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Posted By: Nickens, Dan

Date Posted: Aug 24, 2015

Description: ""N415TA be advised there is a squall line with winds 25 gusting to 35 approximately 10 miles west.""

Ardmore unicom is ""monitored"" but usually quiet, responding only to requests. Reportedly the busiest general aviation airport in the country, it was strangely deserted as I lined up for takeoff.

""Roger."" As if talking to myself I added, ""I will be headed North and expect to remain clear of the weather to the east.""

I got no response.

It was not a typical work day. After the forecast called for horrid weather arriving early in the morning, I had slept in. There was no point to flying to the golf course even though it was the first day of the birthday festivities. The forecast was so bad that even the commercial seaplane operator had cancelled all flights for the day.

Only when I finally woke up it was from bright sunshine streaming through the hotel window. There was no sign of the wind and storms promised in the past night's last briefing.

Rushing to the airport I could see the clouds starting to mass to the southwest. That's where a lot of bad weather on the north island comes from. I was just about to check in for a weather update when my phone rang. It was the golf course manager.

""When will you be here? There are guests wanting to go for a flight.""

""I'm on my way. I will be there in an hour."" By the time I lined up for departure, that seemed to be a foolish promise.

It looked even worse up in the air. I briefly thought about returning for an immediate landing. There did seem to be a corridor to the north, however, between the black line to the west and the sunny skies to the east. The question was whether the squall line would intersect the east coast of the narrow north island before I got to the course.

I did have options. There was a peninsula to the east for the first part of the run and Great Barrier Island on the second half. Both had airports.

And, the island gets wider north of Auckland. After clearing the city it seemed I would have a decent shot at making it to work on time.

Date Taken: April 2015

Place Taken: Auckland, NZ

Owner: Nickens, Dan

File Name: Storm Chased 4291.jpg - Photo HTML

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Category: Yacht_Tending_NZ

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Nickens, Dan - Jul 29,2015 Viewers | Reply


	The course was in the clear! The storm clouds were still a bit to the west. That gave me time for a celebratory loop around it announcing my arrival. I was supposed to be joined at the course by a contractor with a jet copter. He cancelled due to the weather report. It was already windy at the course and a guest was already waiting with the course manager. "This is Jerry," I was told. "He doesn't golf. He wants to go flying." Jerry was an older gentleman. I warned him, "There is a line of storms approaching from the west, Jerry. And it is already really bumpy up there. How adventurous are you?" "At my age I'm looking for adventure. If you think it safe, I don't mind the bumps." Well, safety was a real question. The wind was stiffening, gusting, and it was perpendicular to the gravel road. Worse, it was spilling over the tall trees and swirling down to the beach. Jerry must have seen my hesitation. "I'd really like to go if at all possible." "Well, maybe a short flight." It was a short flight. Back in the air it was obvious the storms were rapidly closing. After a quick orbit of the course, I returned to the gravel road. The approach was harrowing and the landing on the narrow road was even more "adventurous". I just had time to get Jerry out of the airplane and tie it down before the first large rain drops started falling.		Attachments: Course Before the Storm

Nickens, Dan - Jul 29,2015 Viewers | Reply


	At the nearby town of Mangawhai, the wind was measured at 37 mph, with gusts up to 59. It was out of the southwest and perpendicular to the gravel strip. There was no more flying. At the end of the day, it was still sporting. I left the airplane overnight and went back to Auckland in the 5000 pound helicopter.		Attachments: Overnight Parking

Nickens, Dan - Jul 29,2015 Viewers | Reply


	After weeks of great weather earlier, the three days of celebration at the new golf course were abominably bad. The staff scrambled to keep the guests dry and entertained. The SeaRey mostly sat lashed to the gravel. On the last day it happened. "Jerry wants to fly again." Did you tell him it's still blowing a cyclone across the runway out here? "Yep. He said you promised him a flight and it's his last day." I checked the local weather. It was a steady 10 to 15, with gusts of 30 to 46 mph. Jerry arrived. It's really windy up there. It will be bumpy. Fair warning. "At my age I appreciate a good adventure." It will be that. (Prophetic.) At first it wasn't so bad. I made sure he got a good long flight seeing the sights. And we landed in one of the small private lakes adjoining the course property. Then Jerry was ready to get back. I didn't ask why, but I kinda figured the air bumps figured into his thinking. What neither of us figured on was the roller coaster ride down the final glide slope towards the gravel. It was wing shaking. And, when I lined up with the road I couldn't keep the airplane pointed out of the sand. So I poured the power on and flew back up. Sorry about that. "That's okay. I don't feel so good." He did look kinda green. Why don't we fly back to the lake and take a break from the bumps? "That might help." It seemed to, but he did want to get back to meet up with his wife eventually. The second approach was as bad as the first. I went around. Hang in there Jerry, we'll get in between gusts. "This is quite an adventure." The third attempt was ill-advised. If you've tried something twice with the same result, it's time to look for another alternative. I didn't see any convenient alternatives, so I went back down. Coming down final the airplane was at a big angle to the road, and it was rocking and rolling, banging and bouncing. The bottom fell out when I cleared the trees on the approach end. Full emergency throttle barely got us back into the roiling air. I hadn't tried a high speed no flaps approach to a wheel landing because of the short runway. But, maybe I could squeeze it in anyway. Let's try it one more time, Jerry. No response. The diving approach looked fine until it didn't. There was not enough length with no slowing help from the crazy wind. I had to go back up. "I think I'm going to be sick." Just slide the canopy open if you have to. I will get you back to the lake and we'll figure something else out. We didn't make it back to the lake. Jerry barely got the canopy open. When he did blow into the wind, it blew his sickness right back into the cockpit. There was a lot of sickness. "I'm so sorry" he kept saying. It's not your fault, Jerry. This is pure pilot error. The only way out now was to get back on the water and abandon the stinkin' ship. There was a nice beach on one of the lakes. I headed for that. The lake was just long enough to dive and drive it on the water. Putting the gear down I pulled up as close as I could to the soft sandy beach. I called the golf course. Send a helicopter to get Jerry. There's a parking lot by the lake big enough to land on and its clear. Jerry was quite pale. I got out of the airplane and into the water then went around to help him out. I decided I would try to keep him dry, so I went and got a big log. I laid it between the wheel and the dry sand. Jerry had just stepped out onto the log when the helicopter came roaring in. It passed right over the SeaRey. It was all I could do to hold the wing down and keep it from blowing out into the lake. Keeping Jerry stabile on the log was a reach too far. He went into the water. Well, truthfully, he could have used a bit of a rinse anyway. The helicopter took him back to the course and left me on the beach. I did my best to clean the airplane while pondering my options for getting back to the course. While I was cleaning an old Volvo drove up. "I've seen you landing on the other lakes. I own the rental chalets there. You're scaring my guests." I am? "Yes, the parents won't let their kids go kayaking. The ski boat was chased off by your antics. You're not welcome on the lakes." Oh. Well, then, I won't come back. The party is over anyway. Maybe the wind died down. Maybe it didn't. With just myself on board I did get back to the gravel runway and put the airplane away for the rest of the really bad flying day.		Attachments: Hopeful Sign?

