In article 2005041315224593086%strautNOSPAMPLEASE@earthlinkn et,
Steve Traut wrote:

Hello all -- Does anyone have recommendations for clubs for an American
pilot to study with while in New Zealand?

So far I've been looking at Southern Soaring
(http://www.soaring.co.nz/courses.php) and Gavin Wills' outfit
(http://www.glideomarama.com/sections...pvtsupervised/).
Both have suggested a "personalized" package with a week's worth of
training and use of a glider.

Both are a chunk of money, and I want to spend it wisely. Are these
good spots? Is Jan/Feb too late in the season? Thoughts?

Jan/Feb *is* the season :-) Well, the best part of it.

Those are commercial schools. You can also get intensive training at a
number of clubs, many of which have 7-day-a-week operation in the summer.

I know you'd get a good reception at my own club, just north of
Wellington:

http://www.soar.co.nz/

You can see some pics of the area here (taken by a friend of mine on a
flight I took him for): http://www.hoult.org/bruce/gliding/sasha/

We train in Grob Twin Astirs and also have PW-5 (x2), Std Libelle and
Janus.


Another club I've flown at which is seven days a week at that time of
the year is 200 km north of Auckland (near the Bay of Islands) at
Puhipuhi. They use a winch to launch their ASK13, Janus, and Cirrus and
also have a Grob 109 motorglider.

http://www.igrin.co.nz/~peter/gliding.htm

--
Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+-
Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O----------