Ka8 Rescue

This Ka8  was purchased from a Piako Gliding Club member  and is now owned and registed by the first ever Vintage Kiwi syndicate. There are 18 pilots , 12 from the Auckland Gliding Club , 5 from Piako and one from Rotorua . All together this must be the largest syndicate in the country, and  are even bigger than some of the gliding clubs in this country. 

Chairman for the syndicate  is Robert Smits, Secretary is Rae Kerr and Treasurer is Anna Doerr.

The Ka8 become available when the previous owner somehow lost interest in flying [ hard to believe ] and ' Elle ' just sat in the hanger now unloved. Vintage Kiwi members felt  that she would eventually see her days out in a cold old trailer some where unwanted and would slowly deteriate as such stored aircraft seem to do. 

Vintage Kiwi member Robert Smits took up  the challange to convince people that for an initial $500.00 one could get into a  very special sailplane syndicate. Thus a remarkable group of people was formed with ' Elle ' becoming something  very special in their flying lives.  One may be excused of thinking that such a syndicate would have been formed of pilots who already own their own ' Vintage ' glider, but remarkably are all very experienced pilots , most also owning their own modern glass ships. However a number of them used to fly the Ka8 in their early club flying days so it was also a way of revisiting their very 'first aeronautical  love affair '.

'Elle' is now being flown at the various Rallies and Mini Rallies around the country by the various syndicate members, and in recent times has already clocked up more hours than she'd ever done in her previous life.