NZFF

I just took off from Tauranga in FSX, but the runway feels 90 degrees off! I seem to remember approaching from over Mt Maunganui, turning right over the sea (Mount on the right, Bayfair on the left) and then a straight run in to the strip (ie strip aligned more or less north-south).

In FSX, the strip seems to be east-west. Am I crazy?

I think you might be crazy

But seriously, it seems to be right to me based on what I know of the airport, maybe someone else can confirm.

Its been a while since I last flew at Tauranga, but I'm pretty certain that the seal and the parallel grass run east-west(ish). The approach being either over the harbour by the bridge or over the golf course from the other end. There is another grass strip that runs north south(ish) and then the gliding strip. I dont have my VFG on me to check, but I think thats right.....

Runways at TG are 25 and 7, so that's 250 degrees and 70 degress (or thereabouts).

Start on the runway and see what way you're headed

And remember to hit 'D' to refresh your compass, this can be backwards sometimes.

NZTG is as follows

POWERED AIRCRAFT
07 seal 1825 x 45m circuit right hand
25 seal left hand

07 grass 775m x 60m circuit right hand
25 grass left hand

16 grass 700 x 45m circuit left hand
34 grass right hand

04 grass 640 x60m circuit right hand
22 grass left hand

GLIDERS AND TUGS
04 grass left hand
22 grass right hand

circuit altitudes are 1000ft except microlights/gyrocopters 500ft

this info from 3 1/2 yrs as a Tauranga controller and the 1 SEPT 05 vfg plate

JonARNZ wrote: And remember to hit 'D' to refresh your compass, this can be backwards sometimes.

Just to be really pedantic....hitting 'D' realigns your DI to your compass. A DI will gradually go off course since its Vac/Gyro powered...a compass 'is' aligned to magnetic north and wont (although it is subject to heaps of other errors)

Anyway, ive always found Tauranga airport a little disoreintating as well- especially when doing a long approach from the sea. I always seem to picture it in my mind as perpendicular to the coast......which it isnt

Was thinking more in terms of an annoying happeing in FSX, for some reason the compass, or DI, will be 90' out, hense the 'D' to correct, this plays havoc with GPS flying if not spotted.

"Anyway, ive always found Tauranga airport a little disoreintating as well- especially when doing a long approach from the sea. I always seem to picture it in my mind as perpendicular to the coast......which it isnt"



You are not the only one - we would ( and they probably still do ) get people calling up 10nm south joining and then pitch up on final straight in for 07 etc - people think that NZ is North/South and if you are on the coast then you must be heading north! We had a couple of pretty nasty near misses caused by this because when you are busy ( solo watch) and someone tells you they are somewhere they are not then the traffic in that area gets Traffic info on something non existant - not much of a problem - but the traffic in the area the aircraft REALLY is gets NO traffic information ( REAL PROBLEM!!!)

at that time we had No VDF NO ATIS and NO flight data assistant - we had a radio, a pair of Binos,local knowledge and a gut instinct you had to learn to trust! After they introduced a proper billing and traffic counting system Tauranga went from the 6th busiest domestic to 1st busiest controlled domestic - over 500 movements a day in summer and that only during daylight hours. At the busiest we counted 19 different distinct types of operation in 1 day - the most unusual going o the microlight trike with a dingy strapped underneath doing touch and go's on the harbour! I ended up my last 8 months there as Temp Chief Controller. great Aerodrome and would be happy to go back one day.