Region 5 East Contest Information

Contest Personnel

Jayne Reid - Contest Manager and Tow Ops

Jayne began soaring in 1978. She’s a partner in Bermuda High Soaring School, holds a Commercial glider and Commercial power rating. She has flown in numerous regional and national contests, placed third in the 2004 World Class Nationals in Hobbs, NM, and finished second in 2008 in the Region 5 World Class held at Bermuda High Soaring.  She holds several state records. Jayne has been involved in contests since the early 80s. For Jayne, spring break from college consisted of crewing for Ben Greene and keeping roll times. She has towed at Chester, Lancaster, Perry, Chilhowee and Cordele and at a couple of exciting wave camps at Marion, NC.

Frank Reid - Operations Manager

Frank has been in soaring for over 22 years.  He is a past Chairman of the Board of the SSA.  He has been operations manager at several regional contests and at one national contest.  Frank has flown in numerous regional and national contests and won the sports class at the Region 5 contest held here at Bermuda High last year.  As an FAA Designated Examiner with over 6,000 hours in gliders, safety and integrity are prevailing principles. His expressions and wit are legendary, just ask the crew and pilots who attended the banquet at the Senior Championships in Florida!

Richard Maleady - Contest Director

Richard began soaring in 1989 and has accumulated over 1600 hours in gliders! He began his soaring journey when he soloed a 2-33 with Bermuda High and is presently flying his new Ventus  2cxT. Richard served in the past as our club president for two years. He is also a member of the Carolina Soaring Association as well as the New Castle, VA Soaring Club. He has competed in numerous regionals as well as 7 National Contests. His soaring and organizational experience was utilized by serving as the Team Captain for the Junior World Championships in Rieti, Italy in 2007. He served once again for the World Championships in 2008, also in Rieti. (He went back for the Mozzarella). This will be Richard’s fourth time acting as CD for a regional.

Thomas Robinson - Tow Pilot

Thomas Robinson is a rock around here. He is the “go to” guy when something needs to be fixed (or built - he built our winch from scratch).  He has been towing for us for 9 years and holds a Commercial power and glider rating. Flying an open cockpit 1-26 for his 5 hour duration was tough enough, but he followed that up with achieving his silver distance in a 1-26! Thomas has towed contests in Perry, Cordele and here at Bermuda High as well. He spends his spare time building and flying his Homebuilt aircraft, the Mini Max, Kolb Mark III and is presently building a Titan.

Mike Horner - Tow Pilot

Mike Horner started flying in 1974. A desire for aviation as a profession and sport was his goal and he continues to make it happen. He holds several ratings including: ATP Commercial-land, sea, Helicopter, Glider. Type rated in B-737,CE-500, CE-560, DA-20, DA-50, G-159, MD-11 plus he is a CFI, CFII, CFI-Glider. Mike has towed for the Tidewater club in VA., and has towed contests at Perry, Chilhowee and here at Bermuda High for the PW 5 Nationals.  And actually towed out of fields unknown during aero retrieves!

Lynda LaBerge - Tow Pilot

Lynda started flying gliders in 1999. She holds a commercial glider rating, commercial power rating, single and multiengine land with an instrument rating. Lynda flies her ASW-15 when not towing. Or a King Air, Diamond Jet or a DC-3! She has towed nationals and regionals at Cordele, GA, several regionals at Perry, SC and is a regular tow pilot at the GTA (Georgia Tennessee Alabama) series of race weekends. She owns an amazing Piper Pawnee with a 260hp O-540 Constant speed prop. Lynda and Jayne currently hold the "North Carolina Two Place Altitude Record" over Mount Mitchell, set March 21, 2004 with an altitude of 22,400 Feet in an` ASK 21.  She will, however, only be towing you to 2,000 feet.

Scott Fletcher - Weather

Scott Fletcher has been soaring for five years, competing for three, and instructing glider students for one year.  He is the past president, and an instructor for Carolina Soaring Association flying out of Spartanburg SC. He received his glider weather forecasting training from Sam Zimmerman, and has been doing the weather forecasting for his club for the last three years.  Oh yea..one other little thing..Scott would like to mention that his club has won the OLC contest for SSA region 5 for the last two years.

Rick Sheppe - Contest Scorer

Rick Sheppe has been flying and scoring contests since 1972.  He has worked at Sugarbush, Mifflin, Seminole Lake, Marfa, and Bermuda High. A former SSA Director, he has been involved with flight recorders, rules, and technical requirements for several years. Rick’s involvement in the sport stems from his immense participation with the Post Mills (VT) Soaring Club as CFIG, to an international contribution representing the United States to the IGC (International Gliding Commission) along with Chairman Eric Mozer.  Rick is the “go to” guy for scoring…and critical thinking!

Johnny Payne - Contest Photographer

Johnny Payne has been taking pictures and flying airplanes as long as I’ve know him which dates back to 1987. Johnny was crop dusting in his Pawnee and I was towing in mine. If I was just towing up to 1000 feet, I’d leave the engine running. As I was sitting in the Pawnee, waiting for the glider to land, here's Johnny running up to my plane. I remember he disappeared underneath my plane with a screwdriver in hand, he emerged with a bracket. Apparently he needed this bracket for spraying and as he saw it, it was certainly unnecessary on my plane. In the end, as payment for Pawnee parts, I received my first camera from Johnny, it was a Canon. Johnny had a recent (very successful) photography show at the Black Creek Arts Council in Hartsville, SC. I am pleased to have the first ever “official” regional photographer on board for R5E!