USHGA Awards.

Our club nominates Joe and Karen Gorrie for the Commendation Award.  They are a soft-spoken husband and wife team who are site coordinators for two of our most popular club flying sites.  Both Joe and Karen are extremely courteous and accommodating to both local and visiting pilots and launch spectators.

This past year one of the most exciting sites to fly in Region 9, Sacramento, PA, affectionately known as The Sac, was threatened with closure due to loss of both the set-up area on launch and the primary LZ. The Sac has an enormous reputation as the place to fly in a north wind and has produced such epic flights as Ric Niehaus’ 159 miler on 7 July 2000 and Jeff Harper and Doug Roger’s +7,420 altitude gain on 8 June 2001. All this from a shallow ridge only 600 feet above the LZ. Joe and Karen have been The Sac site coordinators for eons and led the battle to save the site, fight the bureaucracy and win over the landowners and ultimately make improvements to the new setup area.

The Sac’s former launch set up and car parking area, across the road from launch, was sold without notice to a new landowner who wanted nothing to do with hang gliders.  Joe and Karen researched several options and finally convinced a landowner adjacent to launch to lease us a new set up area.  We are now required to park on the narrow mountain road but now have an improved set up area on the same side of the road as the launch.

The LZ was a much more difficult and at times frustrating challenge.  But in the end, Joe and Karen’s quiet and friendly demeanor won the hearts of a local couple, who came to rescue in the final hour.

The primary LZ, which is a tight field to start with, was threatened with closure due to the planned construction of 9,900-volt power lines along the road at the approach end of the field.  The power lines were going in for some new housing construction and despite an enormous amount of letter writing by the WRHGC and several visits with the power company reps and attendance at public hearings by Joe and Karen, we could not convince them to reroute or bury the lines.

The club was just about to hire a lawyer to fight the power company when incredible news came in from Joe and Karen that a local couple had agreed to let the power company run the new lines through their property, avoiding altogether the road parallel to our primary LZ.

Joe and Karen’s many months of hard work and diplomacy paid off and The Sac was once again secure as the premier XC site in the mid-Atlantic region.  Without their efforts we would have lost a remarkable flying site.  We highly recommend approval of the USHGA Commendation Award to Joe and Karen Gorrie.

Our club’s second nomination for a Special Commendation Award goes to Lawrence and Faye Kopp.  A letter from Joe and Karen Gorrie to our club members sums up the contribution to our sport by the Kopps:

Letter from Joe & Karen Gorrie dated May 18, 2001…

Dear Fellow Wind Riders,

The long battle with Pennsylvania Power & Light is finally over.  Karen and I hope we can finally get a good night’s sleep after nearly six months of this nonsense.

The battle has been won, not in the dark halls of the Public Utility Commission but on the sunny porch of our neighbors, Lawrence & Faye Kopp.

They have graciously allowed PP&L to place poles in their front yard, for no other motivation than to provide us with a safe landing field and to be good neighbors to the Gorries.  This is an almost unbelievable act of kindness, considering their beautiful view up the road will now include a string of poles and wires.  I don’t know if our roles had been reversed if we would have been as kind.  Lawrence and Faye (brother and sister), both nearing their eighties, are living on fixed incomes.  Perhaps the club members could see it in their hearts to write the Kopps a thank you letter expressing their gratitude for saving our LZ.

Thanks to all who took the time to write letters to PP&L, sent us copies of logbooks, consulted with politicians, and sent historical photos.  With the acquisition of the new setup area, a freshly shaven launch shoot and the LZ safely secured, our beloved site is now officially back in proper order.  See you all in the air!

Sincerely,

Joe & Karen Gorrie

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Fri, Dec 7 2001, 7:00:07 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic George Ferris – back in the air

Dragonfly|George Ferris|Malcolm Jones

Oz Report readers may remember my report on George Ferris and his little accident – launching unhooked behind the Dragonfly at Zapata.  George wrote me this week to tell me that he is at Wallaby and has had six good flights (it has been amazing down there of late) and is feeling fine.  Malcolm Jones also reports that George is looking good.

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Sat, Dec 8 2001, 12:00:08 am GMT

to Table of Contentsto next topic Submissions to Hang Gliding Magazine

Gil Dodgen «Gil Dodgen@aol.com» writes:

We are always looking for good material, and the only people who have anything of interest to say to pilots are other pilots, so we encourage submissions from our readers!

It is best to send copy as a Word attachment directly to me at «Gil Dodgen@aol.com». We use slides, prints, print negatives and digital photos.  We can scan the materials here (and actually prefer to do so, so we can scan them to the size we need).

You can send digital photos (from a digital camera, or photos that you scan) to the same e-mail address if they are small enough (files up to 10 megs are fine). JPEG's are best to e-mail because they compress well, and you can include a number of photos in a single .sit or .zip archive.

A rule of thumb is that we need 300 dpi at the size a photo will print in the magazine (they will look *huge* on your computer monitor). You can check this in PhotoShop under "Image Size." We can always run them smaller, but they lose quality if we try to enlarge them, so, generally, the bigger the better!

Photo captions and byline credit are critical.  Sometimes I get material with no idea who, what, where, etc.  People even forget to tell me who they are, what they are sending, or what it is for, and the e-mail address is often something like «flyingdude»!

You can send materials (prints, slides, photos on a CD) to the address below.

Submissions are greatly appreciated.  It is our readers who really make the magazines.

Thanks much, and feel free to post this wherever you like.

Gil Dodgen, Hang Gliding/Paragliding, 31441 Santa Margarita Pkwy.  Suite A-256, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, 949-888-7363 (phone), «Gil Dodgen@aol.com»

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The Oz Report, a near-daily, world wide hang gliding news ezine, with reports on competitions, pilot rankings, political issues, fly-ins, the latest technology, ultralight sailplanes, reader feedback and anything else from within the global HG community worthy of coverage. Hang gliding, paragliding, hang gliders, paragliders, aerotowing, hang glide, paraglide, platform towing, competitions, fly-ins. Hang gliding and paragliding news from around the world, by Davis Straub.

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