I remember The good old Gliding Days.

Getting aloft could sometimes be a bit of a drag (so to speak). In a triple tow behind a 150hp Cub - if the rate of climb was less than the curvature of the earth - then things were going good.

In this shot taken at Invercargill on 06-03-1968 we have the Cub ZK-BNS doing a trial tow with the Slingsby T51 Dart ZK-GEA,  Schleicher Ka6 ZK-GEY,  and the Schleicher Ka4 Rhonlerche ZK-GBO along for the ride.

Sniffer flight heading out from Omarama.  On some occasions we would wait for some other brave aviator to go forth and suss out the conditions. If they didn't beat the towplane back then the sky was "working" and the race to get airborne would be on. Above is the 180hp Cub ZK-BFV "over the Golf Course" with the sniffer - probably heading toward St Cuthbert, although, by the look of that sky, they would have bunged off before then.

17th January 1999 and looking down on the Omarama starting grid for the National Champs.
The first of the "new" hangars is completed. A view from the sniffer.

From the ground looking up this time. A big fat thermal between the airfield and St Cuthbert with the rising dust and at least 15 gliders orbiting within it. The date was 20-01-1995 The World Gliding Championships.

Not so serious, but infinitely more fun was the Sunday potter around on the Port Hills out East of Wigram. In the pic above, Wigram is to the center left of the photograph - starting just off the end of that long stretch of road and extending and extending off the left of the pic. The gliders are - ZK-GNW turning, with GDZ, GDV and my share of GMF bringing up the rear (as usual) and GHI out to the right.

Above, same day 04-08-1990 and it appears that "Mike Fox" has gained a place."
Now what say we go down and beat up the car park" - oops - who said that !

At the end of the day, with the Anti Crepuscular Rays shining over the Port Hills - Tim Harrison sits on the wing of the Trolly (ZK-GOR) watching the rest of us put the other gliders away. Well done Timbo !
But technically he is sitting there to stop the glider being moved around by the wind.

Sitting outside the hut at the Wardells strip (just around the corner from Omarama) and sipping a cuppa tea and waiting for the last one to come home.

Yes I remember when !