GBSC Flight Instructors

    Roy Bourgeois    
  I learned to fly in 1973 at White Mountain Airport North Conway NH and have since logged over 2000 hours at over 40 sites in the US and abroad. I have logged over 500 hours in the White Mountains and over 800 hours instructing. I have flown over 35 different gliders ranging in age and performance from an LK-10 to the ASW-17. I hold a Silver C (No. 4033) with two diamonds (distance and goal) and lack the diamond badge only because I have never claimed the altitude leg officially. I have several + 20,000' flights, 3 +25,000' and 1 to 27,200' most at MWN.

I have around 450 hours XC and my diamond distance flight in 1986 (547km/ 336 miles) is still the Massachusetts (and Region 1) O&R record and (I believe) the longest pre-declared flight ever done in the Region. It is one of only 3 diamond distance flights done in Massachusetts.

I am a past Director of the SSA (Region 1), served for many years on the SSA Insurance Committee, and am currently a Director of the National Soaring Foundation. I am also a member of the National Association of Flight Instructors. I have been affiliated with MITSA and NESA and was a founder of the New England Soaring Council which sponsored the 1984 SSA Convention in Hartford.

     
Phillip Gaisford   Chief Flight Instructor
  I started gliding in England in 1974 whilst still at high school. I got my FAI silver badge in 1976, and followed up with gold distance and first diamond in 1978, completing my diamond badge in 1988. I picked up a British instructor rating in 1979. Climate is a problem for a glider pilot in England, so I decided to try my luck elsewhere, moving to Switzerland in 1982 where I logged about 1000 hours of flying in the Alps.

I started contest flying in England in 1981, and have had the opportunity to compete in many European countries. I have won several regional championships, was the best placed British pilot in the 1992 European Championships in Hungary, and Swiss champion in 1993. Since moving to the U.S. I have competed in National Championships in Vermont, California, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Georgia, Texas and Nevada, sometimes finishing in the top ten.

I currently have about 2500 hours in gliders.
     
John Hansman   Chief Pilot
  http://web.mit.edu/aeroastro/www/people/rjhans/bio.html
     
Ritts Howard    
photo not available   bio not available
     
Karl Krueger    
Karl began his flying career in the mid-forties flying primary gliders in Germany. The method of launch for these early designs was bungee cord or winch. He and his wife immigrated to the United States in 1954 where he soon established himself as a skilled gunsmith. In 1959 Karl became a naturalized citizen and had a well-established retail business. Even with a young family and growing business Karl was drawn back to soaring in 1963 by becoming a member of the Icarus Soaring Club in New Jersey. He earned his private glider rating in 1964. In 1968 he moved his family and business to Brookfield, Connecticut and flew with the NY Grass Hoppers Association out of Wursboro, N.Y. In 1974 he began flying with the Connecticut Soaring Association in Plymouth, Connecticut and soon earned his commercial rating. After several years as a part time commercial pilot, he earned his instructor's certificate. In 1980 he founded Cloud Base Club, Inc. also based in Plymouth, Connecticut. The club grew quickly in members and aircraft.

In 1997 Karl became a member of MITSA. He is an experienced instructor with more than 2,200 hours in gliders. His area of interest in instructing includes spin training and emergency procedures.
     
Fred Looft    
 

Fred Looft starting flying 2-22's in 10th grade in high school in Cleveland, OH in 1968.   At that time he achieved about 150 winch launches and came very close to earning his glider pilot's license.  Unfortunately, life, family, college and bills intervened after HS graduation.   Although he managed to fly with friends in dozens of different airplanes ranging from a DC3 to a PT-23 and many types in between, he only started back seriously flying with MITSA about 1999.  In short order he earned his pilot's, commercial (2003) and instructor rating (2005).  Along the way he picked up a great glider partner (Eric Frere), imported a DG300 which they co-owned for about 5 years.  In late 2005 they sold the DG300 and purchased a brand new standard class Glasflugel 304C N19FL which will fly for the first time at the start of the 2006 soaring season.  He is avidly seeking to extend his XC abilities with the help of friends in GBSC.  When not flying gliders you can find Fred at WPI where he is a Professor and Head of the WPI Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, or (his second passion) hiking/backpacking/mountaineering four-seasons a year.
     
Michael Newman    
  I've been flying since 1972 and an instructor since 1977. I have about 5000 hours mixed between power and soaring with a couple of thousand sailplane launches. I have all three diamonds and have flown a 600km flight out of Sugarbush. I instruct at GBSC and sometimes at Sugarbush.

Most of my soaring experience is cross country flight. I keep an LS-8 at Sterling and am a partner in the Duo Discus on the field. Over the years I have owned a Phoebus, Libelle, Ventus, Ventus turbo, LS-8 and a Duo Discus. I compete at the regional and national level.
     
Steve Paavola    
  bio not available
     
Ken Rosenberg    
  I have lived in Taunton since 1977, where I practice Veterinary medicine. I started flying lessons in 1980 at Mansfield, finished in 1981 at Plymouth, and then immediately started taking glider lessons from Geoff Love at Plymouth. I got my glider license in 1982. A few years later I passed the commercial glider flight test and, by 1988, I had my CFIG. I think it was around 1990 that I first joined MITSA. I had my first glider flight in 1972 or 1973, the weekend after Hurricane Agnes, at the Schweitzer glider operation in Elmira, N.Y. I have flown at Sugarbush, Caddo Mills, Derek Johnson's place south of Atlanta, Derek's airport in South Carolina where we got our auto tow rating, Pepperell, Orange, Plymouth, Mansfield, Norfolk, and Sterling. I have owned a Cessna 152, Schleicher K6-CR, two Grob 103's, and now my Super Cub. I have about 600 hours in powered aircraft and about 600 hours and 1600 flights in gliders and motor gliders. 
     
Kim Vandiver    
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Kim_Vandiver
     
Tony Verhulst    
  Like most of us, flying has been on my mind ever since I can remember.  My actual flying career began with hang gliders in 1974 and I was involved in that sport for many years.  I got my private pilot license, both airplane and glider, in 1985 and added a commercial glider rating a few years later.  In 1995 I earned my advanced ground instructor and glider flight instructor licenses.  I have been a GBSC member since 1993 and currently own and fly an LS-6b.  When not flying gliders, I may be seen flying airplanes, a Cessna 182. Have a look at my soaring photo gallery. 
     
Andrew Watson    
 

I solo'd in 1993 at Aston Down in the West of England, and finished my Silver badge at Cambridge gliding club (an hour north of London) in 1995. In 1996 I began a five year assignment in the USA, based in Boston, and began flying with MITSA. I got an FAA instructor rating in 1999 and did a couple of seasons in the back seat of MITSA's white L23s before returning home to Cambridge in 2001, where I completed my Gold badge and my BGA instructor rating in 2002. Business takes me to the USA a few times a year, when I visit Sterling to fly and drink Bass at Barber's Crossing. When not instructing at Cambridge Gliding Club (http://www.glide.co.uk), I try to improve my cross-country speed in my shared ASW20c, working towards a diamond distance. I have about 600 hours, around half from ground-launches. Anyone who's visiting the UK and would like to get a ground-launch sign-off is welcome to drop me a line and we can arrange a day's winching at Cambridge. Punting on the Cam is optional.
     
Tom Witkin   Safety Officer
  bio not available
     
Dave Zlotek    
photo not available   bio not available