This week we're descending on the two quieter sectors of New Zealand's North Island: Ohakea Sector and the brand-new Bay Sector. Specifically we're flying sectors between the regional centres of Gisborne, Palmerston North, and Hamilton.
Begin your evening at any of the three airports, and fly a complete circuit in either direction via the other two.
Each leg is approximately 140nm, so should be around forty minutes depending on aircraft type, meaning you should able to easily fly to all three in under two and a half hours. Real-world, there are few direct services between these airports, but you should feel free to bring along your prop or small jet aircraft.
- Event Times: Sunday 16th August 2009 1900-2330 NZST / 0700-1130 UTC / 1700-2130 AEST
- Flight Time: approx. 2 - 2.5hrs to complete a circuit
- Flight Plan Route:
NOTE: start the evening at ANY of the three airports and fly in either direction
Clockwise (Gispalmerstron!)
NZGS/NZPM: (GSPM3) GS H467 PM
NZPM/NZHN: (PMHN1) PM H325 HN
NZHN/NZGS: (HNGS2) HN H328 GS
Anti-clockwise (Gishamilnorth!)
NZGS/NZHN: (GSHN2) GS H328 HN
NZHN/NZPM: (HNPM1) HN H325 PM
NZPM/NZGS: (PMGS1) PM H467 GS
Click on the image above to view the preferred routings in the interactive airspace map. - Airport Details: Gisborne Airport
Likely arrival r/w 14: VOR/DME RWY 14; or RNAV RWY 14 (via RNAV ARRIVAL RWY 14)
Likely arrival r/w 32: VOR/DME RWY 32; or RNAV RWY 32 (via RNAV ARRIVAL RWY 32)
Likely departure r/w 14: NICK ONE (NIC1) or NUHAKA ONE (NUH1)
Likely departure r/w 32: CRAY ONE (CRA1) or PAUA ONE (PUA1) - Airport Details: Hamilton Airport
Likely arrival r/w 18 - VOR/DME RWY 18 or RNAV RWY 18 (both via BUDEN1 arrival for NZPM/NZHN)
Likely arrival r/w 36 - VOR/DME RWY 36 or RNAV RWY 36
Likely departure r/w 18: BUDEN ONE (BUDEN1)
Likely departures r/w 36: TAYLA TWO (TAYLA2) - Airport Details: Palmerston North Airport
Likely arrival r/w 07: VOR/DME RWY 07; or RNAV RWY 07
Likely arrival r/w 25: VOR/DME RWY 25; or RNAV RWY 25
Likely departures r/w 07: RWY 07 ECHO THREE
Likely departures r/w 20: RWY 25 ALFA SIX - Charts/Airspace Info: Charts for all the procedures listed here are available by clicking on the airport links above.
General Airspace information and details for all VATNZ airports available from the VATNZ Airspace Reference site. - Priority ATC Positions:
NZGS_TWR - Gisborne Tower
NZHN_TWR - Hamilton Tower
NZPM_TWR - Palmerston North Tower
NZOH_CTR/NZCH-B_CTR - Enroute Control
Note: If you're providing ATC on the night, please give priority to these positions. They are not an exclusive list, but they are the ones that will see the most action this Sunday.
To reserve a particular ATC position, please post a message to that effect (including the times you expect to be online) in this thread. If possible, also book your position using vroute - large numbers of bookings in vroute attract additional traffic. - Late-comers/Shorter Alternative: Late-comers or people looking for a shorter flight should consider flying only one or two of the legs. That said, this week's legs are all short so ideally most pilots will fly at least three of them. The goal is to concentrate as much traffic as possible - heading in multiple directions - above the central and eastern North Island.
- None of this week's airports have an ILS. For tips on how best to manage without one, be sure to check out this excellent Non Precision Approach tutorial from VATNZ member and real-world Air NZ flight crew, Steve Hall.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me, or reply to this thread.
Nick