Author Archive for Bill Elliott

Bill is a Soaring Cafe Co-Founder and the Publishing Editor. He is a two-time U.S. 18m national champion with extensive racing and cross-country soaring experience. He represented the U.S. in the 18 meter class at the 2010 and 2012 FAI World Gliding Championships Bill earned his airplane rating in 1981, but was looking for new challenges by 1989 when the lure of motorless flight induced him to join the Huntsville Soaring Club. After soloing in a Blanik L – 13, Bill began soaring cross country in the club 1-26, then bought a Duster followed by an HP-18 a few years later. It was with that HP-18 that he won the Region 5 South Sports Class Championship in 1995, his first championship.

Women pilots

I confess that when I was a beginner I was a bit afraid of my application to the aeroclub. No surprise–there were not any women pilots. It was not easy to fight against stereotypes: men tend to believe that women just want to find a boyfriend or they think that a woman pilot cannot have a successful career. So…

Farewell to Frank Paynter (TA)

I am very saddened to learn that my friend and mentor Frank Paynter (TA), a long time Soaring Cafe contributor and racing enthusiast has been dealt the terminating blow from the SSA. Their decision from Frank’s email to me summarized is: No contests the rest of this year, no Seniors, no Perry, and no Nationals next year, anything past…

So long, Soaring

This is (probably – you never know for sure!) my last Soaring Cafe post. Last month, at the Minden 18m Nationals, I was disqualified for ‘unsafe thermalling’ in response to a written complaint from Dennis Linnekin (DL).  In addition to being disqualified from that event, I was prevented from competing in the 15m Nationals at Montague.…

FLIGHT MH 17!!!

With the tragic end of flight MH 17 from Malaysia Airlines above the East of the Ukraine, EVERYTHING seems unimportant. I started this blog a couple of days ago, when the beginning of the 33d WGC was one of the high leveled items for this blog. Now it is all totally unimportant, totally not relevant!!!…

US Sports Class Nationals Practice Day 1

Greetings from Midlothian, TX, home of the Texas Soaring Association, hosts of this years Sports Class Nationals. I’m here flying a 13 meter Apis. My sister Amy is assisting as my expert crew. We arrived last night after finishing up the Region 10 North contest back at home. I was the CD there and Amy…

Ireland’s First 500km Flight by Kevin Houlihan

My mother always claims that June 22nd is really the longest day. It certainly was for her in 1954 because on that day in that year I, her firstborn, arrived. I’m not sure if she has recovered yet. June 22nd this year was, for me, the longest day ever – in a glider.  I pedaled…

Patience, patience….

I had tonsillectomy at the end of June but after that I felt great (just pain in my throat, but no fever, etc.) So, one week later, I decided to fly again as I felt super-healthy… although I was a bit tired. No surprise, it is natural after a surgery. We had a task called…

Managing Schempp-Hirth and the “-us”

Tilo Holighaus talks about Business, Family and Soaring Following the rainy and cold WGC in Finland was a bit dissappointing, compared to the great Grand Prix in France two months ago… While in Finland the teams were talking about saunas, food and football, I couldn’t help thinking back to the pictures and reports which Tilo…