Don Maxwell - Jul 29,2015 Viewers | Reply


	No barf bag? Put it down your shirt, then.

Nickens, Dan - Jul 30,2015 Viewers | Reply


	But what if it's a tailored Zegna?

Don Maxwell - Jul 30,2015 Viewers | Reply


	I don't care it's a tailored zeugma. What comes up goes down, and what goes down doesn't come out. (Sorry--can't tailor this into a good zeugma.) Just make sure the shirt is tucked in first.

Don Maxwell - Jul 30,2015 Viewers | Reply


	I don't care it's a tailored zeugma. What comes up goes down, and what goes down doesn't come out. (Sorry--can't tailor this into a good zeugma.) Just make sure the shirt is tucked in first.

Nickens, Dan - Jul 29,2015 Viewers | Reply


	Not all the locals hated the SeaRey. Some beachgoers came over to see if the airplane had crashed. "My girls are aviation cadets with the Scouts," their proud father explained. They got treated to front row seats.		Attachments: Future Fliers

Nickens, Dan - Jul 29,2015 Viewers | Reply


	One of the employees was staring at the airplane. "My dad would love this airplane," She said solemnly. "He's ninety years old and flew a Spitfire in World War II." Well let's take him flying! "But he lives in Hamilton." We have an airplane. We can fly down and get him. "I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that without checking with the owner." Why? He will want us to do it. "I couldn't ask." I could. (He didn't understand why I asked. Of course it was fine with him.) So on the appointed date, the daughter and I flew to Hamilton. Flight Lt. Wall, Age 91 was keen to fly.		Attachments: Honour Flight

Nickens, Dan - Jul 29,2015 Viewers | Reply


	You want to hear some great flying stories, take a veteran back into the air. I greased the skids. I told Hamilton tower my flight plan. On taxi out Flight Lt. Wall was personally welcomed back by the operator. He was beaming by the time we took our priority position for takeoff. In the air, the stories were non-stop. "I loved the Spitfire, but I got shot down because it wasn't made for ground attack. That's what we were doing in Yugoslavia supporting Marshall Tito. Flak hit took out my engine but I managed to put it down gear up in a paddock. That's when the fun started. We were always told to destroy the airplane in the event of a landing behind enemy lines. We carried a hand grenade for that reason. Well, as soon as I climbed out of the cockpit I tried to open the petrol cap to set the machine on fire. Some of the ground support had tightened it so hard that I couldn't unscrew it so I unhooked the grenade, tossed it into the cockpit and ran. Nothing happened, so I went back to try again." You went back to find the unexploded grenade? "Yes indeed I did. I had orders and I was determined to keep the Spit away from the Jerries. I was so young in those days. I fished it out and tossed it again to the same result. I was going to get it again when I heard a patrol approaching. I gave up on the airplane and took off into the bush. I hid there until night then went walking right into a Partisan patrol. They hid me until I could ride out with them on horseback." You made it out? "I did. The worst part of the whole escapade was the wine. We were told not to drink the water. The only other drink the guerrillas had was god-awful Balkan wine. I drank plenty of that!" "Are we going to alight on the lake, then?" Yes. Have you done that before? That brought a big laugh. "No, but I thought I might have to. You see before I was sent to Corsica I thought I was being transferred to fly a Walrus. Now that was one ugly machine, and after flying a Spitfire I was scared that I might be shunted off into the flying boats. I've managed to avoid flying on to the water until now." Well, what do you think about flying a boat now? "I'm thinking it wouldn't have been so awful to have been assigned to a Walrus."		Attachments: Airboating Option

Carr, Frank - Aug 07,2015 Viewers | Reply


	Dan, Sounds like the two of you enjoyed that flight!

Nickens, Dan - Aug 07,2015 Viewers | Reply


	I was honored and a bit awed flying with him, Frank. He was just having fun.

Tom Binsfeld - Aug 24,2015 Viewers | Reply


	Isn't it wonderful to see their face light up? This gentleman, Capt. Devine, 92, flew Hellcats during the war. He did a great job making his first water landing. When returning to land at the airport with a stiff crosswind, I asked him " do you have it?". He quickly replied " I got it" 😄 Great day!		Attachments: image

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