36 Christchurch - Napier

15. March 2007

After 2 nights in Christchurch, Schousboe drove me to the customs house near Christchurch airport.
 

In a meeting with a senior officer there, what almost amounted to an apology, was expressssed for the treatment I was given in Queenstown. However, I was told, that I should consider myself lucky not to have been shot down by a F16 as it would have happened in the USA!!!!
 

That I could have laughed at, but later in the day I had a mail form the Danish consul, which revealed, that the same view had been expressed to a local newspaper in Queenstown. 

I find it truly amazing, that a New Zealand official can be so misinformed – after several days when he had the opportunity to get the facts. 
 

When I flew across from Tasmania, I flew after IFR rules, just like commercial airliners do. Parts of the rules are, that you are cleared through Australian and New Zealand airspace before you take off.
And then you fly a predetermined altitude and route, and every 30 minutes you report your position, altitude – and your next position 30 minutes later. This is not just, so that the controller knows where I am – but also my safety net. If I do not report in, a rescue operation will be initiated.
 

First I talked to Brisbane Radio, and passing the FIR border to New Zealand, I talked to Auckland Radio. When I could pick up the Queenstown Tower I talked to them.
 

To claim that I came unannounced is stupid.
 

I must say, that I am also very amazed, that the personnel in the tower in Queenstown chose to go home some 20 minutes before I arrived IFR in solid IMC.
 

After being showed around in the local Canterbury Flying Club, which is a major enterprise, with a professional flight school, workshops etc, I departed to fly north along the coast to Kaikora. 
 

Approaching the field there, I could not spot the field, and there was about 6 other planes approaching the airport. I extended my downwind leg to runway 23 until I had the last plane on final in sight and turned base and followed the plane ahead. I assumed, that it would take me to the field? I got a little too close to the plane in front though, so I decided to do a 360 turn before coming back on final.
 

What a busy place I thought – but it turned out, that all the planes were from a flying school in Auckland out on a trip.
 

I talked to the local sightseeing pilots, to hear about the procedures for spotting whales just off the coast, and I also got the coordinates for the last sightings. I took off and just as I got out to a couple of sightseeing boats on the water, this mighty Sperm whale showed up. I circled several times at 500 feet. I could go this low because there was only 2 vessels there. The rules are, that if there had been one more vessel, I should have stayed at a higher altitude. Tried to get some good photos – but it was difficult to do with a telephoto-lens – and flying low at the same time.