Sorry was a german joke, looks like I was the only one thinking it was funny

INSANE!!Nice achievement guys!
That backside looks very wild.. and scary too.
72mph!!!!NZ seems to be the World DS playground ever...

Andre

Awesome report Andrew. Cant wait to finish watching the vids.

So windy, gutsy flying guys. Andrew that Wizard was smoking, it looked all of 260+ and then a bunch. It had that real serious wooooomp! Such a shame the gun isn't reading consistantly, is there more radio towers there too? I can't get over the wind, that was insane!

Great reports and awesome vidoe's, welcome to our NZ winds, some days are good for picnic's though.

Inspirational stuff, congrats on throwing your fav plane out in that
DS = risk it all...............Keep it up mate great reading and watching .

Shane S

Hey Andrew, great meeting you on Saturday. The 'adrenaline rush' moments when you forgot you were DSing inverted were rather entertaining! See you again in December.
Richard

Well I thought today would just be a quiet lay day today and I wouldn’t need to write a report. But - DAMN - we had another brilliant session of GREAT frontside and DS!!! What a shame! It’s just TOO MUCH having to cope with FIVE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF DSing!! Oh dear how sad, never mind!

I went to church with Alex’s tribe this morning. When I walked in past the vast electronic sound booth it was a bit like heading into a rock concert, with hundreds of people in the semidarkness, giant projector screens, light effects and big sound. But it was great. Coming out I noticed they have a full-on espresso cafe in the foyer!!! Dead set, it would not have been out of place in a Westfields shopping mall. Anyway it was almost midday and there was no wind, so I thought I’d head back home to do some video, but Alex got a leave pass to take me to meet his mate Graham. Graham has a composites business but this morning we found him, and 4 other guys, flying electrics at the Ferrymeade field. Guys got Alex to test fly several planes (a souped up Viper and a Corsair warbird) and he got everyone squirming as he carved all sorts of aerobatics about the sky.

As we stood and talked, a puff of wind came from the nor’east and before long it was a decent cool breeze that required the planes to take care with landing direction. Alex started to make noises suggesting that it could be good flying at Cass Ridge, so we took off for home, picked up planes, and headed for the hills again. Soon we were back at Cass Ridge only this time the side that was blasted by 72mph wind 2 days ago was now a calm backside. The frontside was the near vertical escarpment dropping all the way down to the Lyttleton harbour. The sky was blue, the wind was cool and fresh, and the view was beautiful.

Alex as usual was flying within minutes, this time with the RT42. Big lift on the front and a fun zone on the back, which was not steep. A smallish tree was right in the best exit line so it was either go over or round it. I launched the light Scratcho and happily enjoyed playing around in the perfect frontside lift. I think you know that I’ve flown in quite a few places, but I’d rate the quality of the frontside flying today as some of the best I’ve ever enjoyed. I’ve never before so easily done endless outside loops with the Scratcho. The lift band was powerful and clean - you could hear the wing whoosh differently as you entered the narrow powerful band right on the lip. You could stand a few steps back out of the wind in comfort. I know you guys are getting sick of me raving about how amazingly good these guys have it over here, but I’m telling it like it is.

Just playing around, we gunned the light Scratcho at 110 and the RT42 at 115mph. The RT42 had a spectacular interaction with the abovementioned tree – a big spinning crash but light damage only.

Rob turned up as Alex was tearing around DSing the Ampreg Scratcho (I got caught up with something else and didn’t get to gun it … gee sorry Alex …) then I got the Willow put together with a few slugs of ballast. Meanwhile Alex handcaught both the Ampreg Scratcho and the light one while standing on the rocky outcrop above the landing area. Very very classy. Videoed it with my phone. I tried it later but gave up … a bit too risky for me.

The wind had moved more easterly and square onto the ridge, as evidenced by the hangliders who now ventured up to our spot. Several guys were combatting Weasels in front of the car park below. Walkers occasionally came along the narrow ridge track and stopped, very impressed with the flying. Lots of cyclists laboured up the hill or swooped down thru the corners on the road below. The wind was stronger now, and the air on the back was now very smooth. I got the Willow wound up to 156mph, then Alex took the sticks and got 157, but it started to flutter, for the first time ever. I’m not sure whether it’s because of a structural problem (still need to check it) or because the shear is so sharp and strong, like it is at Parker. Some zones are more violent than others. Anyway the bdrrrrrr noise seemed to be getting more frequent so we quit.

