Pelican Adventuring Part 3

Well that was a wonderful welcome onto Kauri Mountain after not being able to land on other occasions due to obstacles on the strip or winds not appropriate.

Brian and his other enthusiast microlight pilot Andrew had arrived from Auckland to reassemble two Bantam aircraft that had been stored in the hangars there for some years. We chatted away for a while and watched the progress of assembly until Brian was able to start and taxi his up and down the strip in front of the hangars. When it was time to pack up the Bantams were returned to their unusually designed hangars, to wait for the following morning to test fly the two aircraft.

Andrew then drove me to the local service station at Parua Bay to get 40 litres of Mogas which would allow me to return to Whitianga successfully. All this adventure on two days away was serious fun 🤪

About this time, Bob the owner of Kauri Mountain, arrived and it was arranged for me to stay the night with them all. I still had supplies not eaten on my trip to date, plus wine to celebrate the evening meal with them all.

Arriving at the house and shown to my room gave me a spectacular late afternoon view to the Hen & Chicken Islands and Little Barrier and beyond.

Our evening meal gave me a chance to meet my host Bob and join the lively conversation around the table and listen to some of the history here.

Next morning I awoke a little earlier than the others so decided to walk back up to the strip to prepare the Pelican for flight by warming it up and taxying it to the top of the strip ready for a flight back to Newland’s strip, to have my prearranged propeller overhaul completed, after breakfast.

This would have to be a magic spot in beautiful summer weather but I could imagine a very turbulent mountain in the strong westerly or easterly conditions with frontal weather patterns.

Bob is certainly a collector and I was amazed to see hangars full of aircraft and projects underway plus garages full of cars with other projects, as I wandered back to the house for breakfast.

The reminiscing by Brian, Andrew and Bob of the early years of microlight flying in New Zealand and the flights from this mountain top, accidents that had occurred and interesting flights they had made was attention grabbing stuff. It certainly brought me back to my early involvement in this world of microlighting and the same excited feeling I had on my first arrival into this scene at Feilding Aerodrome, prior to purchasing the Pelican.

I wandered off after breakfast, earlier than the others, and took the Pelican for an early flight from the mountain top while conditions were beautifully settled. I flew around the mountain taking in the scenery which captures me with its beauty every time I visit this area, for the end of December fly in to Whananaki as I have done for the past 5 years.

The Pelican came back to earth and grounded me again as the Bantam pilots arrived to open the hangars to release their birds for the planned test flights.Andrew was first into the air after a successful start and warm up taxying around the strip. I was amazed at how short the ground run of a Bantam is and watched as he disappeared off the end of the strip for a quick sortie and return to land for adjustments to the machine.

Brian was next into the air for a similar trajectory around the northern Patua South area before also returning to land successfully very much shorter than the Pelican ground run. Both machines required adjustments so this took care of this sunny morning on the mountain top while I reconnoitred the open hangars enjoying what I saw.

Eventually, I bid the team farewell and flew off the end of this strip to arrive on finals for Newland’s strip beneath me in time to meet up again with Warren, for the propeller overhaul. This was achieved within about 45 minutes as little work was required apart from a fluid change in the variable pitch unit.

With no further problems of rough running and my biannual flight to Warren’s strip completed I departed to Whitianga via a flyby of Kauri Mountain and Whangarei Heads which are always spectacular in these settled conditions. Tracking along the coast to Mangawhai Heads I decided to have a look at Steve’s airstrip but after circling a couple of farms in the area without finding it, I continued on to Kawau Island. Settled weather from this point gave me good views across the gulf to the top of Mt Moehau on the north end of Coromandel Penninsula so I knew my direct track to Whitianga was a certainty and I settled back to enjoy the views of the fishing launches and sail boats I passed on the flight home.

Whitianga came into view on schedule so a smooth landing and taxi back to the Pelican Club House ended another great little adventure in the Pelican Club GS.