Gliding ‘grandfather’ was

Friends have paid tribute to an international gliding instructor with a ‘‘huge presence’’ after he was killed in a microlight crash on Monday.

Bo Lennart Nilsson, 76, died when the Baby Great Lakes single-seat microlight he piloted crashed near TwizelOmarama Rd, near Lake O¯ hau.

Nilsson was in his 20s when he moved to New Zealand from Sweden after a career in the merchant navy.

He set up two successful restaurants in Wellington, and began gliding in the 1990s at the Wellington Gliding Club.

He sold his restaurants and became a fulltime gliding instructor.

Until several years ago, Nilsson travelled to the northern hemisphere to instruct in England and Wales during the New Zealand winter before coming back to New Zealand for summer.

He was an ‘A’ category instructor, meaning he was considered to be at the top of his field and was highly regarded in the gliding community.

Gavin Wills was friends with Nilsson for 25 years, and worked with him in Wills’ previous business, Glide Omarama.

About 15 years ago, Nilsson built his own chalet on the Omarama airfield and would fly every day if conditions were suitable.

‘‘He’s one of our grandfathers.’’