World Gliding Championships in New Zealand, 1995

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From cfanews!hsdndev!wupost!waikato!midland.co.nz!midland.co.nz!bryce Wed Jun  1 14:05:06 EDT 1994
Article: 2991 of rec.aviation.soaring
Path: cfanews!hsdndev!wupost!waikato!midland.co.nz!midland.co.nz!bryce
From: bryce@midland.co.nz (Bryce D. Farmilo)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.soaring
Subject: World Gliding Championships 95
Date: 28 May 1994 05:23:56 GMT
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--------------------------------

WORLD GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIPS   - JANUARY 95
0VERVIEW FROM THE ORGANISERS AS AT 28-05-94

There is now only seven months to the start of the 1995 World Gliding
Championships to be held at Omarama, New Zealand  and this is a report on
the preparations for the event with an overview of activities over the past
12 months.

Finances:

The Executive Committee are reasonably comfortable with the organisations
finances at this stage of preparation.   Major income does not start to
roll until October 1,  and we would not be as advanced as we are,  were it
not for our generous sponsors and more particularly the generous New
Zealand movement who have exceeded our expectations buy a wide margin. We
have been able to furnish the Hillary Commission  (New Zealand's Commission
for Sport) with an audited balance sheet within one month of our year ended
balance date.  It is conservately estimated that total  development work on
 the airfield at Omarama in donated labour, cash or kind,  now exceeds
$220,000.

I believe this amount of funding indicates a dedication to the sport, and
it certainly amplifies the desire of so many within the soaring fraternity
to leave behind, after the championships, a sporting aviation centre that
will be the envy of many countries. These facilities can now be enjoyed by
virtually all the sporting aviation disciplines. 

The original budget was created on anticipated entries of 96 (maximum 120)
but this is now unlikely to be achieved. The perceived cost of coming to
New Zealand has had a detrimental effect on the considerations to come by
many pilots. The still evident down turn in the European economy has not
helped, and it now likely that the entry numbers will be between 80 and 84.
This will impact considerably on the end financial result.

Our  Co-chairman  John Roake, has canvassed Europe extensively to promote
the event, we have set our entry fee 15 per cent lower than the two
previous events, and we have had long and protracted negotiations with the
shipping companies to get very substantial discounts on container shipping
for the sailplanes that will compete. Such is the level of discounts
achieved, it is now possible for our entrants to ship a sailplane to New
Zealand and return to Europe for less than $US2000, less if there is more
than 4 in a container. This is considerably less than  we indicated when
the original proposal to have the championships in New Zealand was tabled.

Sponsorship funds from Air New Zealand and Mobil Oil to meet airfield
development are starting to flow, but the creation of an airfield is no
small undertaking by a group as small as gliding.

The Airfield

The unseasonal rain this summer has had a major impact on the airfield,
which is a a credit to the committee responsible for its development. The
watering systems works particularly well, and the spray outlets are being
electrified so that the whole process can be automated from the computer at
the well head. Seven hundred gallons a minute is a lot of water, and this
system is now well and truly tried and is the major factor for the progress
made.

We have installed a 40 line telephone exchange with buried cables around
the whole airfield to provide instant communication within the airfield and
outside.

We have developed the conference centre within the hotel to facilitate
briefings and other meetings. The ablution block is now complete and
working, and we have wired all the camp sites with electricity and water.
Yet another project completed and funded by the membership at large.

A start is to be made on creating a road down the side of the airfield to
eliminate the inevitable dust problem that persists at Omarama. This is a
cost we would have liked to have avoided, but unfortunately it is an
absolute necessity for the Worlds. It was originally indicated to us that
this would be done by the Waitaki District Council, but they have withdrawn
from this project. We did unfortunately over estimate the amount of support
we would get from the council, their contribution and support can best be
described as disappointing. We have the $9000 necessary to create the road
(with volunteer labour and donated Council metal) on hand.

The trees now well established, are a credit to the forward thinking of the
planners of this airfield. The building of the anticipated 25 to 30 Chalets
will not be achieved. We have 12 completed and being used and it is likely
that there will be only one or two more built before December. We intend to
hire Port-a-coms to provide the overseas teams their promised individual
headquarters.

Telephone lines above the main highway at the start of the main runway have
been removed, a factor most necessary in the interests of safety.

Kiwiglide '94 

A trial of the organisation was tested in January with a competition
involving 52 sailplanes. The weather was totally removed from the average
norm for January and as a result, the conditions were testing to say the
least. 

