The depth of experience found in the Glide Omarama team is our greatest asset as well as a significant point of difference. This, plus our knowledge of the Omarama soaring envirionment and our enthusiasm for it, sets us apart from others.

Whether you fly with us at Omarama, NZ or in the Western USA our experience in all aspects of gliding and especially cross county soaring in the mountains will ensure that you will learn a lot and have a lot of fun.

Gavin Wills	Total time: 10,000 + hrs Gliding 6,000 + hrs since 1957 (then aged 9). Gavin was born into a soaring family and grew up flying in the mountains. A successful racing pilot he won the US National Sports Class Championships in 2005. He is also the task setter for National and International races at Omarama. Gavin is the founder, owner and director of Glide Omarama and Gavin Wills Mountain Soaring School. He holds a US Commercial Gliding license, NZ Gliding Instructors Rating, and is an Executive Director of Gliding New Zealand. He has owned and operated his PA18a, ski equipped, 180hp, 3 seat mountain flying Piper Cub since 1972. Previously he has been a Geologist, an internationally qualified Mountain and Ski Guide, a professional River Guide and an Avalanche consultant with businesses in New Zealand and various wild parts of the globe. As a documentary fim maker he produced and directed the prize winning gliding films "Windborn" and "Champions of the Wave". Gavin loves to share his joy of soaring by taking pilots on adventurous flights deep into the NZ mountains or far across the high mountain deserts of Nevada and Utah *****
G Dale (just G!)	Total time: 6,000 hrs Gliding: 5,500 hrs As UK National Club Class champion and National team member G is a successful racing pilot. He achieved his 1000 kilometre diploma at Omarama with a flight that took only 5 hours and 53 minutes and averaged 174 kph! In October 2008 he will compete in the World Championships in the moutains of northern Italy. With a US Commercial Gliding license as a UK Glider Full Rated instructor and a Regional Examiner, G has been teaching mountain soaring skills with Glide Omarama since 2000 both in NZ and the US. Previously G was the British National Coach and Chief Flying Instructor at Nympsfield and then Booker Gliding Clubs in England. Before that he was a professional pianist and piano teacher.(Have him play for you, it's a treat!) G is a superb soaring instructor who loves to share his deep technical understanding of the sport with all who care to listen. *****
Lemmy Tanner	Total time – 21,000 hrs Gliding - 5,000 hrs Helicopters - 13,000 hrs Fast jets - 1,500 hrs General Power - 1,500 hrs (including about 50 types) Winner of several UK Regional and National Soaring contests, Lemmy has been soaring continuously 1956! During this time he has been Chief Flying Instructor for a number of English and RAF Gliding clubs, on the British Gliding Executive for six years and was one time British National Team captain. He has been with Glide Omarama since 1999 teaching mountain soaring skills in both NZ and the US. Previously a fighter/ bomber pilot in the RAF and then a commercial heavy helicopter pilot with world wide experience. In Scotland he ran an International Mountain Flying school for helicopter pilots. There is nothing that Lemmy has not done in gliding from racing to repairs, from teaching to politics but his first love is soaring. Ask him about his first glider, a 1938 German Minimoa that he bought and refurbished in 1963. Or ask him about the weather – he is sought after as a weather man and forecasts for gliding contests around the world! *****
Hugh Turner	Total soaring hours: 2200 Hugh started gliding in 1989 and indulged his gypsy/airfield vagrant/explorer tendencies over the next decade, instructing and soaring throughout the North Island of New Zealand. Flying a Jantar 2 he achieved the first and as yet only 1000 km flight ever flown in the North Island. Introduced to the big South Island mountains in the late '90s by Gavin Wills, Hugh says that he was instantly fascinated and captured by the Omarama experience and became a resident there in 2002. He has been working with the Glide Omarama team since 2005 and was the Chief Flying Instructor of the Omarama Gliding Club. He has become famous for his morning public briefings every day of the soaring season and is now the Operations Manager for GlideOmarama.com Previous professional incarnations for Hugh, include associations within tourism, property management, horses and hunting. Present recreational activity outside gliding: Cafe Queen *****
Bo Nilsson	Total Hours 4,300 Gliding 4,000 hours Bo has been teaching soaring at Omarama since 2001 first with Alpine Soaring and then with Glide Omarama. In his usual modest style Bo writes: “as you know I am not a top gliding pilot...but I have 4000 hours, gold, a diamond, a CPL-G and a PPL. In NZ I am an A Cat instructor and in England, where I have done 5 seasons of professional instructing, I am a Full Category Instructor. For the last 6 years I have been in Omarama, working with numerous visiting pilots and have enjoyed every minute of it. I have a Chalet on the airfield and own a Duo Discus Turbo and a Piper Cub…. well I can’t think of much else” With his smile and a Duo Discus T, Bo does not need to think of much else! Those who have had the privilege of soaring with him will agree -he loves nothing better than a good red wine and showing visiting soaring pilots around his beloved mountains! *****
Mandy Gerard	Mandy has been our administration manager for the past three years. She is not a glider pilot but loves to fly and enjoys long hot gliding summers both in Omarama and the US.