2024 Uvalde, TX
38th FAI World Gliding Championship
flying Uvalde, TX
Life in South Texas is hot with excellent soaring conditions.
The US Soaring Team flew in three classes with pilots in Open, Standard and 20 Meter Multi Seat. Results are available on SoaringSpot.com.
Our 20m team consisted of Karl Striedieck, John Good, Sarah & Jason Arnold. Our home together was a comfortable Texas Ranch house minutes from the airfield.
The best part of flying the 2024 world gliding championships at Uvalde wasn’t the weather, the social events, the steady grind of high level soaring competition, but a chance to spend time with family and our best friends.
You see, Sarah and I both have roots in Texas, I was born beyond the hill country in Bryan and Sarah’s grandmother Dorothy grew up in Uvalde as a caring and resilient young woman. Uvalde is special for us both, and now more than ever because it’s where Sarah and Karl earned the title of World Champions.
Read: 2 World Champions! - SSA.org
other pilots and crews
Flying a world championships as a tow pilot was cool, but I’m proud to have crewed the glider (think pit crew). Pilots and crews withstood hot and sometimes unhospitable waits until the first gliders launched.
Karl and Sarah flew Larry Timpson’s glider “Lee-MAH” because he’s a glider racer too and wants them perform their best. Larry is an important part of the Sarah and Karl team, he made it possible for them to practice in and win with the worlds best 20M glider, the Arcus M.
The race launches and landings are usually the most exciting part to see for spectators; however, glider racing of all kinds can be watched online. Using tracking devices installed in gliders and visualization applications running on the web we can see what’s going on through the Open Glider Network.
Thanks to all pilots, crews, volunteers and the contest organization, not to mention others who have donated time and money to the realization that Yes, the United States can win at this game of international soaring!
see you at the gliderport - JA
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