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Going Low Downunder
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 Photo Info
Posted By: Hal Brown
Date Posted: Apr 19, 2011
Description: The gang’s all here. Let the fun begin!
Date Taken: Apr 19, 2011
Place Taken: Squally Bay, NZ
Owner: Dan Nickens
File Name: All_In.jpg   - Photo HTML
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Category: 446, Yacht Tending NZ
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Read what others had to say:

Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    It’s great to start the work week with a welcome from the locals.      Attachments:  

Friendly Natives.jpg
Friendly Natives

    
  
Martin West - Apr 20,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Did you get to go on a marae and experience the traditional Maori greeting (powhiri), or the Maori war challenge - the haka? The haka is best known as the challenge performed by the NZ Rugby team before international matches. Its a lot older than that of course!     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 20,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Kia Oro, Bro! Ann insisted on getting to know the natives, but that comes later in the story.     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Just waiting for some thrill seekers.      Attachments:  

Ready for Fun.jpg
Ready for Fun

    
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    “You want ME to fly this thing?”<br /><br />Yep. The newest and youngest of the cabin crew gets to experience some SeaRey thrills. Melissa is the Captain’s niece, straight off of her family farm near the little town of Hikarangi, NZ. She was getting a rapid introduction into ship life.<br /><br />And another high wire flew by below while she was flying. I was ready for it this time, maintaining 500’ overhead. Melissa never saw it. I watched it very, very closely.<br />      Attachments:  

Shock and Awe.jpg
Shock and Awe

    
  
Martin West - Apr 20,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Dan - what's Melissa's surname? We have some very good friends who live in and around Hikurangi. Just curious to see if they know her or the family. If they do, I'll pass on the photo - with your permission, of course. I wondered why you had a photo of 'Hikku' (as the locals call it) in your first postings - now I know!     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 20,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Actually, Martin, the Captain insisted on getting copies of all pictures made of her flight. I'm not sure what nefarious way he thought I might use them. Maybe he'd heard about some other photos published on this site?     
  
Martin West - Apr 20,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Let's be charitable and assume he is compiling a disk of photos of her to send home... She is family after all.... ;-)     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    The flight path between Nelson and the boat often passed over an enticing little island with a beautiful white sand beach. As many times as I passed it, I could only stop once. Despite several attempts, the water was too far from the sand for prudent SeaRey beaching .      Attachments:  

Elusive Beach.jpg
Elusive Beach

    
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    After some beautiful weather, changes showed on the horizon. The south winds marshaled with growing strength. Nelson, known for having the best weather in New Zealand, began to hunker down.<br /><br />Out on the boat, I watched the gusting winds with some trepidation. The weather briefer had a stark warning earlier in the day: “You won’t want to be out in the Sounds when this wind gets up.”<br /><br />The boss wanted to fly. The wind in Squally Bay was gusting just below the maximum we had agreed would be his operational limit (10 to 15 knots), so we went. He got up on step just as a fresh gust lifted the left wing, pushing the right wing float into the water. The float let go and the wing tip went for a swim.<br /><br />Suddenly MK became my airplane. “No worries, I’m happy to have it again.” I cut the power and swung her into the wind. It was blowing strong enough to lift the wet wing tip right back into the air.<br /><br />In the lee of the mountain, I got back up on step and went back to the boat. The waiting tender took the boss off and I quickly replaced the float strut attachment.<br /><br />I was ready to take MK back to the airport. Boarding the boat to collect my stuff, I was greeted with, “Paul would like to go for a flight.” <br /><br />“Maybe I better talk to Paul first.” Paul had been flying with me before. I explained what the wind was doing and how it would make for a really rough flight. Paul was undeterred. He said he knew what to expect. Having given a proper warning, I saw no reason not to prove it was a bad idea.<br /><br />But I had no idea it was such a really bad idea. The first clue was on takeoff. Wind rolling over the ridges barely let me off the water. I flew out into Tasman Bay past Savage Point and away from them to gain some altitude.<br /><br />It was a rough ride out over the bay. I circled to the northeast still determined to show Paul some of the sights he so wanted to see, thinking the worst was behind us. That’s when I noticed the wind was blowing at 40 knots on the upwind side of the hill.<br /><br />“Uh, oh.”<br /><br />The unobstructed wind blowing up against the ridges caught MK. She was pushed inexorably upward. “I’d like to get lower to get some pictures,” Paul commented. “It’s not happening,” I had to tell him.<br /><br />The wind spit us out into Admiralty Bay. There was no smooth air in the ridge encircled bay. The airplane was barely controllable, jerking up and down, and turning on knife edge. I slowly maneuvered towards the downwind ridges to make sure we didn’t get caught in a radical downdraft.<br /><br />Riding the ridges the airplane rocked like a leaf in a tornado. I kept up a constant stream of commentary trying to reassure Paul with a calm voice I wasn’t feeling.<br /><br />Getting back to the boat required crossing a ridge line and dropping down into Squally Bay. I gained enough altitude to cross the rocky edge with some margin, prepared to turn away if I had to. By staying on the downwind side of the valley MK missed the most dangerous of the wicked wind.<br /><br />After off loading Paul, I turned back to the SeaRey. Amazingly MK was intact and sitting pretty. I had to tell her, “Well done, Mary K. Thank you. I won’t ever do that to you again.”<br />      Attachments:  

Gale Warning.jpg
Gale Warning

    
  
Dave Forster - Apr 20,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Dan - I am really enjoying your pictures and stories. I have often wondered about the technique needed to retrieve a wayward float while keeping the floatless wingtip out of the water. Is it possible to do a downwind turn, or did you need to sail back to the float?     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 20,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Without getting technical and boring 90% of the site, Dave, there are several techniques that work to get the float back up. It's no big feat. In this case there was plenty of room to get on step and turn back to the boat.     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    My promise to Mary K. lasted only a few minutes. The sun was getting low and the forecast was getting worse. I wanted and needed to get her back to the airport.<br /><br />Without a passenger it was still wild flying, but Mary K. didn’t complain. Gnawing teeth of angry water snapping at the rocks was good reason for both of us to hurry back to the safety of the airport.<br />      Attachments:  

Drooling Rock Hard Teeth.jpg
Drooling Rock Hard Teeth

    
  
John Robert Dunlop - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Nope, that wasn't fun at all!     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Well, mate, it is fun today but I distinctly recall a feeling of relief, not fun, when the airplane was safely put away.     
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    Neither gnashing waves, whipping winds or roiling clouds can stop delivery of the local newspaper and crumpets. While the SeaRey was firmly anchored to the ground, the helicopter soldiered on providing 'critical' services to the storm bound boat.      Attachments:  

Getting the News Through.jpg
Getting the News Through

    
  
Dan Nickens - Apr 19,2011   Viewers  | Reply
    When the storms of summer blow in carrying torrents of rain, aerial vehicles (even helicopters) are best hidden away. There is no flying when the gales of December come calling Downunder.      Attachments:  

Waiting out the Gale.jpg
Waiting out the Gale

    


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