Canadian National Soaring Team
The Canadian Soaring Team is selected by the Soaring Association of Canada based on combined results from the best 2 out of 3 previous National Soaring Championships and/or International competitions.
The 2017 Women's World Gliding Championships were hosted in Zbraslavice (Czech Republic) from May 17 to June 4, 2017.
For the most up to date information on Canada's participation in international glider competition, view the team website here and "Like" the team on Facebook to cheer them on!
Sergei Morozov
Pilot - 15m Class
Sergei's first glider flight took place on the 12th of April, 1980, and although it was not as death defying and dangerous as man's first flight into space on that day nineteen years earlier, it left him with unforgettable sensations and an indomitable pull back to the sky.
Luke Szczepaniak
Pilot - 15m Class
Luke Szczepaniak learned to fly gliders in 1997 at the Central Region Gliding School with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. He has been flying gliders competitively since 2008 in Canada and the USA. He holds a FAI Gold Badge with 2 Diamonds and a 1000km FAI Diploma.
Dave Springford
Pilot - 18m Class
Dave Springford started gliding at the age of 12 when his father taught him how to fly and he earned his glider pilot license at 16. Dave has been flying in Soaring competitions since 1989 in both Canada and the US and holds 3 Canadian speed records as well as an FAI gold badge with two out of three possible diamonds. He has accumulated 2900 hours in gliders and flown thousands of cross-country kilometres. Dave also holds a Commercial Pilot license with a Multi-engine and Instrument rating and is a volunteer glider instructor.
Jerzy Szemplinski
Pilot - 18m Class
Jerzy Szemplinski became a glider pilot in his native Poland when he was 16 years old. At 19 he started flying in competitions and became a junior vice-champion of Poland. By the age of 22 he had completed all the requirements for the FAI gold badge with three diamonds. For the next eight years, he participated in national contests as one of the youngest pilots in the country and also represented Poland in various international contests.
