6th FAI Junior WGC - Räyskälä, Finland
June 21st, 2009 to July 5th, 2009
Standard Class / Club Class

Devin Bargainnier: Club Class

Devin Bargainnier started gliding in 2000 at age 13 with Central Ohio Soaring Association (COSA) He has accumulated over 1100 hours in gliders. Since earning his commercial and instructors ratings in 2006, he spends his summers teaching cross country soaring in Minden, NV with Soaring NV. He spent this past winter working for Glide Omarama on the south Island of New Zealand. Devin has been participating in gliding competitions for the past four years flying a Discus and now a Ventus 2. His first contest was the Harris Hill regional in 2005 where he placed third in the sports class. When not competing, Devin enjoys teaching cross country flying in Duo’s. He is a full time student working towards a BS degree in professional aeronautics. Devin was awarded the 2007 Kolstad youth scholarship grant at the 2008 SSA Convention.
 

Cory Sullivan: Club Class

I guess I could say “it’s in the family”. I have been around soaring since the day I was born.  My father, Monty Sullivan and his partner Heinz Wiessenbuehler are the owners of M&H Soaring. I have always crewed for them at contests since I was old enough to carry the tail dolly around.  I began flying myself at about the age of 12 taking instruction at Harris Hill in New York.  I soloed on July 6th 2003, my 14th birthday.  Less than a year later I was starting cross country in a 1-34. In 2005 my father and I bought a wrecked Glasflugel Libelle 201.  In 2006 I flew my first regional contest in this glider at Perry SC, coming in 2nd place in the sports class. We still have this glider today and I love to fly it.  From there I went on and flew the 15 meter nationals at Mifflin in 2007.  Since then I have flown 4 other competitions including 3 Nationals, placing 14th, 4th and 10th.  Also I have been involved with the Harris Hill Soaring Corporation's Junior Organization since 2002.  For the past 4 years I have been an officer in the junior organization,  I have received the Speckman award, the Sky Ghost award, and received the Kolstad award.   In 2007 I was the Junior National Champion and received the Rudy Moser trophy.  Right now I am 19 years old, have my commercial glider pilot license and am working on getting my GFI-G. I have 600 hours in sailplanes and about 50 in power.  When I am not flying I am working at American Eagle Outfitters and at M&H soaring.  My other love is hunting and being in the outdoors. I am an avid whitetail hunter and it works out so that I can hunt all winter long and fly gliders all summer.  I am attending college at the local community college studying business, and I will be transferring to a 4 year school in the next year and a half.  My future plans are still up in the air, all I know is I would love to do something in aviation, and/or the outdoors.
 

Michael Robison: Captain

Mike Robison (29) began soaring in 1997 at Ridge Soaring Gliderport in Julian, PA.  While attending The Pennsylvania State University, he was president of the Penn State Soaring Club. Mike competed as a US team member in the 2001 Junior World Gliding Championships and crewed for Garrett Willat at the 2008 WGC in Luesse, Germany. As a junior pilot, he earned the Bultman, Gogos, and Kolstad Scholarships. Mike currently works as a CFIG and A&P mechanic at Ridge Soaring Gliderport and is a part-time instructor in the Aviation Maintenance program at Pennsylvania College of Technology. He now flies a Nimbus 3DM for long distance flights along the Appalachian ridges. His longest flight was a 1125 mile (1810 km) flight for OLC distance. Mike and his wife, Becky, look forward to being able to support the junior team in 2009.
 

Junior Class Background

The Junior category is a relatively new addition to the growing roster of FAI Championships. A first international "student" meet was held by the Dutch at Terlet in 1985, as a way for young glider pilots to fly competitively among peers. Further contests established a tradition of European competition every two years.

The idea of a fully sanctioned youth contest grew with each event until the first FAI World Junior Gliding Championships were held in 1999, once again in Holland. The USA has not missed a chance to compete on this international stage since 1989. There are typically two Classes (Standard and Club) but adding Classes has been discussed frequently. The Junior Soaring Team is made up of pilots all under age 26. Team candidates are selected based upon their performance in any U.S. national competition. To be eligible for the Junior Soaring Team and international competition candidates should have achieved a score equal to at least 60% of the national winners score.

Many people have been instrumental to the USA Junior Team effort including most notably Rick Nelson, John Campbell, Eric Mozer, Rudy Mozer, George Wiederkehr, Tim Hanke, Ken Sorenson, and Sean Franke.
 

Junior News eBulletin, Web Links and Camps

Junior Pilots INVITED TO SUBSCRIBE
United States Soaring Teams, the Team Committee and the U.S. Junior Soaring Association (USJSA) have developed a publication just for Junior pilots under age 26 interested in cross country and competition soaring.

If this is you are invited to subscribe to the Junior News eBulletin and start receiving periodic issues of the free publication by email. The Junior News eBulletin features special opportunities and news for soaring pilots under age 26 including cross country, camp, competition and team related items. The new eBulletin format replaces the original printed version of the Junior News. In addition the newly created U.S. Junior Soaring Association will be contributing to the editorial content of the team sponsored Junior News eBulletin.

Junior pilots under age 26 are invited to sign up and start receiving the new team sponsored Junior News eBulletin by clicking here. Sign up now! Find a full range of Junior oriented web links and resources for Junior pilots here.

TEAM SPONSORED JUNIOR CAMPS
The U.S. Team sponsors several training and performance camps for pilots of all levels from beginning cross county to more advanced competition pilots, including special camps specifically for Junior pilots under age 25. These camps are typically taught be US team members and include a mix of dual training flights, group discussions, flight analysis and one-on-one instruction. Team sponsored Experience, Training and Performance camps have proven to be great fun and an excellent way to experience cross country and performance soaring. See the team camp page here...