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 a pilot for the 2007 US F3B team and an alternate for 2001 and 2003 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

Mike Lachowski (Pilot)

Mike Lachowski started in RC at age 11. He has been scratch building models for a long time and have experience in all sailplane construction techniques including CAD design of molds and molded construction. He has also built everything needed to support F3B contests from winches to sighting devices and even an automated F3B signaling/timing/counting system to reduce the help required to timing and score F3b contests and minimize errors by officials.

Mike started the Radio Control Soaring Exchange, back in the stoneages of the Internet which served as a great communications channel for the soaring community for many years. He was awarded the LSF Le Grey Award for Outstanding Service to Soaring for his efforts in running RCSE and supporting F3b in the US.

He is the current 2008 National Champion for RES, Unlimited and F3B sailplanes and past National Champion in 2Meter, RES, F3B. Mike was alternate for the 2007 US F3b Soaring Team and a member of the 2003 US F3b Soaring Team.

Radio - JR12X; F3b sailplanes - Tool, Ceres; Unlimited - Supra, Virga; RES - Bubble Dancer; Nostalgia - Mirage; 2M - Aegea 2M; Scale - 1:2.9 Foka 4, 1:3 Salto, 1:4 Pilatus B-4; Lots of slope trash and small electrics for fun flying.