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A New Day Dawning

 Have we ever had such a great summer in NZ? I feel that Wellington at least has not seen a summer like this before, certainly not in the 10 years I have lived here. My company may feel otherwise since I have had two diversions to Auckland, with Wellington weather this season, and other pilots following suit, along with Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne causing schedule disruptions, more than any other season.

 But all that aside, my Pelican weather sensors were telling me to get ready to fly on my coming Friday - day OFF! With the tail wheel refitted and rudder pedals repaired I sent an exploratory email out to encourage others into the air. No specific plan in mind other than to get into the top of the South Island, I was early to bed planning a leisurely start to the day...no stress, like a before dawn rising! An encouraging proposition to my babe to accompany me (by not donning life jackets to go flying) was turned down, as the day dawned beautifully - as planned.


 Alas, it was on to plan B on this 'chest beating day' .....the recently observed words came easily to mind...'If you don't live for something, for you will die for nothing'...so, with no offers on the table, where was it to be? Aaha! Bi annual inspection of the Pelican radios is due in two weeks time. Off to Palmerston North to have Fieldair sign me out for another 2 years.


 Passing Featherston about 0830 in the morning I pulled to the side of the road, to call Chris, at Fieldair, to see how they were placed for this job today. "Sorry Wally, no avionics coverage today!" ......Hmmm....the day's too good to not fly....South Island here we come...iPad at the ready, is anyone available in Blenheim or will I need to go to Nelson or even over to Fairfield Downs to have a coffee with Frank?

 Lester at Simply Avionics was the man who guided me in my directions, by offering that he had time to fit in a Pelican Bi annual today. Whoopee, the day is getting better and better and I haven't even refuelled yet!

 So it was an easy task to rise into the air with a slight tailwind for takeoff,  as the sheep allowed me sufficient space that way, rather than mustering them up to the far end for takeoff in the opposite direction. 'Ferry' and 3 nm south of Turakirae, then White Bluffs, looked acceptable for a clearance by Wellington Control to get the Pelican heading in the right direction. They must know this bird now as no calls to enquire about my aircraft type this time as I crawled across Cook Strait at 63 knots ground speed with my transponder blipping away slowly on their screens.

 Omaka was up to its normal self with a Southerly in the strait and an Easterly at Omaka, I joined right downwind 07 as the only one in the air this morning.  A nice wheeler had me rolling out to the aero club, just as I saw Lester drive his red van around to the front of the hangars. Split second timing on both of our parts. After a quick "hello", it was off to lunch together at the Aero Club, pay landing fees and then get the Bi annual underway. While Lester worked his magic on the Pelican, I was busy panel beating the broken left mud flap back into shape for eventual refitting. 

 David, a fellow EAA member and Wittman Tailwind owner, from Florida USA, wandered up for a chat during this busy time, so we had a good aviation chinwag as we left Lester to his task. All completed satisfactorily for another two years, (and Lester now had his Pelican tattoo on his head!) it was prepare to launch into the air while David and his wife drove off in their camper, to Kaikoura and southwards continuing their sightseeing tour of New Zealand. 
 
 Straight home or coffee now with Frank? Frank not answering his phone (gallivanting around the north island in his C180, I subsequently heard) and too early to go home - the weather is too good - where next?

Where Next?

 Nopera airstrip had caught my attention while lunching at the Aero Club, so I pulled the brochure out of my kit and rang Hopewell Lodge, speaking firstly to Lynley about my intentions and was dully passed over to Mike to review whereabouts and how to attack this next adventure. Righto, let's get underway via Tuamarina Bridge, Koromiko to Nopera...."about 25 mins" I advised Mike.

 What a great day for adventuring! My iPad GPS had me over the top just as Mike got to the bottom fence. A bit of a fly-by indicated sheep spread out over most of the paddock beside the windsock but is that the strip or the nice green mown patch beside it with the high trees at the threshold?

After a couple of over flights, Mike's actions confirmed it wasn't the nice mown patch and we alighted shortly afterwards, taxiing into the park bay at the top of the strip. Mike invited me to jump into his ute for a look over their lodge, followed by a great, freshly brewed Long Black coffee as we chatted about the accommodation they have there.  NZ is just full of these wonderful places and lodges yet most NZ'ers don't know they exist. Fortunately, I arrived in the calm between the storms, so to speak, as the next day a full house of guests was expected and will remain so until end of March. Magical setting and what a lifestyle. So all you flyboys and gals get your aircraft ready to go on the next mission.

 Nopera Airstrip

 

 Mike's passion for flying also came through as we discussed the strip, their location, some of the history of their Lodge, his PPL partly completed and how I had come across their brochure.

An invitation to bring some more flyers in was greatly appreciated and I could already visualise a Searay amphibian-with pilots fishing, in front of the beachside veranda and other pilots who had left their aircraft on the strip up the road, also wishing they were amphib pilots as well! ‘This is definitely a place for a return visit’, I am thinking, as all these scenes flashed before me as Mike drove me back to the strip.

Northbound

After a quick few photos for future reference it was back into the air for a northbound departure past Mt Stokes, allowing an airborne photo of the strip and away to Martinborough in a beautiful late afternoon sky.

What a top way to end a fine sunny day’s tiki touring in a Pelican....in Summer 2013.

 

Talley ho for now....Wally Pendray

 

Posted: Thursday 18 January 2018

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