Climbs above Omarama to 22,000 feet before taking off on the task were not
infrequent, with one task of 600 kms on one day being completed at 170
km/h. This confirms that the conditions were not for the faint of heart.
However, it did not take long for the overseas visitors to get to grips
with how to handle the Omarama weather (more typical of March/April
conditions) and towards the end of the contest, the New Zealand pilots were
being beaten on their home ground.

However, New Zealand pilots won all four classes, which may yet be a factor
to be proven, in the decrease of the anticipated number of entrants for the
main event. Are overseas pilots thinking it is a foregone conclusion that
New Zealanders will win and that the conditions require expertise built up
over many years of flying the area? Time will tell. However, New Zealand
will not have it all their own way by any means and the competition will be
fierce.

We trialed GPS as a means of recording sailplane track and height for the
first time. It was an outstanding success and a tribute to those to have
long been its advocate and who worked to develop the system for the world's
gliding scene.

We had more than enough volunteers to run the contest. All came to Omarama
at their own expense and paid their own way. No one received any
reimbursement of personal expenses and the same will apply for the Worlds.
Currently we have promises for the 80  volunteers that we will require  to
stage the main event.  

 Our connection with the Countrytime Resort hotel is such that without them
there could be no contest. This association has proved to be a major factor
in the smooth running of the organisation, the rooms they make available,
the meals at all hours, and other features is a marriage that is eminently
acceptable to both parties. They are a delight to have as part of the
organising "Team."

The Worlds 

Because of its isolated location, we have decided that it is necessary to
have entertainment every night. This requires some organising. Continental
Caterers of Christchurch and their largest marquee will be the centre of
these activities as well as housing the shops, bar and casual meals.

Scoring trials at Kiwiglide went without a hitch, and with Panasonic and
IBM as sponsors, we achieved a better than anticipated scoring procedure.
We had scores for pilots on the remote TV terminals around the airfield
showing up as quickly as 2 minutes after landing. 

The Met office costs for weather forecasting support has been disappointing
and over the two championships, the total for their services will be in the
order of $25,000. This is our biggest single operating expense. We have
wrestled with this problem for months now in an endeavour to get the costs
down, but at the time of writing this has not been achieved. 

We have sourced all the tug aircraft we need for the Worlds, enough to
launch the fleet in one hour, the maximum time permitted so all take off on
the set task in the same weather conditions. Ferrying costs are going to be
considerably more than originally budgeted for.

Retails sales of Tee shirts, ties, posters and the like have been
successful. We have turned over $20,000 worth of retail sales to date,
which has gone a long way towards covering executive expenses. We are
hopeful of big sales during the lead up to the worlds and during the
contest.

The daily Newspaper/Bulletin "Forty Five South" will be a feature of the
Championships. Arrangements have also been finalised to have our own FM
radio station on the airfield. This will provide a ready means of constant
communication with people on the ground in and around the airfield and as
far away as Twizel.

The opening ceremony on January 7, is past the drawing board stage, with an
ultimate attendance of not less than 10,000 persons expected. The Wanaka
Warbirds will be in attendance, the Royal New Zealand Airforce Force and
other aviation disciplines. Our endeavours to get Prince Phillip to open
the Championship have failed and we have only this week extended an
invitation to  a prominent New Zalander  to do the honours.

Taylormade Productions who do the graphics on TV for the Whitbread yacht
race have agreed to promote the same for the worlds. The graphics overlaid
against a moving scene of the contest area will be a first for anywhere in
the world. We are confident of raising the $100,000 cost from four of our
sponsors. Television New Zealand TV1 has agreed to provide the time (about
5 minutes per day). The organising executive are working hard on this
project as it will mean major exposure for the sport of soaring.

Generally speaking, I believe the organising executive are reasonably
comfortable with the progress to date, due in no small part to the support
they have had from  Aitr New Zealand and the  Hillary Commission. 
Postiv e energies are being directed towards the one thing that is now
needed  - a full field of competitors.

This Text  is from the June/July  "New Zealand Gliding Kiwi"  which is the
oifficial publication for the '95 World Gliding Champinships due to start
at Omarama, New Zealand on January 1, 1995.  Readers can secure a special
'ONE OFF"  subscription to Gliding Kiwi for $US20.  (Seamail)  or $US30
airmail.  This includes a special result sheet mid-way through the contest,
despatched by AIRMAIL.

To subscribe mail a personal cheque to New Zealand Gliding Kiwi, Private
bag, TAURANGA, NEW ZEALAND  or send your credit card number and expiry date
per INTERNET to john@roake.gen.nz