USA Junior Soaring Team

	JUNIOR SOARING TEAM
*Representing the USA in international soaring competition for pilots under 26* [Photo: 1997 EJGC Team in Freudenstadt, Germany: L-R Liz (pilot), Pete, George (captain), Joe (pilot), Tim (pilot), Greg, Jean]

Your individual or corporate support is tax-deductible and welcome at any time.
Are you a young soaring pilot interested in making the team someday?
Or are you curious about soaring and browsing for general links?

Text of 2003 Team Brochure

Soaring has come of age as of the 1990s: From scientific puzzle in 1920 to space-race classroom in 1970, soaring is now a lifetime recreation of many levels and facets. The world's leading aviation sport, it is the passion of hundreds of thousands, whether they fly self-launching sailplanes or paragliders, top the mountain wave in solitude, race hundreds of miles in gaggles, or ride a smooth evening thermal with a club visitor.

Youth sailplane programs have been the most recent area of development, helping to ensure a steady influx of energetic pilots and ground crews. Most European nations have youth training camps at a "National Soaring Center" and whole systems of youth records and contests. "Junior National Championships" are uncovering many top pilots.

Government subsidies are common in Europe, since youth gliding is usually "the" recruiting tool for Military and Airline aviation careers. Our USA Air Force and USA air carriers do not see things that way, so it is important for our Junior Soaring Teams to get support from private and commercial sources.

With your help, the USA can send a well-equipped, competitive team to the FAI World Junior Gliding Championships. The third of these contests will be held in Nitra, Slovakia, July 7-19, 2003. Similar International Junior contests were held at Cambrai, France (1989), Alleberg, Sweden (1991), La Roche/Yon, France (1993), Leszno, Poland (1995), Freudenstadt, Germany (1997), Terlet, Holland (1999), and Issoudun, France (2001). SSA has fielded a team at every one since 1989, joined occasionally by non-European countries such as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. We have managed great distinction as well: USA pilot Sean Franke scored a daily win at each of 3 EJGCs, and Joe Walter had two of his own.

Meet the 2003 TEAM PILOTS below: Chris, Garret,
who plan to prepare for the WJGC this year at USA National Championships.

See Past Teams. See more pictures in the Junior Team Photo Album,
including several by famous soaring photographer Peter Selinger, a good friend of the Team.

CHRIS SAUNDERS (age 18)
Beltzville SC, PA
STANDARD CLASS (Discus 2a "YH")

Senior at Lehighton High School. Private glider license. 600 soaring hours. FAI Silver badge, 2 Diamonds. Kolstad Century I, II, III. SSA Kolstad award 2002. Holds 3 PA State soaring records. Ranked 32nd out of 621 on 2003 SSA competitor list.

Soaring runs in Chris Saunder's family as his uncle is Tom Beltz, who was a US National Champion and a member or the US Team at age 22. Having soloed a 1-26 on his 14th birthday, Chris is an experienced pilot in his own right, also flying airplanes (180 hr.) and ultralights. Chris earned his Silver Badge and Diamond Goal at age 14 and his Diamond Distance at age 16. He has flown several Regional and 2 National contests, including a stunning 2nd place in the 2002 Standard Class Nationals flying a Discus A built the year he was born. Chris is also an accomplished RC model flyer walking away with the best Junior Duration at the 1998 AMA Nationals. Always active, Chris plays varsity soccer at his High School, is a kicker for the football team and a member of the ski club. He does line crew, maintenance, and towing at his home club. Chris says, "I have been involved with flying all my life, since I live on my grandfather's airport. I have been flying the club Grob since I could reach the rudder pedals. When I was eleven, I soloed in a J-3 Kitten ultralight".

Student at San Diego Community College. Commercial and Instructor glider licenses. 2,000 soaring hours. FAI Gold badge, 2 Diamonds. Kolstad Century I, II, III. SSA Kolstad award 1996. Holds 3 CA State soaring records. Ranked 156th out of 621 on 2003 SSA competitor list.

