Busted!

Pretty much sums up this week. Not sure what the eighties shoulder pads are all about though. Nothing like a quick nap in the crew room to get the cameras out.  

Mt Maunganui

Here it is again but from much nearer the ground, we must have been climbing out from the airfield, or I was way too low! Much better weather on this side of the island but difficult to get to because cloud tends to sit on top of the Kaimai range of mountains which we have to cross.  

Tauranga

Another pretty place to visit on the East coast which I guess makes that the Pacific Ocean. The little island is called Mt Maunganui and is an aeronautical danger zone as crazy Kiwi's like to launch themselves off it attached to what amounts to little more than a kite. Another interesting approach as the airfield is off to the right and the circuit pattern is over the sea which is all very well till the engine coughs. Lovely place though and the English lady in the cafe gave me discount because I'm a brit.  

Finals

And here we are just about to turn finals. Also note the bloody great hill at the other end of the runway. The Katana won't climb over that so have to make a hasty right turn to avoid making a smouldering dent in it.

In other news this week, not a lot. After we got back from Auckland the weather took a turn for the worst and not much flying has been happening. Managed to get up yesterday but only because I hung around the airport for hours waiting for a break in the clouds. I now have 14 flights to go including my end of single engine phase check ride and then I can come home, not that I'm counting or anything. The good news is that I've been able to crack on with the studying for my exams when I get back which I desperately needed to do. All up to date now and just waiting for a big enough gap in the clouds! Totted my hours up and I now have 168, should have nearly 200 by the time I get back.

I've adjusted the site so you can leave comments (I think) so feel free to post something or ask questions or tell me there's enough pictures of mountains. It would be nice to know who's having a look or it feels an awful lot like talking to ones self.

 

There it is!

The line of trees 25ft from the threshold doesn't help much either.

Spot the Airfield

Actually that's a bit of a trick question as its off to the right, hard to see it for all the hills though. The strip is right at the bottom of the valley and to fly a circuit we cross the hills at about 200 ft and then enter the valley and make the final approach at an angle rather than straight in. Not too bad once you've been shown but definitely one of the more challenging airfields. 

Mt Ruapehu

More bloody mountains. Matt took these last Friday before we went to see the Arctic Monkeys. Weather was absolutely perfect, not a single cloud, so I flew him down to Taumaranui to show him the outrageous airfield they have there stuck right at the bottom of a valley. Mt Ruapehu, the right hand one, is where all the skiing is on the North Island and, being NZ, is an active volcano.