The Southern Soaring Team

Southern Soaring is New Zealand's longest established commercial gliding business.

The Southern Soaring Team is dedicated to giving you an enjoyable experience and providing quality service.  We like meeting people as much as we like flying.  Sharing the joys of gliding is what we do best!

Chris Rudge CFI/Director

Chris has been flying gliders and powered aircraft since 1984. He has 20 years of gliding instructing experience behind him and has completed over 5000 tows as a tow pilot. He also holds New Zealand and Canadian commercial licences for aeroplanes and balloons, and has flown helicopters. He was the first New Zealander (and one of only a few people in the world) to log 1000 hours each on gliders, balloons and aeroplanes. In addition to holding four New Zealand national aviation records, he has been flying gliders at Omarama for 21 years.  Other achievements include being the author of two aviation books and visiting Antarctica eight times.

Mike Till Senior Instructor

Mike joined the Southern Soaring team in 2005. With over 10,000 glider hours and over 2000 hours towing, Mike isn't new to the gliding game! He has worked at the Coventry and London Gliding clubs in the UK – as well as with the Wellington Gliding Club during New Zealand ’s summer months. Mike will make your gliding experience pleasurable, whether you are trying it for the first time or are learning advanced soaring.

Don Mallinson Senior Instructor

Don has been in aviation all his life and has over 24,000 hours flying time. He has flown military jets (including Lightnings, Sabres and Mig 21s!) and classic aircraft (such as Spitfires and P-51 Mustangs). Currently flying for the Singapore government as a check pilot, he owns his own gliders and is a B Cat instructor.  As well as teaching aerobatics, Don loves meeting new people and scenic flying is one of his specialities.

Darren Smith Tow Pilot/Instructor

Darren Smith is an experienced pilot with over 2000 hours fixed-wing time (1100 of this being in tail-dragger aircraft) and over 1000 hours as a glider pilot. During the off-season he flies gliders and tow planes in Canada and works in New Zealand flying a Cresco aircraft on sky diving operations out of Queenstown and Wanaka.

Gavin Wrigley Senior Instructor

Gavin Wrigley first flew for Southern Soaring in 2004. During the 2009 NZ winter he was instructing as Deputy CFI at Husbands Bosworth in England. Total time in gliders is 4000. Originally from Yorkshire, he has been based in Darwin, Australia, since 1978. He owns his own motorglider, which he uses between seasons to teach flying to pupils at The Essington School in Darwin. He is among the few who have regularly soared the world famous Morning Glory wave over the Gulf of Carpentaria. An experienced yachtsman, Gavin has a circumnavigation of the globe in a 10m sloop among his many accomplishments.

Rod Dew Equipment Manager

Rod Dew joined the team in 2006 and has been a great asset in helping prepare gliders and equipment each day. Rod, who has been gliding since 1992, is well known for his work as Sports Editor for the Christchurch Press and in writing Master of The Wave, the biography of Terry Delore. His help on the airfield ensures a smooth operation and his ability to talk to visitors about all aspects of gliding is greatly appreciated.

Adam Dalziel Instructor/Tow Pilot

Adam Dalziel has been flying for Southern Soaring since the company began. He initially worked for the Canadian Armed Services as a gliding instructor and tow pilot, but now pilots a Cessna Caravan on survey work in Africa. He is a valued member of the team and helps out over the peak summer period.

Nick Wyngaarden Tow Pilot

Nic Wyngaarden joined the Southern Soaring Team as a tow pilot in September 2009. Nick came from Mainland Air, Otago's premier flight training and business air charter provider, where he worked as a "C" Cat Instructor. Towing runs in the family blood as his grandfather, Malcolm Walls, also flew as a tow pilot with Southern Soaring!

The owners of a major art gallery in Gairloch, Scotland, Les and Irene Lamb have been visiting Omarama for over eleven years. A keen dry fly fisherman, Les was initially attracted to Omarama due to its reputation as an excellent place to catch trout. In the 2006/2007 season, he did a trial flight with Southern Soaring and then completed a Learn-to-Fly Course. He liked the experience so much, he decided to buy the business!

"I love Omarama, and had a great time with the guys at Southern Soaring during the course. There was a great camaraderie among the staff, who were clearly very talented and knowledgeable."

Irene, who is a Postmistress with a background in banking,  manages the Southern Soaring office over the four-month peak period of the season and, together with Les, helps promote the company's new products.