GlideOmaramaBlog November 2008
 . 
Drew woke one morning to find a DC3 parked in front of his chalet and snow on the hills! And George Deans races down the Hawkdun Range
Drew Montague renewed his acquaintance with Omarama and had some spectacular flying with G, while Gavin nurtured single seat pilots George Wills, George Deans, and CJ McCaw on pre-contest race training tasks.
YouthGlide Omarama was involved in the children’s television programme "What Now?" that televised live from Omarama at Labour weekend. Intrepid young reporter Tino Bryant worked with GlideOmarama and television presenters to introduce gliding and other Omarama activities to an avid young audience.
 What Now? interviewing 14 year old YouthGlide pilot Tino during the Omarama live broadcast.
One of the 1st strong westerly days saw wave hitting the recently ploughed irrigation circles west of Omarama Station, dramatically elevating large volumes of dust and fertility with tonnages deposited across the Nursery Slopes of Mt Cuthbert and Omarama Village.
 . 
A blown paddock of dirt!
Flying Dutchman Philip van de Donk chanced on a superb week of consistently good cross country flying with Hugh navigating him around grand circles and buoyant energy lines. His previous experiences of Dutch gliding in confined skies, thermalling below sea level and ridge soaring canal dykes gave way to the big skies and powerful mountain landscapes of this part of the world giving him some lifelong memories and enhanced flying skills.
 . 
Frank Wilson on his 5th visit to Omarama since retiring as a BA Captain.
Old friend Frank Wilson returned again for more adventures and forays into the mountains. An unforgettable day with Gavin had him mixing with fencers and climbers on some of the lower ridges and helicopter tourist flights around the ice slopes of the Tasman Glacier.
 The Platypus Patch where Timaru Creek meets Lake Hawea
Michael Bird, long time gliding commentator and raconteur, last in New Zealand 10 years ago when he famously landed on what became known as the Platypus Patch, spent time with GlideOmarama through November. He revisited the scene of his infamy this time more cautiously viewing it from 8,000 feet before flying with G in the South Island Regional Gliding Contest. Among consistently good cross country flights he claims a convergence run of around 400 ks to be one of his best ever flights and enjoyed a number of good contest days. Not all plain sailing though – after out landing in blustery strong winds, they experienced a rope break while on aero tow retrieve from Wanaka, but displayed cool, calm decision making to climb away from the gullies behind the Hawea Ridge and make it home. Michael and G later made sweet music together on the cello and piano.
 . 
Kit Davidson in wave at Haast Pass and evening lenticular clouds over the Northern windsock.
Pleasingly at the conclusion of the South Island contest we saw 6 of the 8 trophies awarded to pilots who had attended GlideOmarama Mountain Soaring and Task courses in the preceding 2 years. We must be doing something right.
|