The Omarama Airfield Company has named three of a probable six entities to which it has granted a licence to operate gliding and other services. They are the Omarama Gilding Club, Youth Glide New Zealand - for winch launching, and Omarama Launch Services - operated by pilots Phil Plane and Brad Newfield, for winch and aerotow launch services. They will operate the Youth Glide winch. "The Omarama Gliding Club will provide all gliding activity enabled by Civil Aviation Authority Part 149 and 104, and provide gliding support services", airfield company chairman Clive Geddes said.
A licence has also been granted to an un-named Omarama-based party who wants to offer microlight training services. The airfield company is still waiting for information from two other applicants and the outcome of their bid should be known by the end of the week, Mr Geddes said. Omarama Gliding Club chief flying instructor Trevor Mollard said he was “delighted” to receive the news. “It secures the club’s future going into the next season in a very positive way.” To meet demand the Omarama Gliding Club is bringing in another Duo Discus twoseater glider which is expected to arrive in September. As an affiliated Gliding New Zealand club the Omarama Club is permitted to run all the courses under the relevant CAA rule 149 but can not operate the adventure trial flights that Glide Omarama was offering. "We have no intention of doing so ...it is quite a burdensome part of the rules to comply to," Mr Mollard said. The club would operate as an umbrella organisation for professional instructors in the interim, although it would prefer not to do this in the long term, to allow it to provide courses for its members, he said.
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