Bazza's Flying Log: CAP over Mt Maunganui

On Thursday I ventured up the Mount with the trusty old Vampire to fly combat air patrol over the coastline. Weather was cold with 15kts WSW forecast and was a bit light when I reached the top but also the big rain squall was moving down the harbour heading towards me. Here's a pic I took of it.

I took shelter under the trees and was chatting to a Polish couple who are now living in Glenorchy (spelt?) in the South Island. Very interesting people - also met a chap from Quebec out here on holiday. The Mount has always got tourists up there enjoying the views.

After the rain passed i was able to get in some flying time - not great conditions - very cold air meant there wasn't as much lift as you'd expect from the windspeed. I was constantly hunting on the elevator trim and struggled to make height for a while.

As 3pm was looming up (had to work at 6pm) decided it was landing time. Tested out the airbrakes up high - not to bad, just a little too much down elevator in the mix still, and brought it in to land into wind along the top after only two passes. What I thought was going to be a perfect landing was ruined by coming down on top of a sharp rock which tore all the underside of the fuselage. Bugger :-( It's very differcult to watch your plane AND your projected landing zone at the same time. Something Ralph agrees with too - maybe we need to spot for each other at landing time.

And as promised here's a couple of pics I took at Easter when Doug and I went to the Classic Fighter Airshow in Blenheim at the Omaka aerodrome (grass runways). I think the newly completed Spitfire did it for me - what a beautiful aeroplane.