Glide Omarama Flights - Trial Glider Flights South Island

Glider Trial Flights Omarama, South Island, New Zealand

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Take to the skies and enjoy the unique environment of the Southern Alps of New Zealand with Glide Omarama, who offer personalised soaring adventures and gliding courses. Experience crystal clear air and stunning vistas as we introduce you to the sport of gliding with a trial flight in a modern high performance sailplane with a fully qualified instructor. Also offering courses for beginner, intermediate and experienced pilots who wish to extend their mountain cross country flying or who wish to improve their skills.

All flights are subject to suitable weather conditions. If a Long Flight or a 1 Hour flight is not achieved due to the weather or soaring conditions not being suitable, you will only be charged an appropriately reduced price.

Glide Omarama – Glider Trial Flight Options:

Glide Omarama – The Valley Explorer

Price: $386
Departures: 11:00am then on the hour through to 5:00 pm
Duration: 30 minutes

The ’30 Minute Trial Flight’ (the Valley Explorer) is a spectacular introduction to the sport of gliding and no experience is necessary. Suitable for ages 12 years and above, this is a learning experience as you climb aboard and aero tow to the nearby mountains. Once you are released from the tow plane you are flying free as you soar around the stunning mountains and over the great lakes of the Mackenzie country. You are encouraged to take the controls and have a go. Suitable for both those who are looking for a smooth and gentle ride and also for the more adventurous. $368 NZ per person.

N.B. The Valley Explorer (a 30 minute flight) can usually operate throughout the day.

Glide Omarama – The Mountain Adventure:

Our most popular booked glider flight

Price: $525
Departures: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm & 3:00 pm
Duration: 60 minutes

The ‘One Hour Trial Flight’ (The Mountain Adventurer) is the most popular flight. This is also a spectacular introduction to the sport of soaring gliders and is great value for money, allowing you to fly even higher and further. Soar into the mountains that surround the Omarama basin and see for yourself why this fascinating alpine environment attracts glider pilots from all around the world. Take the controls and have a go experiencing the cross-country potential of these extraordinary high performance sailplanes. $498 NZ per person.

N.B. The Mountain Adventurer (a 1 hour flight) operates best in the afternoons when soaring conditions are usually better.

Glide Omarama – Alpine Adventure:

Price: $834 and $270 NZ pro rata for each additional hour.
Departures: 1:00 pm
Duration: 2.5 Hours

‘Long Flights’ (The Alpine Adventure) are more adventurous and can be made deep into the Southern Alps where you may fly with your experienced mountain soaring instructor north to Mount Cook and back, west past Lake Wanaka to Mount Aspiring and back or out to the east coast along the Kakanui Mountains, encountering spectacular scenery with hands on instruction. On windy days, flights more than 500 km long and 20,000 feet in height can be made in Omarama’s extraordinary and famous atmospheric waves. $795 NZ per person for two hours and $270 NZ pro rata for each additional hour.

N.B. Longer flights can only be booked for the afternoons and may be postponed or cancelled if the soaring conditions are unsuitable.
You should ring the day before to check the soaring conditions and if necessary we will suggest an adjusted time or day for your flight.

Glide Omarama – The UltimateHigh Alpine Spectacular:

Price: $1735
Departures: 10:00 pm
Duration: 3.5 to 5 Hours

“The High Alpine Spectacular” is the ultimate gliding experience,

You will be our guest for this ultimate all inclusive gliding experience from Omarama. Soar through the Southern Alps to Mt Cook and the Glaciers, or to Mt Aspiring and even Milford Sound. Learn how it’s done! Whether you have had any previous flying experience or not this is truly the experience of a life time.

Meet your highly experienced, private instructor/pilot at our 10 am weather briefing. Then, over coffee at the Kahu Café, you will discuss your experience and aspirations and, considering the soaring conditions of the day, together plan your flight. Inspect your high performance two seat Duo Discus glider, get comfortable and have a thorough briefing on how it works.

Learn how the glider will be flown, how to read the conditions and how to follow the pathways in the sky. Later you will have the opportunity to fly some of the flight yourself under the watchful eye of your instructor.

A light lunch and then take-off with an aero-tow launch. You can fly as long as you like (realistically probably between 3 and 5 hours) with an appropriate refund if less than 2.5 hours is flown due to conditions. Return to landing and then enjoy a debriefing over a beer. Take home souvenirs include in-flight photos, a detailed flight summary, flight trace, videos and a certificate of achievement.