Tom Kiesling (Pilot)

Tom is a 35 year old Mechanical Engineer from Pennsylvania. Tom has been modeling for over 20 years and is well known for his own design planes that push the state of the technology. In particular he is known for his design of the Mantis, a revolutionary pod and boom thermal soaring machine that has been kitted by Phil Barnes and is quite popular in the Eastern Soaring League.

Tom's collaboration with Dr. Drela has resulted in one of the most interesting new entries in the F3J sailplane world, the Supra. While competing with his own design planes, Tom has recorded an extraordinary achievement record placing him in the top echelons of soaring in the USA.

Tom was a member of the 2004 and 2006 US F3J team. Tom has also been an alternate for 2001 and 2003 US F3B teams, multi time National Champion, and a multi time Eastern Soaring League Season Champion.


 

Mike Smith (Pilot)

Professionally, Mike is a licensed civil engineer and currently is Vice President of BHA, Inc., a civil engineering, planning and land surveying firm in Carlsbad, California.  This business specializes in private development for both commercial and residential properties, sewer and waterline plans and public and private street improvement plans.  Mike has been in the civil engineering industry for 23 years.

Personally, Mike lives in Scripps Ranch, a community of San Diego, California with his Fiancée Jeannie and her two Boxers Dallas and Gracie.  He has a 9 year old daughter named Carly.  He moved to California with his parents back in 1976, and has been a resident of San Diego County ever since.

As far as RC soaring goes, Mike was introduced to it by his father back in 1975.  His first model was a single channel (rudder only) Nomad, which he flew often when he accompanied his father to the flying field.  He has been involved in competitive RC soaring since about 1978 under the tutelage of Mark Smith.  He is the current 2006 National Champion for unlimited, F3B, and handlaunch class sailplanes.  He won the first ever World Soaring Masters Contest in Muncie in late September, 2006, and he was the Unlimited Class National Champion in 2004.  He has won his share of contests over the last 30 years Visalia in 2000, and took top honors for the Western States Triad series in 2001.  His favorite event is F3B.  He says it challenges both plane and pilot like no other RC soaring event, and it more closely approaches being a true "sport" than other formats.

Currently, his favorite gliders include the Sharon Pro 3.7 cross tail, the Warp-T and Altus (Perlick-Germany), the Estrella (Fisher-Germany), the XP-4 (DLG Polecat Aeroworks), and the Encore (DLG Maple Leaf Designs).  He uses the Airtronics Stylus for guidance on all of his gliders.

Sharon 3.7 Pro Tips by Mike Smith

Aaron Valdes (Pilot)

Aaron Valdes has been involved with radio controlled gliders since he was eight years old, when his dad Al took him out to fly an Olympic 2. Flying model airplanes has been in his blood ever since. Aaron has flown various types of aircraft, from control line, to free flight, to power planes and even UAV’s. He first got into glider competition when he was 15 years old. Reading about Don Edberg and Joe Wurts in the magazines inspired him to improve his flying skills so that he could someday compete with them. Many hours of practice at the flying field, and many trips with his mom to the southern California contests helped expose Aaron to the world’s best thermal pilots.

Eventually, his friendship with Don Edberg and Don Vangundy led Aaron to pursue a career in engineering. Today, Aaron is an Aerospace Engineer at General Atomics developing advanced take off and landing systems. He has worked on a number of different UAV’s and enjoys how his experience with radio controlled airplanes has given him a unique perspective in aerospace engineering.

In 1995, Aaron won unlimited class at the AMA/LSF Nats. One year later he repeated as unlimited champ in 1996. He earned first alternate slots on the F3B team in 1999 and 2005. This year he will be a flying team member for the 2007 US F3B team. “I am honored to represent the United States at the world championships in Switzerland. I am lucky that I have made some life long friendships that helped me reach for my goals.”

“Today my favorite planes are in my garage. The Europhia 2V is an absolute rocket, while the Sharon 3.7 Pro is almost the perfect thermal plane. When it comes to pure fun, it is hard to beat flying my 6.6 meter Nimbus 4.” Radio guidance has been exclusively Futaba since 1995.

Craig Greening (Team Manager)

Craig has been involved in modeling for about 25 years, having been taught to fly by his father while growing up in Sydney, Australia. He moved to the United States in '99 and became involved in soaring in 2001.

He was the alternate pilot for the 2006 USA F3J team and part of both the 2002 and 2006 US F3J teams as a tower and helper. He has flown F3B at club level and was Base A helper for Mike and Aaron at the 2004 Team Select.

Recently, his interests have turned to Giant Scale racing. He was the F1-GT Gold race winner in Ohio and 2006 USRA Rookie of the Year. He continues to fly thermal duration, preferring the Pike Superior and Supra, and flies a Blaster in hand launch events.

He is an active full size pilot and works as an aircraft sheet metal mechanic in Van Nuys, CA.

Peter Baumeler (Asst. Team Manager)

I am currently employed by the Northwestern Michigan College as a teacher at The Great Lakes Culinary Institute and was voted teacher of the year for 2005. I started my career as a chef with an apprenticeship in Luzern, Switzerland and I am bilingual (German, English). I immigrated to the USA in the early eighties. I worked, as a chef, in Taos NM, Vail CO, Santa Barbara CA, and Swan Lake MT.  I was also involved in hang gliding at that time.

For the past 10 years, I have lived in Traverse City, Michigan where I now live with my Fiancée Leanne. I am active in our local club “Lift”. My son and daughter, Eric and Sara, live close by.

I picked up RC ten years a go and started competing in F3J. As a member of Lift with 6 Level V Pilots, I had to grow up quick. I am flying currently a Stork II Pro, Fazer, Supra, Pike Perfect and Espada. I also fly scale with ASW 27, Fox, and a Rohnsperber. I have access to a slope was well.

David Klein (Helper - Base B)

David Klein had the coolest 3^rd grade show-and-tell ever. David’s father, Rich brought in David’s Airtronics Olympic 650. All of the kids got a chance to check out his plane and wiggle the transmitter sticks to move the rudder and elevator. 

David has been flying model aircraft since he was 6 years old when his father Richard Klein taught him to fly.  David gained his first R/C experience at a local gas club, earning his solo rating by the age of eight.  He soon took up flying gliders and there was no turning back.  David took a long break from RC planes while in high school.  During college he joined the Torrey Pines Gulls and jumped in head first.  David is now a slope mentor for the Torrey Pines Gulls, and a board member for the Southern California Slope Racing organization.  He is an avid slope racer.  His favorite event is Unlimited Class Man on Man slope racing. Recently David has begun flying with Aaron Valdes and Mike Smith and has gained a passion for Thermal Duration and F3b contests.  “F3b is the highest test of both glider and pilot.  I can’t imagine a more challenging event.”  Currently David enjoys all aspects of soaring; from D.S. to T.D. it is all fun. 

David Klein is a structural engineer, currently working on his masters degree at the University of California at San Diego.  He is focusing his research in composite aerospace structures, working on small unmanned aircraft.   

David was recently married to Kate Holoman Klein this past July in Davis, California.  Kate and David live in a townhouse they bought last year in Scripps Ranch, a community of San Diego, California.  Kate and David spend their time taking care of their three year old German Shepard named Leah.

Mike Lachowski (1st Alternate Pilot)

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