Sailplane Grand Prix finals this year at Potchefstroom airfield

From 5 to 12 November the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI) Sailplane Grand Prix Final will be taking place at the Potchefstroom Airfield. This event will be something to remember with Sailplane pilots from all over the world.

The FAI Sailplane Grand Prix (SGP) is a world class series of gliding competitions held over a duration of one year at ten different locations around the world. This year the 7th FAI/SGP Final will be at the Potchefstroom airfield, South Africa, hosted by the Potchefstroom Gliding Club and Jonker Sailplanes. Twenty of the world’s top sailplane pilots will compete for the coveted title of World Champion and the South African Public will be able to view this spectacular event live on the internet or at the Potchefstroom Airfield.

A sailplane (or glider) is a type of aircraft, typically without and an engine, used in the sport of gliding. Sailplanes are aerodynamically streamlined and are capable of soaring in rising air, called thermals. Gliders can remain airborne for hours at a time covering hundreds of kilometers; this is known as soaring. Modern sailplanes are extremely refined, designed for maximum performance and constructed from exotic composite materials like Carbon Fibre.
Sailplanes are categorised into seven different classes’ defined by their wingspans, performance, and weight: 18m Class, Open Class, 15m Class, 20m 2-seater class, standard class, club class and 13.5m class.
For more information, watch the video of Oscar Goudriaan explaining Sailplanes Classes, Competitions and what a Sailplane Grandprix is:

The purpose of a sailplane grandprix is to make the sport of gliding more spectacular for the general public. This event is a great way for the South African Public to get to know the sport of soaring. This is especially important because one of the World’s top Sailplanes, the JS1 Revelation, are manufactured in South Africa and will be competing in this event.
Some of the world’s top sailplane racing pilots will compete in this race along with South African current National Gliding Champion and previous World Champion, Oscar Goudriaan, who will be flying in a JS1. This event will also be only two months before the World Gliding Champions, in January 2017, held in Australia and thus a great way for the top Pilots to compete before the WGC.
The public will be able to follow the event live on the internet at https://www.sgp.aero/finals2016 and FAI/SGP Youtube, facebook and twitter accounts will also provide the latest information and results.

PILOTS COMPETING IN THE SGP FINALS:

Sebastian Kawa – Poland

John Coutts – New Zealand

Andy Davis – United Kingdom

Oscar Goudriaan – South Africa

Simon Schröder – Germany

Mike Young – United Kingdom

Vladas Motuza – Lithuania

Bostjan Pristavec – Slovenia

Jean-Denis Barrois – France

Holger Karow – Germany

Petr Krejcirik – Czech Republic

Luciano Avanzini – Italy

Jan Omsels – Germany

Christophe Abadie – France