32nd FAI WGC - Adolfo Gonzalez Chávez, Argentina
January 5 through January 20, 2013
Standard / Club / World Classes<

Peter Deane: Standard Class
Peter Deane (50), has been flying sailplanes since 1986 and has approximately 1700 hours in gliders over 23 years. Learning to fly at Hummingbird Haven in California in a Blanik, he progressed on to the Ka-8 (1st cross country), Pilatus, HP-14 , ASW20 and now his Standard Class LS8-a. He has numerous Regional championship wins in regions 11 & 12, and holds 1000km diploma #265 as well as the National 750km O&R speed record of 95.4mph for all classes set in his LS8 in 2002. He has flown in 8 National championships including Standard, 15m, 18m and Sports class in his 15m LS8. Peter is based in the San Francisco Bay area and has been heavily involved in promoting cross country and fun weekend racing in Region 11, and has served on the PASCO (Pacific Soaring Council) board for over 15 yrs in a variety of roles including President. He was awarded the Les Arnold Award for service to Soaring in 2008. Peter is an Engineering Director and Technologist in the semiconductor industry. This will be his first World Championships.

Phil Gaisford: Sandard Class
Phil learned to glide in the UK while at high school, using things like disused wartime runways, home-made launch vehicles, piano wire and Skylarks. He soon got interested in competition flying, making the UK team in 1992 and was Swiss national champion in 1993. His wide ranging contest experience includes the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and since 1994 of course most sections of the US. Phil owns a Discus 2 which he flies with Greater Boston Soaring Club, where he is also the chief flight instructor. When not gliding, he works for a major computer manufacturer, currently working on power and thermal (no not that sort of thermal) management solutions for data centers and servers.

Sarah Kelly Arnold: Club Class
Sarah Kelly Arnold was raised on a farm in British Columbia. When she was 13, Sarah learned to fly in a single seat Quicksilver ultralight. Instantly she was captivated with flying. Her heart found a home in the sky, where it lives to this day.

In November 2002 Sarah became enthralled with a gliderport in Tennessee named Chilhowee. She quickly became a tow pilot and soon began soaring for herself. A year and a half later, at the age of 24, Sarah found herself the youngest owner-operator of any commercial gliderport. Under her management Chilhowee Soaring Association, Inc. has grown and shared the joy of soaring with many satisfied customers and has become a vacation point of destination for glider pilots from around the country.

Mrs. Arnold has accumulated over 2200 hours of glider time and holds CFI, CFIG, A&P Mechanic with IA, and CFII Ground ratings. She runs Chilhowee with her husband and devoted crew, Jason Arnold and looks forward to representing the United States on the Soaring Team in Argentina.

Sean Franke: Club Class
Sean Franke is a third generation glider pilot who soloed at age 14.   Sean has accumulated over 3000 hours in the air and has flown National soaring competitions since 1990.  Currently he has eight State and two National soaring records.  As part of the US Junior soaring team in 1991, 1993 and 1995 Sean competed in Sweden, France and Poland.  When not competing he can be found flying for fun at Warner Springs, CA and mentoring local pilots.

Sean’s day job is CEO at Electronic Merchant Services (EMS) Inc., a registered ISO / MSP with US Bank - Minn. MN.  EMS is a leader in credit card merchant processing providing service to retail, mail order, phone order, business to business and e-commerce merchants.

François Pin: World Class
François started soaring at age 13 in the French Alps. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and regularly flies at the nearby Chilhowee Gliderport. He was the program chairman of the 1999 SSA Convention in Knoxville, has written several articles for Soaring magazine, is the president of the World Class Soaring Association, has logged about 3,000 hours in gliders, has flown in 19 U.S. Nationals, is the 2004 and 2010 US World Class National Champion, has 1000 Km diploma # 245 from 1993, and has been a member of the U.S. Team six times. He enjoys the particular strategies and challenges of racing in the monotype World Class. His wife Dottie has been an always-encouraging and gracious crew for many contests over the World. She is looking forward to crewing at the event in Argentina, and to supporting a top performance of the Team.

Pat Tuckey: World Class
Airline pilot Pat Tuckey has accumulated an estimated 1,700 total gliding hours since his solo at age 16. Now 48, Pat lives in Fort Worth Texas and is a member of the Texas Soaring Association (TSA). Pat has flown in 14 US National Championships including 6 1-26 championships. Pat has been World Class National Champion four times including the last three in a row and a remarkable four time 1-26 National Champion. Pat has held both World and National speed records for 100k and 300k in the World Class. Pat is looking forward to the World Class competition in Argentina. Pat say's it best, "Competitive soaring provides a unique blend of challenges and benefits, which I have not found in any other activity. There is almost no experience as emotionally "high" as climbing out above one of your competition while you fly on to finish the course, and there is no "low" to match watching one of your rivals climb above while you sit in a field in the middle of nowhere wondering how you are going to get home. And yet, no matter how keen the competition in the air, on the ground soaring builds a camaraderie that is second to none. Whenever I have seen anyone have a problem at a contest, one of his or her soaring friends is willing to help out with a loan of equipment, a helping hand, expert advice, or whatever else is needed."

Enrique Mertins: Team Captain
Bio pending.

Multi-Class Background

The Standard Class is another class that limits span to 15 meters. In addition, gliders cannot use performance increasing wing flaps, a restriction that tends to make Standard-class gliders a bit less expensive. The Club Class is the handicapped class. Gliders across a reasonably wide range of performance are allowed; each is assigned a handicap based on its performance qualities. The Club Class has its roots in the idea that gliders with mid range performance, while no longer competitive against modern designs, offer an affordable and available alternative. The World Class is the "one-design" class - all pilots must fly the PW-5 "World Class" glider. Tight equipment rules ensure that all gliders are equal in performance. The World Class is a one design class with the PW-5 as the glider of choice. The World Class concept embraces the concept of an  affordable, safe and competitive glider. The PW-5 was selected after winning the World Class Glider Competition organized by the FAI.

See how the US Teams have done over the years or view the list of World Champions.