Annual Awards winners

Congratulations to all of the winners at the AGM event.

• Winged Warrior (furthest/highest scoring XC from an Auckland site) - Emlyn.

• Flying spirit (community service) - Evan and Robbo,

• Flight challenge series - Tony R.

A special thanks for everyone for coming along and making it a great night. To the outgoing committee members, thank you for your services. And thanks to those of you who are joining the committee for the 2025-2026 season.

Muriwai beach - Summer '25

Auckland Council will again restrict car access to Muriwai Beach during Guy Fawkes and New Year's due to increased fire risk.

Gates to beach access roads will remain closed from 2-11 November.

They will close again from 31 December until 13 January, and that period could be extended.

Moirs and Dills - Spring '25

Update 1 October '25: Moirs is open for flying, with the existing MoU in operation. Requests for access must be made the day before the intended flying day, no exceptions. Please refer to the site guide for access details.

Think like a pilot - Spring '25

With spring just around the corner I think it's a good time to remind ourselves to take safety seriously. If it's been a long time since you last flew, try to get out and do some ground handling and just ease back into it. 

Our decision making can also be a bit questionable if we are a bit rusty so take extra time to assess conditions and if you should be flying. Some of our sites can feel flyable when they really aren't.

If you are thinking of flying a new site or one that you aren't very familiar with please familiarise yourself with the site guides but more importantly, ask more experienced pilots for their thoughts and a site intro.

If you're not sure who to talk to about a site then the site monitor is a good start. Feel free to contact me directly and I can help you find the right people to talk to. We have plenty of very knowledgeable people in our club so please let's make use of them.

Think Like a Pilot - NZHGPA

I hope to see a lot of you out on the hill or in the air this season.

Bastion Point - January '25

This site is currently off-limits for groundhandling. The AHGPC is currently in talks with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to clarify its status, so please do not use it until further notice.

Muriwai NW (Otakamiro Pt) - January '25

Access permission has been regained from Auckland Council to use the NW Face launch site at Otakamiro Point, Muriwai. The originally proposed access track was unworkable, but a new path through flax was approved and cut with help from volunteers and ranger Wallis.

Council parks rangers remain cautious about public access due to the presence of nesting grey-faced petrels and another petrel species in the nearby forested valley. Human activity and dogs pose serious threats to these birds. The new access track avoids the sensitive area and is marked with blue tape. Users must strictly stay on this new path and not clear vegetation at its entrances to avoid drawing public attention.

Pakiri - February '24
Local Iwi have placed a rāhui on the beach. In light of how this rāhui is enforced it is recommended that anyone considering flying this site contact Tony Seaman for any update.
In the meantime the recommendation is that unless you are absolutely confident of top landing then do not launch, as Iwi consider all areas of beach and sand dunes currently out of bounds.

Draft - Site Monitor role/responsibilities
Some time ago the discussion started within the Committee to define the 'Job Description' of a Site Monitor. The concept has always been there, but was never defined. This resulted in the drafting on the following document, setting out the expectations and framework around Site Monitors.
Current Site Monitors and all Members are welcome to comment on this draft.
See here for more information:
Site Monitor Expectations 

Club Events Calendar

The Club Events Google calendar is now viewable here. There are currently a number of placeholders for upcoming events, so keep these dates free and watch for further information in your inbox.