New Zealand’s premier soaring site is Omarama, with the township below the glider, Lake Benmore and the Waitaki River valley in the distance and the airfield hangars just visible at extreme left.
Omarama Airfield Ltd recently released its annual report. The company was formed in 1993 to develop and operate the airfield at the junction of the Waitaki Valley and the Mackenzie Country on behalf of the airfield owners and its primary shareholders, the Waitaki District Council and Omarama Soaring Centre.
Omarama airfield, located on SH8 adjacent to the town, is a public facility operated by Glide Omarama for the gliding community, a committee of all the South Island gliding clubs and some from the North Island.
The report said the airfield was well utilised throughout the year and hosted the South Island regional gliding championships, the New Zealand youth glide national training camp, several model flying competitions and other aviation events. In all, more than 1500 people used the airfield throughout the year. That figure included glider pilots from New Zealand and overseas, boosting the airfield’s profile and benefiting the Omarama economy.
The company posted a modest after-tax surplus of $9652 for the year to 30 June, slightly below the previous year’s profit. The company will continue to adjust its business plan accordingly in consultation with interested parties as it identifies opportunities to grow the business.
“The company’s business plan is updated annually and evolves to reflect the outcomes of the consultation workshops involving recreational aviation stakeholders, users and the local community,” according to the report. “Longer-term planning is also directed by outcomes of the consultation.’’
Omarama is a small rural town of some 350 permanent residents, located on the junction between SH8 and SH83, near the Ahuriri River. It caters for substantial passing tourist trade as well as the gliding and local communities.
Glide Omarama offer various soaring services on the airfield, seven days a week all year around. Three large hangar complexes beside the 1.5km (5000ft) irrigated grass runway house up to 80 sailplanes and four tow planes, with secure tiedowns for another 40 aircraft.
A large terminal conversion from the original airfield hangar was opened in December 2003. Now the hub of airfield activities, the terminal contains clubhouse facilities, briefing rooms and offices and becomes the control centre when contest flying and other events take place.
Dick Georgeson of Irishman Creek Station introduced gliding to the Mackenzie Country in 1950 with the first of his many gliders, Slingsby Prefect ZK-GAB. In 1954 Philip Wills, 1952 open class world champion, attracted the first international attention to the area when he flew his Weihe to 33,000ft over Mt Cook to break the British Commonwealth altitude record.
By the end of the 1950s regular gliding camps were being held in the Mackenzie Country and world records were being shattered—first from Simon’s Hill and then from other local sheep stations such as Killermont before settling on Omarama.
In 1958 a permanent gliding site was established at Omarama Station, 4km south of Omarama town. This airfield, known as Wardells, was until recently operated by the South Canterbury Gliding Club during holiday periods.
Development of the present Omarama aerodrome began in 1991 for the 1995 world championships. Bill Walker and his team transformed a deserted dust bowl into an irrigated airfield with grass, trees, hangars, tiedowns, chalets and a camping ground. This action enabled a truly international soaring site to emerge at Omarama.
Since then development has accelerated. Three roll-in roll-out multiple hangars with subsequent extensions have been built, owned by private companies subscribed to by clubs and glider pilots.
Six new chalets have been built recently, adding to the existing 21, and the Waitaki District Council has developed housing sites along the airfield entrance road. Long-term plans are for extensions to the clubhouse, a glider maintenance workshop, extensions and widening of the active runway.
Omarama is typical of the current expansion of many of the facilities existing at airfields in the lower South Island. As Queenstown, Wanaka and Alexandra become less available to recreational aviators there is a general move to the less congested aerodromes.
- Report by Mahanga Maru, photography by Mark Coote via Air Chathams.