Garret Willat really soared into gliders on his 14th birthday by soloing 18 of them, the entire Sky Sailing fleet plus a few private ships. Within a week of turning 14, he went on a safari flying a Grob 102 over 430 miles. On his 16th birthday, he not only got his private glider license but soloed all the Sky Sailing towplanes. On his 18th, he earned his Commercial Glider and CFI-G certificates. While Garret was not born on an airport, his first soaring flight was before he was 2 weeks old. He lived 8 years at the airport in Fremont, then moved to Warner Springs when his parents Bret and Karen relocated the FBO. He has been featured in a few TV shows and rebuilt a 1947 Cessna 140. Garret serves his community as a volunteer fire fighter and a member of the San Diego Sheriff's Aero Squadron. He has toured the USA crewing for the likes of Bill Bartell and fellow Kolstad grant winners Sean Franke and Gordon Boettger, and has himself flown Region 9, the Sports Class Nationals, and last year both the Standard and 15 meter Nationals. Garret has been to the WJGC before, as crew for Danny Sorenson in 2001.

Conrad is going to Slovakia principally to manage the World Class team, that he accompanied previously to Lillo, Spain ('01), and Leszno, Poland ('99). After their venue was shifted to be in conjuction with the Junior contest, he graciously offered the US Team Task Force his services as Captain and reporter for both teams. We appreciate the economy in personnel and feel blessed to tap Conrad's proven WGC talents and experience with European business and travel. In return, we Junior pilots and fans are helping the World Class pilots with their preparation and crewing needs. Suggestions and offers of support for our teams in Slovakia can be made directly to Conrad.

SEAN R. FRANKE
USA JUNIOR TEAM pilot 1991, 1993, 1995
National Junior Coach. Flies LS-8 "HA"

Sean won the longest task set in Sweden '91, the first day of competition in France '93 (the only pilot to complete the task), and again the longest task in Poland '95. Now too old to take part in the JGCs, he has become effective in advising and boosting the team. In his 1997 letter to team pilots, he noted: "You are going to fly against the best Europe has to offer under the age of 26. Many of these pilots have gone on to represent their countries in the World Championships: Tomasz Rubaj of Poland won the EJGC in '89 and then in '91, and he placed 3rd in the WGC in Texas that same summer. Guido Achleitner of Austria won in '95, following participation in '91 and '93. By that time, he had already flown the WGC in New Zealand. I believe that any EJGC entrant would be capable of winning a Regional contest in the 'States."

KEN G. SORENSON
USA WGC TEAM pilot 1993
On-site Coach, WJGC 1999. Flies Discus 2 "KM"

Dr. Sorenson goes by the nickname "Rocketman", surely as much for his speeds at National contests as his home base near NASA's manned space flight headquarters. Like his 1970s contemporaries Eric Mozer, Tom Beltz, and Mike Opitz, he has been winning contests since his twenties, and has been a Team USA pilot at the World Championships. In 1999, when his son Danny was first selected to the team, Ken offered to advise the Team on site in Holland.

ERIC H. MOZER
8-time USA WGC TEAM pilot
On-site Coach, EJGC 1993. Flies Discus 2 "BT"

Eric Mozer is SSA's representative to the International Gliding Commision, well-placed to inform and support our Juniors. As SSA Contest Chairman previously, he helped select the first few teams, and he has always been invaluable for his contacts in Europe as well as advice. For La Roche/Yon 1993, Eric made a special trip to France to coach the team through the practice period. At that contest, our USA Junior Team of Sean Franke and Erik Nelson held 1st and 2nd place for the first 3 days, so we know a good coach pays off.

John H. Campbell
SSA Youth Committee
4671 Kipling St. #68
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-2855

Donations to the Soaring Society of America for the US TEAM FUND are tax-deductible.
Send directly to SSA, PO Box 2100, Hobbs NM 88241-2100.

How To Make The Team

The Junior Soaring Team is chosen by the SSA US Team Committee in consultation with the SSA Youth Committee. Selection follows the last USA National Championships of the previous year. Items considered include primarily SSA Contest Ranking and performance in the Junior Nationals (defined as "any Nationals": Open, Std., 15m, Sports, World, 18m), but also total glider hours and type experience, and intent to contribute to the team effort. A 3-year Team Selection Ranking can be found posted at the Soaring Server. A first pilot qualifies 2 years before the WJGC as the highest ranked, a second, third, and so on based on the ranking list of the year before. The number of pilots sent has been as high as 4, while FAI rules allow up to 6 (3 in each of 2 classes--Standard & Club, including reserves), and depends mainly on funding available. The FAI age limit is for pilots "whose 25th birthday occurs in the year of the Championships, or later".

