Gliders sail off mountaintop

Press, 19 May 1981, Page 12

Gliders sail off mountaintop

PA • Masterton Four Wairarapa hangglider pilots have claimed a - local .-“first” with a flight 4 from the top of the Tararuas, i 1433 metres up on Mount A Holdsworth, to Holdsworth Lodge at the foot of the range. , If is believed to be the first hang-glider . descen from the top of the Tararuas. The 6.4 km, 15-minute flight was made with the knowledge that if anything went wrong only one emergency landing site was not covered in 15m to 30.5 m high forest trees. But conditions were near perfect, and each of the four pilots made a perfect touch down near Holdsworth Lodge. A Masterton helicopter pilot, Mr Keith Turner, flew

the four pilots with their kites to the top of Mount Holdsworth (1470 metres). They were Mr Grant Tatham, of Carterton, and Messrs Dennis Hardie, Peter Greay, and Rick Laing, all of Masterton.

The four had planned the flight for at least a year, but needed “just the right conditions.”

Because the peak of Mount Holdsworth proved unsuitable for take-off, the flight was made from a ridge about 30m below the top, in a light two-knot southerly wind. “It was brilliant and lots of fun,” Mr Hardie said.

Would he do it again? “Hell, yes.” Because the helicopter was on a back load, the flight up cost only $72 — $lB each.