The CIX VFR Club Over the New Zealand Alps
Club Events - Christmas Caper Flyball 2021
A tour of the spectacular mountain ranges of New Zealand's North Island
Home > Monthly Events > Christmas Flyball 2021
Briefing DECEMBER 2021
Overview

This event will test your flight planning, navigation and airmanship skills. But, mainly, it is designed for you to have fun.
Unusually for this Club perhaps, this event is a competition. The winner will receive one virtual case or Garibaldi biscuits.

Background In the real world, flying clubs take part in what are termed "FLY-BALL" events. Taking place over one day, participants have to fly to as many participating airfields as they can, collect "Fly-Balls", each of which is numbered. When you land, each participating airfield will give you the highest scoring Fly-Ball they have left. (Pilots who landed there previously will have been given a higher scoring fly-ball). Pilots then must report at the fixed destination before the predetermined 'finish time'. The pilot with the highest flyball score, wins.
How it will work for us The CIX CLUB version of this event is as follows: -
  1. There are 23 participating airfields. They are:-
    NZAA Auckland International NZAR Ardmore NZCX Coromandel NZDA Dargaville
    NZGA Galatea NZGB Great Barrier NZHN Hamilton NZKF Kaipara Flats
    NZKO Kaikohe NZMA Matamata NZME Mercer NZNE North Shore
    NZOX Okiwi Station NZRA Raglan NZRV Reeve NZSL Springhill
    NZTG Tauranga NZTH Thames NZTO Tokoroa NZUN Pauanui Beach
    NZWP Whenuapai (Military) NZWR Whangarei NZWV Waihi Beach
     
  2. You must plan and complete a route comprising FIFTEEN separate flights (legs), STARTING at ANY of the above and FINISHING at NZAR Ardmore. You can fly more than fifteen legs if you wish, but legs 16 to 23 will not count towards your score. The legs MUST form a continuous route, departing from the airfield at which you last landed, and finally ending at Ardmore.
  3. Each airfield has a set of 26 'virtual' Fly-Balls, each set having a TOTAL value of 2,500 points. The maximum value flyball is
    350 points at 3 airfields 300 points at 5 airfields
    250 points at 5 airfields 210 points at 3 airfields
    200 points at 5 airfields 180 points at 2 airfields

    Ardmore also has bonus points available during the fly in.

  4. You must land at Ardmore before 21:00 UTC on the last day of your tour. (The scoring stops at 21:00).

  5. After each flight send your flight details to Neville Munro (Instructions here), before 18:30 UTC the next day.

  6. You will be (automatically) awarded the highest value Fly-Ball available at each airfield at the UTC time you landed.

  7. A running total of scores will be published each day, 1 day in arrears.

  8. The winner is the pilot with the highest total flyball score.
Place: Start date and start time.

The Place: New Zealand, North Island. You may start at ANY of the participating Airfields.

Start Date and Time: Wednesday, December 1st, 0100 UTC. You may fly any number of legs you wish each day.

Finish date and time.

The competition finishes at Ardmore, NZAR, and scoring stops at 2100 UTC on December 31st.
Planning The briefing is being published in early November to give pilots plenty of time to plan their routes. All but 2 of the airfields are within 100nm of Ardmore.
What Aircraft can I fly

Any General Aviation Single engined aircraft, in accordance with Club rules. This is to provide a 'level playing field', for all pilots.
ATC

At the time of publishing, ATC has been not been confirmed.  Check the connection software for any ATC on line when you fly. - There may be New Zealand ATC available. CIX VFR Club members may also provide ATC, during the period, on the Club TeamSpeak.

Weather - or Not! Before starting we will check the weather. If it is unsuitable for our trip as planned, then we will fix it; something we can do in the simulator - wouldn't it be nice if we could do it in real life!
Radio Discipline Take care not to let our Teamspeak chat cut across ATC. Stop any conversation immediately the R/T comes alive, then continue if "he wasn't talking to us". This is difficult because when transmitting on Teamspeak you can't hear the R/T. So be brief on Teamspeak, and be aware that ATC might be trying to get through. If anyone hears an R/T message which seems to be being ignored, just say "ATC is calling G-CIXN" if you have identified the callsign, or "ATC is calling us" which is a cue for everyone to be quiet on Teamspeak until ATC call again (which they will). Remember too that if asked to "Stand By" by ATC, you do not reply - not even "Roger", but simply wait until you are called again.
Remember also that there are several different ATC frequencies in use, and you may not be able to hear when communications are taking place. Make sure you have set and know how to use a Teamspeak mute switch.
Club Star Award All CIX VFR Club pilots who complete the event in December will receive a Club Star award.
Acknowledgements

Event Idea: Neville Munro
Many thanks are also due to: Cristopher Nancarrow (New Zealand CIX VFR Club member); Isaac Conwell; Frank Fisher and other Club members for their research, and Alex Dent, Events Director, VATSIM New Zealand.
Briefing: Neville Munro & Peter Dodds

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