NOTE: This is the carried-forward event date due to flying being unable to be undertaken last year. Since this is a reschedule, the flying events will take place on Sunday 4th February, with the exception of aerobatics.
Flying New Zealand promotes the development of the flying skills of its affiliated members by running the Flying NZ competitions. A range of competitions are available, suited for pilots at all experience levels, from trainee to the seasoned commercial pilot.
Competitions have been developed over the years and at National level includes trophies donated by, or in the memory of, some of our country’s earliest aviators and dignitaries.
Most clubs have competition days. They then choose a club team to compete at one of the five Regional Rallies, which are held about November each year. The winner in each regional competition qualifies to compete at the National Championships held the following February.
Flying NZ Competitions include, Precision flying, Aerobatics, Life Raft dropping, Formation Flying, Bombing, Navigation, Streamer cutting and more.
The Wings Trophy International competition between New Zealand and Australia is held each year, alternately in each country. The New Zealand team is selected from the highest performing competitors at the Regional Rallies and the previous year’s National winners.
Landing competitions include Junior and Senior Landing as part of the prestigious Wigram Cup competition, as well as Precision Circuits and Forced Landings. An air judge marks the accuracy and procedures in the cockpit and ground judges record the accuracy and position of the ground landings. The competitors with the highest total of both air and ground scores are the winners.
Bombing and Life-raft are popular competitions and one of the few times you can legally drop an object from a flying aircraft. They are a mixture of altitude and airspeed control combined with the ability to place the object correctly on the target. They have an air judge in the aircraft and ground judges who record the placement. The life-raft competition is a team event with a pilot and a dispatcher.
There are six different aerobatic competitions available to cater for all skill levels. The most basic, the Aero Engine Services Trophy, is designed for pilots who are early in their aerobatic training and have an aerobatic instructor on board as the judge. All other aerobatic competitions use the New Zealand Aerobatic Club sequences, which are graded in difficulty, and judged from the ground.
Flying NZ has three formation competitions two ship and a three ship. The Graham Davidson pairs (two ship) and the Bill Ensor pairs, open pairs competition. The W A Morrison (three ship) is spectacular to watch and compete in, with most teams attaining a high standard. It is also one of the events that is included in the International Wings competition.