Phil Gaisford: Standard

Phil learned to glide in the United Kingdom while at high school using things like abandoned WWII runways, home-made launch vehicles, piano wire, and Skylarks. When one asks Phil about flying he says "I soon got interested in competition flying, making the UK team in 1992, and was Swiss national champion in 1993. My wide-ranging contest experience includes the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Argentina, Finland, and since relocating to the US in 1994, most sections of this country. He owns a Discus 2, which he flies with Greater Boston Soaring Club, and where he also gives flight instruction. In June of 2013 he took part in the WGC practice event at Räyskälä in Finland, flying a rented Discus B. This gave him an opportunity to sample the local conditions, both in the air and on the ground, and to establish relationships with the local gliding community. Räyskälä is a large site that is home to many clubs and more than seventy gliders, so we can look forward to an excellent infrastructure at the WGC. Long flights will be possible during the Nordic midsummer period, over a landscape that is heavily forested in parts, but generally offers good land-out options. Also notable: this area of Finland has more lakes than you can shake a stick at. And, according to Phil, having recently experienced the rigors of container shipping gliders to Argentina for the previous WGC, for this event he is more attracted to the option of renting a glider locally.

Robert Fletcher: Standard

Bob started flying in Doncaster United Kingdom before he started university. When at university he joined Phil Gaisford on the Nottingham University committee and was instrumental in starting the annual "inter university task week" flying the first two in a K-13 with other students in the front seat. Since university, Bob has focused more on racing than instructing while flying many standard class national competitions in the US, Canada, and the UK. He won the standard class national Kubly Trophy in 2006 at Uvalde TX. Bob enjoys flying in the western US mountains, especially the area between Salt Lake City, UT and Bozeman MT. Bob says "I practice at Greater Boston Soaring club which offers a tremendous diversity of conditions and there are many skilled racers to fly with. Bob looks forward to team flying with Phil Gaisford in Finland - and the competition area appears to be very similar to southern New England with its 90% forestation. He would add that at this moment he is planning to take his glider to Finland.