Tuesday, December 17, 2013

New Kargo 220 L by Niviuk

A must for any comp pilot! I just got my new kargo 220 and recommend it as a must for anyone with a competition set up or if you need a little more room to carry everything on your back. I proved it on the day by walking up a site and hid a small cooler inside my bag with food (curry) and ice cold water of course:) next time it will be a beer!!

Great kit which works well and looks good too! So if your looking for a massive stocking stuffer look no further for Christmas!!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

308km by Andy McMurray 30th Nov 13 a new site record from Mt Renkin

On Saturday  30th of Nov 13 Andy Au team member flew 308km under his ip5 and hitched his way back! Legend! Wow!

Here  is the fly:

View from take off:

Cheers,

Wesley


Friday, November 15, 2013

1st and 3rd!!

We'll done guys!!

Two weeks ago, Gareth Carter, after warming up at the 13 Worlds in Bulgaria returned in good form to win the Canungra cup flying his Icepeak 6. Ashley McMillan also flying an Icepeak 6 came first in the second task what put him in the 3rd overall place.  Brian Webb flew extremely well on his Icepeak 6 coming 3rd place on task 4 and 2nd place on Task 5. Well done!!

See news:
http://niviuk.com/news.asp?i=eng&id=&prod=&news=378

Friday, September 27, 2013

New Niviuk Down Jacket... I want one!

Photo of the New Down Jacket!

Unisex, lightweight, compact shell 100% nylon ultralight wind protector, 90% goose down, sleeve and trousers fastening system, four pockets (three external and one internal). Hood and small carry bag.

Sizes: S, M, L and XL.

Nice addition not just for pilots!

Cheers,

Wesley

Sent via iPhone mob: +61 410 481 570

XC race clinic 28th Sept Manilla

Spring has sprung.

 

Race training weekend on the 28/29th including tasks run through Airscore maybe incorporating the new rules. 


10-15 guys registered will be in Manilla.


PM - Gareth who is organizing.

Friday, September 20, 2013

New Niviuk Cargo Bag!

>
> Just got a new wing; awesome, like the new Niviuk kargo bag!!
>
> Check it out!
>

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Nivuk AU Team goes to the Bulgarian Worlds 2013

There are three Niviuk AU Team members heading to the Paragliding World Champianships in Sopot Bulgaria. We are also joined by another Aussie legend in an Icepeak 6, Brian Webb. This is a great team with various strengths within the team some with experience in world class competitions and others who have excelled in the Aussie season. 

We will keep you up to date with how the event goes on this blog and you can keep up with the comp at http://para-sopot2013.com/

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Bright is still running hot in March

Bright has been showing us how good and realiable it can be.
Thursday 7th Brian and I went out for the day with plans to do a triangle from Mystic to Myrtleford then Gundarian then hopefully to Feathertop then back to the LZ.

Trying my photographic techniques!!
OOHHH!! is that a bug in my mouth

I was getting good glides after topping out at 2300m from Clearspot to Lower Buffalo and then on to Myrtleford. Brian decided to head back so I hooked up with Basil in his Niviuk Arctic and decided to head out into the flats towards Wangaratta instead of our original plan. ( pays to be flexible sometimes )  Basil and  I were both fighting to link up with good cloud out towards Wangaratta while busy trying to link up with Billo who was up ahead. 
Billo landed near Maca's at Glenrowen as Basil and I got up at the range after Glenrowen.
I managed to link up with some good clouds but was aware of the inpending high cloud casting a large shadow everywhere.

The Darkening cloud throwing massive shadow over the ground

 Basil landed and I managed to get to the river next to the main road to Shepparton and by ridge soaring the tree'd river edge extended my final glide to 24kms.

Final Glide along river system towards Shepparton

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Bright in March

Well it's been a busy month. Wendy has started learning to fly paragliders and is loving it. Wendy has been involved with paragliding for over 12 years, she has run many AAA CAT 2 pg comps over the past years and it has finaly rubbed off on her.

Brian Webb and myself had a great day on Monday with a fly to Ovens, just short of Myrtleford and back past launch to Mt. Ebenezer and then back to the LZ. It was a great race between Brian and myself we both enjoy pushing each other and the speed bar. So much we are going again tomorrow.

Looks like it will be a full house in the Aussie team to the worlds, all flying Niviuk.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

I have been involved this week in an event at Bright Victoria, Australia called Women With Wings 3 (WWW3).

The events details can be found at 
http://womenwithwingsclinic.blogspot.com.au





The week started with good weather on the Monday. Some pilots after doing some check flights acheived some great XC Flying. I have assisted as an Instructor to assist the pilots with techniques and theory lessons on the non flying days and have taking a few up in the tandem to assist in their experience and techniques in how to Thermal and XC Fly. 
It's been a great few days so far and we are expecting some more later on in the week.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Well another PG Season has past us by. After Bright and Corryong The Niviuk AU Team came up trumps.
With three of us with the new Aussie colour gliders Wesley, Che and Andrew with the other two Gareth and Dave going for the Niviuk Cobolt colour scheme .

All Photos were taken by Heidi Krueger

Che Launching from Ray's at the Pines

Bright being a AAA HGFA Sanctioned, FAI Cat 2 competition started at the Pines launch North of Bright. The task took us weaving through CTAF and Albury approach airspace out to the north west to a small area called Rowen Lake out at 63 kms. Andrew came in second for the day while Che and then Gareth came later into goal.

