Junior Team 2001

2nd WJGC. Issoudun, France

DANNY SORENSON (age 21)
Soaring Club of Houston, TX
STANDARD CLASS (Discus BT "PO")

Senior at Texas A&M University. Commercial glider license. 810 soaring hours. FAI Gold badge, 2 Diamonds. Kolstad Century I, II, III. SSA Kolstad award 1996. Holds 3 TX State soaring records. Ranked 36th out of 533 on SSA competitor list.

Danny grew up in a gliding family and soloed at 14 years of age. After years crewing for his Dad and famous friends like Doug Jacobs, Danny rocketed up the standings as soon as he started racing himself. Flying a club 1-34, he placed in the top 5 in his first regional contests. Danny has now flown 4 Nationals and was a member of the 1999 US Junior team. A commercial single engine land pilot with 275 hours, Danny is studying Aerospace Engineering at A&M with his sights on a US Air Force commission and a pilot slot at Test Pilot School. It is the tough complex decisions that draw Danny to competitive soaring.

JASON HOWARD (age 21)
Harris Hill Soaring Corp., NY
STANDARD CLASS (Discus CS "MUS")

Senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Commercial and CFI glider licenses. 850 soaring hours. FAI Silver badge, 1 Diamond. SSA Kolstad award, 1998. Holds 4 NY Junior State soaring records. Ranked 97th out of 549 on SSA competitor list.

A full time student and part time flight instructor, Jason Howard comes from Elmira, New York, and has 400 hours in power with a Commercial multi-engine ticket and instrument rating. Jason soloed when he was 14 and has been flying actively ever since. At Harris Hill, he has worked as a flight instructor, glider ride pilot, and towpilot. Jason has competed in 3 Regionals, 3 Nationals and a 1-26 Championships. He has flown numerous glider types including Libelle, ASW-19, and ASH-25. Jason is thrilled to be selected to the US Junior Soaring Team.

MIKE ROBISON (age 21)
Penn State Soaring Club, PA
CLUB CLASS (LS-4)

Senior at Pennsylvania State University. Commercial and CFI glider licenses. 600 soaring hours. FAI Gold badge, 2 Diamonds. SSA Bultman award 1998. SSA Kolstad award 1999. CSA Gogos Scholar 2000. Holds 2 PA State soaring records. Ranked 309th out of 549 on SSA competitor list.

Mike feels his most notable achievement is a 660 km goal flight in the Collegiate Soaring Association's SGS 1-36 "Sprite", a 30:1 glider. Done on the famous Bald Eagle Ridge, of course. He has been the President of his college soaring club which has helped with the organization of several National Championships at nearby Reedsville, PA. He has flown 3 Regionals in the PSU Blanik (sometimes with students on board), and has time in other gliders including the Pegasus, LS-3, HP-14, and Duo Discus. Michael just bought a share of an LS-4 in which he intends to fly the 2001 Standard Class Nationals.

photos courtesy the pilots