RICHIE McCAW By Jill McCaw
Our All Black Captain is a Glider Pilot.
Our farm had an airstrip and on weekends it became the base
Richie McCaw has just bought a Discus 2c. He is passion-
for the North Otago Gliding Club. There was a Blanik training glider
ate about gliding but also holds a PPL. Our All Black Captain has
GMK, and a towplane, Piper Cub, ZK CEX. John, Donald, their
logged gliders, various light aircraft, a DC3 and extraordinarily at
brother Hamish and their uncle John owned a Cirrus and Donald
the other end of the scale, a BAE Hawk Jet! He has been known
was also the towpilot. The club had hangers, a winch and a relo-
to admit that sometimes he prefers flying to rugby. To most New
cated ElectroCorp house for the clubrooms.
Zealanders that just sounds wrong. Rugby balls and aviation don’t seem to go together.
The strip was downhill and sometimes into wind. To the west was the Kirkleston range with ridge lift and wave to 20,000 plus feet
If you knew Richie it wouldn’t surprise you. He grew up on a
in good conditions. Flying was good year round, although winter
gliding strip. It is the rugby that is surprising. Where did that come
flights could necessitate several hours in a hot bath to recover.
from?
Flights over the Waitaki lakes were very scenic and the Macken-
I do know Richie McCaw but to me and the rest of the family
zie basin and all of its attractions could be reached on a good day.
his name is Richard. I have known him since he was eight years
On a good day you could fly anywhere. Southerly wave provided
old when I first became involved with the North Otago Gliding Club.
an interesting soaring experience down the Waitaki valley and well
When I started going out with his uncle John, Richard was the kid
out to sea.
on the farm next door. John and his brother Ian farmed in the Haka-
Richard was often around the strip hoping for a ride. He would
taramea Valley. Their older brother Donald and his wife Margaret,
help Dad fuel the plane, pumping the handle vigorously. He was
parents of Richard and the now Canterbury Flames player Joanna
often plonked in the front seat of the Blanik to hold the stick steady
were on the farm next door. Richard and Joanna were ordinary kids.
as it was towed back up the strip. He was frequently told to keep
14
December 2007