Andrew Launching at Ray's with his Niviuk Drifter Harness

The second Task was from Mystic Hill in Bright and was an interesting task being different from the usual with Che Golus's influence on the Task Committee. We has a multiple Turn point task using most of the valleys in close to Bright and returning back to the Porpunkah Airport with a distance of 53 kms. The day ended up with changing leaders and different tracks being explored. Che was out front with other pilots as Andrew and Gareth caught up over Clearspot as we then attempted to get over to the other side of the valley. We experienced a localised valley convergence coming up to the  second turn point up the valley when we all started getting low, really low. We managed to get back up after dropping off some competitors and after another two turn points we made it in. Gareth in 1st then Che in 2nd and soon after Andrew in 5th place.

Che checking out the under carriage of the competition

Task three we headed off to Gundowring, a launch in the Keiwa Valley. The day was a late one as we held off at Bright for some time. So when we got there there was a two turn point task down the valley to Mt Beauty airstrip. The day was not looking to good but once we got up above the hill it was a day of increadiable lift. We experienced wave lift on coarse and many pilots has difficulty staying under the height limit of 8500 ft. There were many occasions where there were pilots spiralling to stay under. The team had mixed results as Andrew was found to of broken the height limit even after spiralling strongly while Gareth and Che both made it through. We all made goal but only two scored, Gareth in 1st, Che in 2nd and Dave and Andrew made it to goal but scored 0!


Gareth 1st Che 2nd in Bright 2013

Overalls came in with Gareth in 1st, Che in 2nd, Andrew 12th and Dave in 34th. Wesley couldn't make it to the comp but sent his congratulations through to us all. Full results can be found at http://www.highcloud.net/xc/comp_result.php?comPk=82


Che and Andrew competing for room at Mt Elliott, Corryong

Corryong being a AAA HGFA sanctioned FAI Cat II competition was run the next week after Bright. With only one day for travel and then back into competition mode everyone was keen to hit it hard. They were not disappointed as we went up to Mt. Elliott and it was looking like a great day. A 79 km task was set from the launch to a turn point to the south, back over launch then onto a point with a large turn point to the north and back to the Khancoban Airstrip after an end of speed section just before goal. This end of speed section allows pilots to speed into a point with altitude thus allowing a greater window of safety, you still need to get to the goal to achieve the task!  Gareth was in 2nd, Andrew in 5th, Che just dropped short of the goal after getting the end of speed section but got a respectable 18th while not having a great day, Dave equal 37. Another Icepeak 6 Pilot came in first showing the dominance of the IP 6's. Well done Brian Webb.


Andrew has the Full Niviuk Package!

The second Task at Corryong was called and as everyone was setting up and the safety committee was watching the skies the day was cancelled due to rain on cause after the window was opened.

The third task was set. A 95 km triangle was set as there was not much wind. The team was pumped a ready for a big day. Che was in the task committee and was keen to push the pilots and the team for a good result. The task had an end of speed at the fourth turn point being the same as the first turn point and then a 9 km flight from end of speed to get to the goal at the Corryong Airstrip. A very challenging task!! Well the team were in good positions for the start and were off and racing straight away. The glides and speed of the Icepeak 6 gliders and the stability of the gliders at speed was a benefit with thermic conditions all the way.
Che and Andrew were out in front until just before the third turn point where Andrew got low and had to go off cause to get another low climb. While Che and Gareth hit the third turn point Andrew managed to get back up to 1800m. Then Che and Gareth glided over to the Mittamatight mountain as Andrew got the turn point and placed the hand brake on to ensure he got to goal. Che just got the End or Speed before Gareth by 2 minutes and both made the goal easily. Andrew came in 5th overall make it a great reward for being patient. Dave coming in at 60kms but not scoring for height violations like many other pilots.

Andrew dealing with a cross wind

Corryong was putting it on well for the pilots attending. there were a lot of smiles around on pilot faces and there was more to come. Task 4 was called from Mt. Elliott again and then off to the second turn point from the previous day at a road junction on the Murray Valley Highway to the south of the valley that Corryong is situated then back over launch to the end of speed being the same as the first task and then onto the Khancoban Airstrip, a 57 km out and return. The team discussed alternatives and decided it was prudent to go in the same direction that the majority of the field were going as it was expected to be slow to start. The main group went straight up the valley to the turn point. The team kept an eye on a rouge Kiwi pilot ahead and after a few glides noticed that the climbs were getting stronger so we started gliding more aggressively until we reached a climb just before the first turn point. we managed to overtake the other pilots here and Che and Gareth headed off ahead past the first onwards back towards the launch.


Boxing Kangaroo Niviuk AU Team Colours



 We all new that if can get back to Launch and get the climb there we were in goal so that became our target. With the advantage of seeing the climbs and glides that Che and Gareth were getting ahead Andrew decided to glide through some climbs to catch-up some distance. This paid off and all three of us got to the launch hill and climbed up. It was a little cat and mouse decision time and Che managed to get the jump on Gareth and Andrew. Andrew with a larger Icepeak 6 and a Drifter Harness as his weapons of choice was able to go a little faster and was braver keeping his speed on through strong rough lift over the back to get the end of speed first before Che, second by 13 seconds followed by Gareth 36 seconds behind Andrew. Another mention is that of Brian Webb flying an Icepeak 6 was in 3rd place by 19 seconds. So a great race in by the Niviuk Icepeaks!


Gareth 1st Andrew 2 nd Corryong 2013

Overalls for the Niviuk AU Team are in with Gareth in 1st, Andrew in 2nd, Che in 6th and Dave in 29th. Wesley again was not able to attend this competition. Full competition resulta are at :-
 http://www.highcloud.net/xc/comp_result.php?comPk=83

After the top Australian comps Che went to Manilla and has place first in the Manilla XC Camp a long distance comp. Che flew 1100 kms in five days and some of the team came along and flew with him on his epic week. Andrew Horchner and Andy Mc Murry flew with Che over three and four days supporting him to get to his outright win, finishing the comp with a new site record for Out and Return of approximately 140kms?.

Well done Team AU Niviuk a great season for Niviuk in Australia!!