Jafaland Aviation
Jafaland Aviation
This is a story published several years ago but may be of historical interest.
"If I die I may not go to heaven,
Cause I don't know if they let cowboys in,
If they don't then let me go to Texas,
Cause Texas is the closest place I've been."
While my sentiments may not concur with this Texas crooner, that special aviation feeling is activated when surveying Auckland from cloudbase. Some may dismiss this as the incurable blood condition known as Bombay Blindness. But getting that thermal on the other side of Dome Valley and heading north never fails to please. By way of a trip down memory lane (older pilots must be regularly indulged in this respect) here is my list of memorable hang gliding cross country flights starting somewhere between the Brendrwyns and the Bombays.
Cross Country Site Records
Bridges Ian Clarke, 1994, 142.6km. We know it doesn't truly count when you go flying during the week. This Thursday flight carried out during a drought has stood as NZ record for seven years! There have probably been thirty plus hang glider and paraglider flights between 120km to 140km done between now and then but still the bloody thing stands. It's not unlikely a paraglider may soon go further. It might then be time to pack up and join the circus. The only thing sadder than this, would be having to listen to Colin Samuels tell his story again about why he only flew half the distance of Ian on that eventful Thursday.
Moirs John Turnbull, 1994, 128km. Done during a league round two or three days after Ian broke the NZ record. This fat boy is not as silly as he looks.
Puketutu Steve Elliot, 1995, 128km. Tenish pilots watched his early solo departure from this excuse for a hill. Incredulous early afternoon Kaimais pilots were somewhat surprised during his flyby. He is definitely as stupid as he looks.
Mercer (tow) Steve Dwyer, 1999, 100km. Battled for around 5 ½ hours with a firm cross wind component all the way down the west coast to land south of Kawhia Harbour.
Five Fingers Ian Clark, 1996, 92km. Scratched his way over to Dills before hitting the convergence and then it was good night nurse. Headed north, did very well.
Logans (tow) Geoff Green, 1999, 78km. Looked like a good for nothing day. How he got on to the convergence and flew this far is a testament to patience and skill.
Kariotahe Ian Clark, 1999, 55km. By far the best example of a hang glider breaking free of the coastal shackles and doing the coast to coast.
Anton Lawrence, 70km, under an hour. Mostly annual ridge race from Maioro-Lighthouse-Maioro.
Dills Debbie Corbett, 1985, 41km. Landed in the horse paddocks at the turn off down the hill to Murawai beach. Debbie had only had a couple of days thermaling before this flight. She spiralled down from 3000' for landing.
Drury Mike Dwyer, 1982, 33km. Good effort on a Vampire from a 150' hill which sees bugger all hang glider traffic these days.
Dark Summit Anton Lawrence, 1992 ish, 10km ish. Nice scary landing at Waiwera.
Coastal Flights
Murawai A couple flights by Carl Drierson N/S across the Manukau Harbour for a landing Kariotahe way (54km). How do you explain this 50,000 furlong round trip to the driver?
Anton Lawrence and Steve Dwyer from the SW takeoff at Murawai, across the river and onto the dunes. Up to the Kaipara Harbour, turned back after being well into the Air Force bombing area, back to the river for around 83km. Anton relaunched once and Steve three times during the flight. At between 1' to 50' all the way this is an exhausting, stressful and never to be forgotten flight. Strongish SW wind required, preferably without squally rain.
The Murawai-Watapu-Murawai flight is very spectacular. It has been sparingly successfully and mostly unsuccessfully flown by many. Probably around ten years since this flight has been done. This requires a 15 knot WSW (not SW and not W) wind. This flight has plenty of places where the feet are pushed firmly into the back of the harness.
Kariotahe Anton has done the S/N crossing across the Manukau Harbour with a significant into wind component! You should be very surprised if this is ever done again.
Long Bay As my failing memory would have it, Pat Drierson was the first to do along the Bays flight in the late seventies. A firm NE to ENE wind is required here. Spectacular city flying.
