Training in New Zealand

[Steve Traut]

Hello all -- Does anyone have recommendations for clubs for an American
pilot to study with while in New Zealand?

I'm a student glider pilot near to solo, expecting to get a license in
the U.S. by June or so. I'm thinking ahead to a New Zealand trip I'm
planning for Jan or Feb. I'd like to spend a week or so of the trip
adding to what I'll have learned by then. I'd like to generally improve
my flying skills while getting to know the aspects of soaring unique to
the area (not much wave potential here in Oregon).

So far I've been looking at Southern Soaring
(http://www.soaring.co.nz/courses.php) and Gavin Wills' outfit
(http://www.glideomarama.com/sections/SoaringSchool/pvtsupervised/).
Both have suggested a "personalized" package with a week's worth of
training and use of a glider.

Both are a chunk of money, and I want to spend it wisely. Are these
good spots? Is Jan/Feb too late in the season? Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for responses,
Steve

[Bruce Hoult]

In article <2005041315224593086%strautNOSPAMPLEASE@earthlinkne t>,
Steve Traut > wrote:

> Hello all -- Does anyone have recommendations for clubs for an American
> pilot to study with while in New Zealand?
>
> So far I've been looking at Southern Soaring
> (http://www.soaring.co.nz/courses.php) and Gavin Wills' outfit
> (http://www.glideomarama.com/sections/SoaringSchool/pvtsupervised/).
> Both have suggested a "personalized" package with a week's worth of
> training and use of a glider.
>
> Both are a chunk of money, and I want to spend it wisely. Are these
> good spots? Is Jan/Feb too late in the season? Thoughts?

Jan/Feb *is* the season :-) Well, the best part of it.

Those are commercial schools. You can also get intensive training at a
number of clubs, many of which have 7-day-a-week operation in the summer.

I know you'd get a good reception at my own club, just north of
Wellington:

http://www.soar.co.nz/

You can see some pics of the area here (taken by a friend of mine on a
flight I took him for): http://www.hoult.org/bruce/gliding/sasha/

We train in Grob Twin Astirs and also have PW-5 (x2), Std Libelle and
Janus.


Another club I've flown at which is seven days a week at that time of
the year is 200 km north of Auckland (near the Bay of Islands) at
Puhipuhi. They use a winch to launch their ASK13, Janus, and Cirrus and
also have a Grob 109 motorglider.

http://www.igrin.co.nz/~peter/gliding.htm

--
Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+-
Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O----------

[Neil Allison]

Steve Traut wrote:
> Hello all -- Does anyone have recommendations for clubs for an American
> pilot to study with while in New Zealand?

I'm guessing you've seen the Gliding NZ website page for visiting
pilots: http://www.gliding.co.nz/overseas.htm

As Bruce noted, you have a choice of commercial or club operations.
Part of that choice will be driven by where you want to fly from.

I'm a member of the Canterbury Gliding Club. From late December through
to early February the club is based at Omarama and operates every day,
weather permitting. Several other clubs hold summer camps in Omarama
too. With a little planning, and by lending a helping hand to club
operations, there are good opportunities to explore the area.

--
Cheers
Neil
Christchurch, NZ