Jacek, you,re so right.
3 years ago a polish junior was invited to our world class national
comp.
He did not have a glider for 2 (1000pts ea) days....and you know what
happened.
The same kid won world championships in PW-5 next year.
And the same "kid"(he is not a junior now) won this year's club class
world championship.
Lets look at the american champion.
U.S. is a nobody on the world's arena for the last 20 years. There is
no role model.
In his life time ,US average instructor did not fly further from
airport than his L/D would alow ( off duty, his glider has to have min
40 L/D).This is why a american pilot would be afraid of the
PW-5.(Germans just don't want to lose the customers buying expensive
fiber).
U.S. average junior gets discounts (great start) on flying but nobody
(except his father or his uncle) will coach him in cross country
flying.
Juniors here don't deserve to have their own regionals or nationals.
Instructors wannabes don't have yearly camps to get their licence and
be new soaring leaders/cross country promoters for juniors.
Lately the only bright star in the U.S. sky is Garret Willat and his
friends from New Mexico and Colorado, whose successful struggle to
form and unite U.S. junior's commiunity.
Juniors don't mind flying PW-5 or Libelle, they are not afraid.
They don't cry if they get a 7 hour task like most comp pilots in US.
US World Class pilots support fully every year juniors (paying for
tows and entry fees and for the glider) at PW-5 competitions.
Ryszard Krolikowski