US Soaring Team Committee 2012

Created in 1995 and redefined in 2003, the US Team Committee has been tasked by the SSA Board of Directors to, “oversee the affairs of the Soaring Society of America with respect to its representation at Federation Aéronautique International (FAI) approved World Gliding Championships” In the last several years the committee has been making progress toward the goals of a more competitive, accountable, transparent and sustainable US Team program. For the Committee reports and financials click here.
 

Richard Walters (Chairperson, Appointed)

Richard Walters has been soaring since 1972. He has logged over 3000 hours and has been racing US Nationals since 1985 with four wins in four different classes. Germany 2008 will be Rick's fourth World Championship. Rick's father, Fred, and uncle, Carl, were both glider pilots during the formative "Bishop Wave Project" and Southern California scene during the 1940's and 50's. A refugee from Silicon Valley in 1990, Rick gave up an engineering career and started a general contracting business in Minden, Nevada specializing in green building. Soaring related duties include a term on the SSA Rules Committee, Minden-Tahoe Airport Advisory, Airsailing Trustee, and Competition Director for a Nationals and several Regional contests.
 

Ken Sorenson (Appointed)

U.S. Contest Committee Chairman Ken Sorenson soloed at Segelflugschule Oerlinghausen in Germany in 1970 and received his glider license the next year at the Adrian Soaring Club in Michigan. He started flying competitions in 1975 and has since flown in many Regional and National contests. He was privileged to be a member of the 1993 U. S. Team that flew in Borlange, Sweden. Ken has been active in the Soaring Club of Houston where he has made his home in Texas since 1978. He has been on the SSA Rules Committee since its formation in 1992 and became the SSA Contest Committee Chairman in 2001. Ken has accumulated approximately 3700 hours in gliders and 1200 hours in power planes. A few years ago he was finally promoted to the position of crew chief and coach in order to share this great sport with his son Danny, who has also been consumed by the challenge and camaraderie of glider racing.
 

SSA Executive Director (ex officio)

Dianne Black-Nixon (Term Expires 2015)

Dianne served as Team Manager of the first Club Class team participating in Gawler Australia in 2000. She then served as both Team Captain and Manager of the second Club Class team participating at Musbach Germany in 2001. She also served on the revised US Team Committee in 2003 and worked with John Seaborn and others to write the US Team procedure binder.

During that time, Dianne was principally responsible for fund raising for the Club Class team which resulted in the Gawler team being fully funded with a surplus and the Musbach team being mostly funded.

Dianne has served as crew for her husband as he competed in Regionals, Nationals, and Worlds. She has been active in fund raising efforts for both the US Team, the SSA, and the National Soaring Museum. She is a strong believer in having everyone contribute to the fund raising efforts, and in the benefits of the funds that are raised. Her support for an organized US Team is well known.

Dianne also served on the SSA Board of Directors, was Chairman of the SSA Board for three years, and has served on the Executive Committee of the SSA. She also served as part of the team that ran the WGC in Uvalde in 2012.

In recognition of her service, Dianne has been the recipient of the SSA Exceptional Service Award, the Chairman’s Award twice, and the Eaton Award. She is now a trustee and First Vice Chair of the National Soaring Museum.
 

Sarah Kelly Arnold - (Term Expires 2014)

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.

Peter Deane (Elected - Term Expires 2013)

Peter Deane, 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.  
 

The Soaring Society of America’s Board of Directors established the United States Soaring Team Committee during the 1995 SSA Convention held in Reno, Nevada. Largely through the work of Mark Huffstutler, the SSA Board approved the formation of a committee to “oversee the affairs of the Soaring Society of America with respect to its representation at Federation Aéronautique International (FAI) approved World Gliding Championships”.

As defined in 1995, the U.S. Soaring Team Committee was an operational body primarily focused on the effective conduct of the U.S. Team at specific World Championships. The makeup of the original committee was five members, a Chairperson and four Committee members each charged with a specific area of authority. The chairperson served from the time of their election until the last day of the then current World Championships. As more FAI classes and World Championship venues were added it became obvious that the original system established in 1995 could no longer meet the needs of U.S. Teams and the soaring community.

At the February 2002 Soaring Convention held in Ontario California, the SSA Board of Directors adopted a proposal creating the U.S. Team Policy Task Force. The goal of this task force was to accomplish a fundamental review of how U.S. soaring teams operate, solicit community input, investigate areas for improvement, develop solutions, author a report and provide implementation assistance. Task Force members included Jim Payne, Tim Welles, John Seaborn, Jim Short, Ken Sorenson and Doug Jacobs.

At the January 2003 Soaring Convention held in Dayton Ohio, the U.S. Team Task Force presented its findings to the SSA Board of Directors. The Task Force defined and examined 14 areas and made recommendations based on their findings. Central among these findings was the need to modernize the U.S. Team Committee organizational structure with a broader responsibility for overall team management, subject to SSA Board oversight. A critical element was the creation on both appointed and elected positions to provide consistent long-term management of the teams rather than the previous single event focused structure.

At the 2003 Dayton meeting the SSA Board voted unanimously to adopt the Task Force recommendations and charged the appointed members of the U.S. Team Committee to form the new organization. In early April 2003 the committee election was concluded and the new U.S. Team Committee was formed. Appointed members included Doug Jacobs, Ken Sorenson and Dennis Wright with Dianne Black Nixon, Tim Welles and John Seaborn the elected representatives. The first meeting of the new U.S. Team Committee was held in September 2003 just prior to the mid-year SSA board meeting in Dallas.
 

US Soaring Team Committee Structure

US Soaring Team Task Force