PPG meeting Raglan

We know that you have all been waiting with much anticipation and excitement for the announcement of this years PPG fly-in. We have had a few discussions with the organising committee and decided a new venue is due. This is a bit short notice but often the best plans are. 

So we are aiming for 

Launch well 1600m above Lago di Garda

Grant Middendorf is NZ Champion 2013

NZ Champs:: 1st Gin pilot Grant Middendorf, 2nd Dominique Guenard, 3rd Gin / WW pilot Evan Lamberton

The NZ Nationals 2013 took place in Wanaka on the South Island. Derek Divers, an ex-Auckland, now Wanaka local pilot, did a fabulous job organising the competition and gaining access to the Treble Cone take off site. This site is goverened by DOC an burdened by all sorts of concession issues which had previously prevented this event to go ahead there.

5 valid task and nearly 70 competitors, the largest number of pilots at a NZ Nationals for a long time, certainly made Derek's efforts worth while. If nothing else, it was a fantastic social event with pilots from all over the country, plus a bunch of good overseas' pilots traveling to Wanaka for the 10 days, many of which only meet once a year at the competitions. The weather played the game: On the up-side, it was beautiful and warm every day. On the downside, it was very stable with rather average flying conditions. You can't have it all, sometimes...

During the Xmas time, we will be

closed 24-27 December and

31 Dec to 1 January.

We are running special beginner courses paragliding during the holiday time - for those who want to work off all that food and beer... This is a great time to start a new sport with the weather already warm and beautiful!

Ian, Phil Hystek, Grant Middendorf, Eva Walton-Keim, Shane Hill

The Canungra Cup is an annual competition in Australia, near the Gold Coast. One of their most popular sites is Mount Tamborine which you may know.

This years competition was part one of the Australian Championships, too, so all the competitive Australian pilots where there.

The weather wasn't quite as kind to us as last time I was there which was 2010, when we had 6 valid task (from memory). This time, we only had 4 taks of which 3 had pilots at goal and one slightly less successful one. 

Our GIN Team, carefully picked by Middy, did extremely well and won the team event with a good margin: Shane Hill, Grant Middendorf, Iam MacFarlow, Eva Walton-Keim.

Bright course March 2010

2013 date: 23 February to 3 March 2013

This is a very special, annual event: The Wings & Waves Team takes a group of PG 2 pilots to our favourite thermalling place in Australia for a week’s thermalling and XC course.

Bright is a wonderful alpine town in the NE of Victoria and offers great flying sites, a great sceneary, reliable conditions and lots to do when you are not flying. We are going in the middle of February when it is nice and warm and the flying conditions wonderful.

NEW Venue: School hall at Vauxhall school

Morrison Ave, Devonport. This is off Vauxhall Road, opposite Fort Takapuna, just passed Narrow Neck Beach. From 4pm with Club Sausage Sizzle afterwards. BYO drinks. Hope to see you all there. On this occasion, WOFs are free to all club members!

The annual WOF checks for Auckland paraglider pilots will be done October 30, 2012, in Bayswater. Depending on the weather we will do it in the Bayswater park by the roundabout, with a casual BBQ afterwards if anyone is keen.

At this date, the WOFs are free of charge for all AKL club members.

New forms are out, detailing slight changes to the WOFs. One is that harnesses and gliders are checked and registered separately.

Annual WOFs are compulsory under NZHGPA and CAA rules. More importantly, they give all pilots the opportunity to have a very thourough check of their equipment early in the season.

Please book in, so that we know who to keep posted about the time / weather / venue / BBQ. Please email to Eva asap.

We haven't done these for a while, but being Spring, this must be perfect now: Bring a mate out for a day, who you think should or wants to have a go at paragliding, who has been talking about it for a while, who you think would enjoy flying. It will be a great fun day at Kario, with a BBQ on the beach after. Instead of the usual $200+, it's only $50 to contribute to the cost.

Saturday, 3 November 2012, Kario