We had to get back after an hour and a half of really excellent flying. As we went back we could see guys flying gliders on one of the other ridges. I was pinching myself at having such a nice dose of slope and DS again. We fulfilled some gardening responsibilities at Alex's house, had some fush and chups, and this evening we went to the church that Peter and Rose (my generous hosts) go to, which was excellent. And flip, another proper coffee bar in the foyer!! But I haven’t had time to work on the Wainui video. It’s late again now so I thought I’d pen this brief report to quench the NZ adventure thirst of my dear faithful readers, and I’ll head to bed and plan to attack the video in the morning!

Oh, and by the way … in case I forgot to say it … it’s pretty good here!


Date: 5th Oct 2012
Location: Cass Ridge, Christchurch, NZ
Pilot: Andrew von Berky
Plane: Scratcho (light)
Speed: 110mph
Witness: Alex Hewson
Gun: Falcon
Gyro: No

Date: 5th Oct 2012
Location: Cass Ridge, Christchurch, NZ
Pilot: Alex Hewson
Plane: RT42
Speed: 115mph
Witness: Andrew Von Berky
Gun: Falcon
Gyro: No

Date: 5th Oct 2012
Location: Cass Ridge, Christchurch, NZ
Pilot: Andrew von Berky
Plane: Willow
Speed: 156mph
Witness: Alex Hewson
Gun: Falcon
Gyro: No

Date: 5th Oct 2012
Location: Cass Ridge, Christchurch, NZ
Pilot: Alex Hewson
Plane: Willow
Speed: 157mph
Witness: Andrew von Berky
Gun: Falcon
Gyro: No

Geez it sounds like ds heaven! The lift must be incredible with the way the slopes rise all the way from the sea. So who owns the land on these ridges? It is really cool how everyone seems to have access for all sorts of activities.

Haha, I can picture the guys squirming when they ask Alex to test fly their planes. Next thing he is doing amazing low level aeros.

Eric, yes the thing is that the whole of the Canterbury plains warms up and causes the usual sea breeze effect, pulling in the NE to E breeze. Happens lots of days in spring/ summer. The plains extend well above and beyond this Banks Peninsula (where the ridges are) so you have clean air off the sea flowing into a big flat region, and also over this volcanic mass of ridges that sits right in the middle, on the coast. It's great air and there are so many ridges that cop it.

Interestingly today when we had a great NE here, the Tekapo area was getting a nice SW! Completely opposite direction, like the air over the island is all going up and pulling it in from both sides.

We dropped the Rodeo 4WD back to Alex's mate Paul tonight and saw some more earthquake damage. You do see some levelled blocks where they've bulldozed houses or buildings. And some big buildings in various stages of demolition. But mostly when you look around, things look OK. What you don't realize is that so many of those normal looking buildings are actually condemned and will be demolished. I pointed out a big sports stadium and Alex said oh no, that's no good ... they've made another temporary field, but that one is gonna be all knocked down. There are sections of road that sunk and wrinkled up that they've levelled and resurfaced twice, but it's bumpy again. On some roads, the drains are sitting higher because the ground has all sunk but the concrete pipes held the drains up. There are streams where one bank is now a metre higher than the other. And so on. Basically they're planning to literally move the whole city centre to a safer area.

Sounds like another great, amazing, awesome. Day...
Man you guys are making us sick... All that DSing...AVB will come back and it will take a week of bed rest to stop his eye spinning..if he comes back.
Maybe move the family over there Andrew..

Tim

Rainy day here today. Alex and Peter are both at work and I'm scrabbling around in Peter's jumbled mess of tools and stuff (pokey table in corner of garage, piled up with tools and parts I don't recognize) trying to fix the busted nose and cone on his 'Burner. At the moment a possible plan is to head for Tekapo on Wed and overnight, because the wind direction looks perfect for Wed and Thurs ... but not big wind.

Originally Posted by AvB

... but not big wind.

just 40mph

Here's the video of my first visit to Wainui Ridge. Make sure you watch this.

AvB's first visit to Wainui Ridge, near Christchurch NZ, 6Oct2012 (20 min 20 sec)

Mighty impressive scenery AND they drive on the propper side of the road!