Rain day musings
Good afternoon race fans! It’s still raining here in Chilhowee, with no chance of flying today. Instead I thought that I would do a quick report on some of the contestants, and an important developmental step in their roots. Namely, junior camps held throughout the US.
In late 2003, Garret Willat and John Seaborn had an idea. They thought of holding a camp for junior pilots in Moriarty. This camp would not just be for any junior pilots though. The focus would be on post solo and post license pilots who were looking to expand their soaring horizons. It was about this time that Billy Hill and myself got a call pitching the idea to us and the idea of holding it in Moriarty, New Mexico. That camp was held during the summer of 2004, and it managed to inspire a generation of sailplane racers. Junior participants included at that summer camp racing here at Chilhowee are:
-Sylvia Grandstaff, who was 19 at the time of the camp went on to join the Army and complete helicopter training. After several years as a Chinook pilot, Sylvia attended and completed the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) in Pax River, Maryland. She has recently decided to leave the army after an incredibly successful stint conducting experimental flight testing on Chinook helicopters at the Huntsville Redstone Arsenal. On the soaring side of flying, Sylvia is a CFI-G, and has competed on the U.S. Soaring Team in Australia.
-Mike Westbrook, 19 in 2004 is now a simulator check airman in Pilatus aircraft working for Flight Safety International. Mike is a CFII and CFI-G who has been on both the U.S. Junior and regular U.S. soaring team in the Club Class. He is a two time national champion in the U.S. National Club class. Mike has been instrumental in advancing soaring for a number of years, and has “raised” one other competitor here, who is Jacob Fairbairn, who is currently 26. Jacob is an A&P/IA and ATP currently flying for Skywest Airlines.
There are other outliers of this initial camp here at this race including Sarah Arnold who came to the same camp hosted again at Moriarty in 2005. Obviously, Sarah’s accomplishments speak for herself. She is an A&P/IA and CFI/CFI-G and runs Chilhowee Gliderport. Sarah is 40 years old and a world champion. Tony Condon, 36 didn’t make it to the camps as he was too young at the time, but we all remember him posting as “The Cherokee Kid” on RAS during that period. Tony is a CFII/CFI-G and also a DPE in both power and gliders. Tony currently flies King Airs for a medevac company in Wichita.
It should be mentioned that Harris Hill has also spawned a very successful youth soaring camp program in the East which has produced the likes of JT McMaster, 27, who is an airline captain at the regionals already, and David McMaster 21, who is currently finishing a bachelors in aviation at Ohio State University. Daniel Sazhin has been instrumental in organizing these camps as well, and rounds out the top competitors here in Chilhowee.
The whole point of this article is to show the incredible power of junior camps held throughout the U.S. Each year, you have the potential to help produce incredible people of this caliber. All it takes it a little time, a little effort in development and maybe a few fewer OLC points for yourself to inspire a future not only in soaring, but in aviation as a whole. We all have the ability to help here. A contribution to the U.S. Junior Soaring team helps if you can’t find the time as well. This is the future of our sport, folks. John Seaborn, Billy Hill, and Garret Willat saw it in 2004 and arranged to contribute a two place glider from Soaring Society of Boulder, many years of instructional knowledge and time, daily “Ground school” sessions, and more than anything, a passion for the aport. Perhaps the “30,000 foot” view of what these does can help you to see it as well.
This article would not be complete without a nod to 2004 camp participant Steven Coggins. We miss you every day, buddy and we would all give up every one of our ratings and accomplishments just to be able to fly gliders with you one more time.
-Triple Alpha