In the past, an absolute minimum SSA requirement has been to have flown at least one SSA-sanctioned contest, which in turn requires an FAI Silver distance leg, an FAA private license, and so on. It adds up to a lot of experience at a fast-paced time of life, ages 14-25. Nonetheless, USA pilots Erik Nelson (1989) and Joe Walter (1995) managed to fit it all in by age 17 and both showed up to a JGC as the youngest pilots on the rolls. Since this effort was initiated by WGC runner-up Mike Opitz in 1989, SSA has fielded teams from a broad spectrum: Club or FBO regulars, 1-26 to Open Class pilots, sons or daughters of glider owners or not. Thanks to sponsors, sweepstakes, SSA competition funds, and generous SSA members in general, SSA has been able to cover most JGC costs for the chosen pilots..

At the other end of the scale, young American glider pilots that have yet to fly an SSA sanctioned contest can accesss wonderful help for the asking. There are many pilots with a record of mentoring young beginners, such as SSA Contest Rules writers Karl Striedieck and Hank Nixon. Numerous sailplanes have even been loaned to young pilots for contests, ranging from 1-26s and ASW-15s to Nimbus 3s. The SSA Youth Committee can help beginners make contacts, but we recommend that they first have an FAA Private License, an SSA Bronze Badge, and that they be prepared to scrutinize guidebooks such as John Good's SRA Guide to Soaring Competition, Bill Bartell's Start Racing, or tips to be found at the US Team pages. A first taste of X/C decision-making can even be explored interactively on the web. Lest costs be a deterrent, we were pleased to announce two new subsidy programs in 1999, the "Junior Entry Grant" Program and the "Junior Training Grant" Program (PDF Application Forms). Essentially, SSA-member "Junior" pilots (age 25 or less) can apply to SSA for matching funds after securing a discount or a mentor contribution towards contest entry fees or contest workshop tuition. The prime requirements are the participation of an experienced on-site mentor or workshop leader and the initiative to get part of the fee covered elsewhere. For a free PDF reader...

Please visit the websites of our most recent far-sighted SPONSORS (just click)

now online at www.ssa.org

Variometers, Data Loggers, and Aero Instruments

MOUNTAIN HIGH OXYGEN SYSTEMS

WINGS&WHEELS

soaring equipment & supplies

SCHEMPP-HIRTH FLUGZEUGBAU

Donors of Ventus-2CM... just kidding!
Special mention for indispensible help numerous times in arranging leased gliders in Europe (can't afford to ship).

... and thank you again to past sponsors,

	STRONG ENTERPRISES	REPLOGLE BAROGRAPH

NICHEA/V	L/D Variometers	AVIREX

Many thanks for:

To our Managers, Captains, Ground crews, SSA staffers... John Campbell, Tim Hanke, George Wiederkehr, Ken Sorenson, Andre Volant, Pete Burdulis, Greg Leslie, Jean Bahr, Paul Walter, Manfred Franke, Rick & Mary Nelson, Guerry & Roberta Howard, Nancy Graham, Teresa Peacock,...

To friends and facilitators... Paul & Bill Schweizer, Eric & Rudy Mozer, Ralf & Tilo Holighaus, Axel Reich, Reinhard Schramme & Goetz Odendahl, Peter Eberhardt, Hans-Joerg Streifeneder, Klaus-Peter Oehl, AeC Coulommiers, Eric & Phillipe Schroeder, Eckhard Ruehle, Peter Selinger, Karl & Iris Striedieck, John Good, Jim Short, Rudy Kunda, Monty Sullivan, Heinz Weissenbuehler, Hank & Dianne Nixon, David & Mary Stevenson... and hundreds more SSA members.

Soaring is the sport of using atmospheric power to fly high, fly far, and fly fast. It has been described as three-dimensional sailing, a game of weather, luck, skill, and equipment. Sailplanes are the most efficient of soaring machines, routinely capable of gliding distances forty times their altitude while sinking only a few feet per second. In competition, sun-powered thermal updrafts and slope winds are used to race closed courses of hundreds of miles over several hours. Young people can learn basic glider handling in a few weeks and can be licensed to fly solo as early as age fourteen.

Text of 2003 Team Brochure

How To Make The Team

Please visit the websites of our most recent far-sighted SPONSORS (just click)

... and thank you again to past sponsors,

Many thanks for:

Please feel free to visit these other Youth-in-Soaring Links