MASTERTON 2022
This year the Vintage Kiwi Rally was held at Masterton.
Why? In 1962 New Zealand held its first ever gliding contest there at the Hood Aerodrome. That being the case, the VK team thought the rally should be held there to at least commemorate the event. So we did just that!
This Rally was unique due to the Government COVID protocols that were in place. More of an inconvenience but it was something that did remind us all of how easily spread COVID really can be. However, Masterton had never had any real COVID history as such, so it was very much more of a buoyant mood whilst maintaining some degree of caution as well of course.
However for such a simple idea of a small flying group doing so, proved to be somewhat of a hurdle for the Masterton District Council initially. However the V.K team persevered, headed on this occasion by Robin Britton and very much ‘late in the day’ at last, got the ‘green light’ from them to hold our rally at the Hood Aerodrome. So eventually [some five months plus another two months of initial inquiry time] all became well within our P.C— risk adverse modern world. It’s just a matter of holding one’s breath until good old fashioned practical sense and logic eventually arrives to save the day it seems.
Unfortunately, for the Central District’s Regional Contest that was also to be held at Hood Aerodrome the day after the rally finished, ended up being shifted south to Papawai, Greytown (the home of the Wellington Gliding Club). This was a bit of a shame as it would have been a nice touch for the contest itself to be held on the very site of New Zealand’s very first one some 60 years prior, and as an ’extension’ to our rally as it were. The reason for the late shift? On this occasion ’good old fashioned practical sense and logic’ that the Vintage Kiwi were eventually able to achieve, was certainly never going to play a part with the contest’s application. Really!!! Talk about ‘inconsistent ‘rulings! Would Vintage Kiwi go back to Masterton? Probably not. It’s now in the ‘way too hard basket’ for any future thoughts; that’s for sure, which is really unfortunate one has to say.
The good news was 15 sailplanes arrived from as far away as the North Shore in Auckland, Taranaki, Waikato, Fielding and Wellington. A very rounded mix of both NZ Vintage and Classic Class sailplanes. Although there is a ‘Big ‘Pawnee tow plane at Hood, the owner preferred not to use it for our fleet because of our lower towing speed requirements, and his availability was somewhat doubtful as well. That’s fine. So once again we used ‘V.K’s Foxbat LSA’ ZK-
Because this rally was to commemorate the very first contest held in New Zealand, it seemed fitting to try at least to have some of the surviving gliders that had entered that very contest or the following year’s first-
However, there is always ‘someone’ who wants to be a party spoiler and this came in the identity of ex Tropical Cyclone Dovi. The V.K team was already tracking this some five days before the Rally, when it was first noticed up in Vanuatu. Its track was shown to be coming down through the Tasman Sea. That being the case, it should pass through somewhat quicker than if it had decided to come down the east coast of New Zealand which generally takes longer to depart our shores. Luckily that was the case and the Rally only lost two and a half flying days.
V.K hired the local aero club’s club house, complete with barman. This was our HQ for the rally. The aero club certainly made us most welcome.
Saturday was the first day of rain, compliments of ex cyclone Dovi. However John Bushell arranged a very good walking tour of the vintage aircraft hangars. We were even lucky enough to also visit some of the Peter Jackson WW1 collection. After meeting at the airfield café, we walked ‘umbrellas to the fore’ and found ourselves quickly being transformed into another world of aircraft. The Peter Jackson WW1 collection has some 48 CAA registered aircraft that do fly. Apparently he has another 22 somewhere, not as yet registered. Truly amazing! The other hangars had of course the usual GA suspects also worthy of looking at and admiring. A great walking tour with John as our very knowledgeable guide.
On Monday night the AGM was held, followed by a presentation of the history of the very first New Zealand contest with the first ever Nationals and the way the contest scene in New Zealand has since evolved.
The Central District’s Regional Champs were now of course to be staged at Papawa, Greytown. However due to being inundated with rain as the ex-
We may have lost two and a half days, however we had a further five days of great flying with some good kilometres and general flights being achieved. One of those days the thermals went to some 6000ft QNH. All in all, a very successful rally we are pleased to say.
