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Newsletter: September 2006 (Note: all external links open in a new window)
SUBMISSION ON THE EAST HARBOUR REGIONAL PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN
The Wellington Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club has 55 members in the greater Wellington region. The club was established in the mid 1970s and has a number of flying sites throughout the Wellington and Wairarapa regions. It is affliliated to the NZHGPA, which has almost 800 members nationwide.
AIRCRAFT Policy 3.33 Page 33
"To permit the use of aircraft for management purposes or emergency
purposes only within the park."
COMMENTS
Paragliders and hang gliders are defined in law as being aircraft, and would therefore be subject to the aircraft policy. The policy presumably only applies to aircraft taking off from or landing within the park, or flying below 500 feet above ground level, as above 500 feet AGL aviation law applies.
One of the first sites that the sport of hang gliding first occurred in New Zealand was at Baring Head in 1974. Flights occurred from both the southern side in a light southerly breeze, and the northwesterly facing scarp in northerly breezes.
For the past 12 or so years the club has been unable to fly at the site due to access not being allowed by the previous owner of the land surrounding the Baring Head reserve. With the recent change of ownership of the land the WHGPC has renegotiated access to and across the private land around the reserve.
Club members have also flown from a site in southern Eastbourne along the northwesterly facing escarpment. The launch site is on private land, but it is likely that soaring within 500 feet AGL would occur within the park. To fly the Eastbourne and Baring Head sites requires permission from the Airport Tower, as the area is within the airport control zone. Information on how this permission is obtained can be found here: http://paragliding.homestead.com/WHGPCmay04controlled_zones.html. This permission is sought on the day of flying as it is NOT possible to predict whether flying will be possible any earlier.
The "ecological footprint" of the sports of hang gliding and paragliding would be very small on the park, with the craft making no noise and only requiring a grassy area of approximately 10 X 10 metres to launch from. Landings can occur in virtually any clear area. Beaches are particularly suitable for landing on.
SUBMISSION
The recreational sports of hang gliding and paragliding have a long history of using the eastern harbour areas for flying. The plan needs to acknowledge this use and make positive provision for the sports of hang gliding and paragliding.
Commercial tandem hang gliding or paragliding operations do not currently occur within the Wellington region. This possibility, however, should not be precluded in the plan.
DECISION
Delete policy 3.33: "To permit the use of aircraft for management
purposes or emergency purposes only within the park"
Replace with: "To allow hang gliding and paragliding within Zone 1 and Zone 4, and to permit the use of other types of aircraft within the park only for management purposes or emergency purposes."
I wish to be heard in support of this submission.
Kris Ericksen
President
Wellington Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club
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PO Box 9824
Wellington 6141
m: 021 116 4558
e: skf@paradise.net.nz
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