Backcountry Pilot • Damn this looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Damn this looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Links to general aviation backcountry flying-oriented videos. It can be yours or stuff you find on the internet. Please no airline/military.
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Damn this looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Nice onshore breeze pumping up the cliffs, can't lose. I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ILC83DCos

Zzz offline
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Re: Damn this looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Yup! Been polluted with the soaring bug in hang gliders and high performance sailplanes, lots of fun!

I would love to fly there!
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G44 offline
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Re: Damn this looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Can't lose until you turn downwind and get behind the ridge. It got a little sporty towards the end there when he got leeward. Awesome location for ridge soaring as long as any land outs are on the beach and not in the surf especially up against the rocks. Lots of similar well done glider videos on youtube under Balleka. He unfortunately was lost during a flight in adverse conditions.
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Re: Damn this looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Nothing like strong on shore winds, at sea level! I self taught myself to fly, hang gliders, at Sand City CA in 1972.. That coastal air is so smooth it's unreal. Absolutely nothing like hot and high altitude mountain air. Duh....
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Re: Damn thwis looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Like G44, I cut my teeth on hang gliders. My early flights were on the coastal dunes in Oregon. My first big air came from launching off a coastal cliff where I soared the ridge lift until I got bored. Landing on the beach was still a rare sight in that era (1970s). I miss the convenience of a flying machine that I could transport on the roof of my car and store on a wall rack in my garage. I think my next flight review will involve transition to a glider rating, and my next plane might well be a motor glider. Once sleeping on the ground ceases to be fun (I'm getting close to that point), my Maule won't make as much sense as my plane of choice. We'll see...
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Re: Damn this looks fun – coastal soaring in NZ

Ridge Run'in great fun, I have never had a chance to try out a seaside location but have covered a fair bit of Pennsylvania, Lockhaven and points south on the Allegheny ridges in the mid 80's when it was a Mecca for ridge soaring.
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