5 time world Champion Daryl Perkins will be joined by new young guns Jody Miller (center) and Chris Lee (right)
Welcome to the official website of the 2014 USA F3J team. We hope that you will return here often to see how the preparation for our journey to Martin, Slovakia in 2014 is developing. As most of you know our national organization (the AMA) sponsors our FAI Teams but this valuable sponsorship only pays for a small portion of the costs to send a team to a World Championships. This year has seen a huge reduction in the funding of FAI Teams by our National body and as a result we must rely on you – our fellow sail-planers to help us with fundraising to make up for the extra costs that sending this very competitive team will incur.
Slovakia is a very long way from the USA and the cost of airfares alone are extremely expensive. We are also faced with the decreased buying power of the US dollar. We would like the US Team to be able to spend as much time as possible readying for the competition, and not have to worry about how they will pay for air tickets, transportation, and model shipping.
We hope that you will help your national team by buying tickets in the giant raffle we are planning or by buying some Team apparel. If you want to simply make a tax deductible donation you may do that also. We have provided a team store and shopping cart on this site for your convenience and you can use Visa, Mastercard or AMEX to make your purchase. The raffle includes many fantastic prizes, donated by our fabulous Sponsors in the RC soaring industry. As time goes by check out the growing and amazing list of raffle prizes and please purchase tickets to win.
This 2014 USA Worlds Team has phenomenal potential to retain the World Championships Team Gold medal won in South Africa in 2012. With DP returning to mentor and guide two very successful young guns in Jody Miller and Chris Lee, we have a very strong team to win individual gold as well. Go to the BIO page here to learn more about the team. The Junior Team is also in great shape to finish on the podium as the same three very talented pilots that flew in South Africa return to do it again with 2 more years of experience and 2 more years of newly honed skills in their armory. For some, this will be the modeling competition experience of their lives, filled with excitement and the potential to meet new life long friends.
The Junior team is extremely strong and very experienced – L to R – Dominic Lewis, Tristan Sherman, Dillon and alternate Jason Friedman.
Please help us reach our fundraising goals and come back regularly to see the raffle prize list grow and watch for regular updates here as the Team practices for the event in Slovakia.
Thank you for your support
The US Team was chosen at the Team Selection event held in Chicago IL by the SOAR club between August 31st and September 2nd 2013. The top 3 senior pilots and the top 3 junior pilots at this contest became our US representatives for the Worlds. The 4th placed pilots in each category will be available as the alternates in case a competitor is unable to make the trip. The 3 senior pilots are Jody Miller, Daryl Perkins and Chris Lee with Blayne Chastain as the alternate. The three junior pilots are Tristan Sherman, Dillon Graves and Dominick Lewis with Jason Friedman the alternate.
Go Team USA!