Cunning Stunts
Top Landing In my opinion the local queen of the top landing would have to be Anton. Some of the trickier places he has landed, with a modern glider, are as follows: O'Neils point (the first significant headland to the south of the Murawai SW takeoff), twice in one day at Five Fingers and Moirs, Kennedy Park (after a Long Bay takeoff) and a post midnight landing on the gap between the dunes at Murawai.
Dills 10 am takeoff in a firm NE by Geoff Green and Anton, a heavy looking sky with a 2500' cloud base. Both flew into wind and beyond Dark Summit, Geoff flew back while Anton flew out past Moirs before landing back at Dills before 11am.
Moirs One Wednesday in 1989 Steve Dwyer from Moirs takeoff, flew out to the old rubbish tip at Leigh, almost retracing the flight path back to the top of the Viaduct (just short of the Moirs turnoff) via the satellite dishes before hitting the sea breeze and so unable to make it back to Moirs, then on to a landing at Walkworth next to the car. 40 ish km total distance almost out and return.
Mt Wellington Late seventies or early eighties two pilots flew from the Mount over the city before landing on the North Shore. Needless to say this would certainly end in tears for those who tried this today.
Mercer Alan Barnes almost closing out an 80km triangle on a less than glamorous day.
Geoff Green clawing his way up on a very grey day and several others following him out into the convergence over Miranda for the most spectacular cloud flying I have ever partaken in. It later came right Geoff landed 70 odd km away.
Logans Geoff Green flying W coast to E coast before scratching his way into the convergence, turning north and flying up to the Brendyrwns.
Auckland Hang Gliding Club XC Trophy (Smelly Stratos to his friends)
The distinctive and much loved trophy has been with us now for over twenty years. It was originally awarded for the longest XC flight from club AGM to AGM, by an AHGC member anywhere in NZ. Around the mid eighties the deed of gift was changed, to the flight carried out between January 1 and January 1 and takeoff from an AHGC site. Recent whispering in the ranks has suggested a change to the longest flight from April to April. One of the remarkable things about this trophy is that Anton Lawrence (probably the most consistent AHGPC XC pilots for the best part of ten years) only had his name on it once. On a few occasions it looked like he had it in the bag but it was snatched from him it the last minute. So sad, too bad. Geoff Green has made it his more than anyone with 4 ½ wins while Moirs Hill has been the departure terminal of champions on 7 of the 19 years it has been contested. During the years where aero towing was available (1996 to 1999) all winners departed in this manner. Winners etched under Smelly Stratos are as follows:
1980, Paddy Munroe, 11km, Drury. 1991, Anton Lawrence, 61.1km, Moirs
1982, Mike Dwyer, 33km, Drury. 1992, Geoff Green, 50 km, Moirs
1983, Steve Dwyer, 48km, Kaimais. 1993, Carl Drierson, 54km, Moirs
1984, Stave Dwyer, 43km, Mt Mary. 1994, Ian Clark, 142.6km, Bridges
1985, Debbie Corbett, 41km, Dills. 1995, Steve Elliot, 128km, Puketutu
1986, Carl Drierson, 54km, Murawai. 1996, Carl Drierson, 96km, Mercer
1988, Geoff Green, 37.6 km, Moirs. 1997, Geoff Green, 52km, Logans
1989, Steve Dwyer, 41.4km, Moirs. 1998, Steve Elliot & Dave Austin, 52km, Mercer
1990, Carl Drierson, 27km, Murawai. 1999, Steve Dwyer, 100km, Mercer
& Geoff Green, 27km, Moirs 2000, Geoff Green, 101.4 km, Moirs
This incomplete history borne of a failing memory, is by no means exhaustive or well researched. I would like to read any stories I have missed or the equivalent paraglider history. My hope this may act as some sort of incentive for those paraglider and hang gliders who follow. Get stuck in!
Steve Structural Failure