Pete Harvey - British Gliding Champion

Pete Harvey, long time member of the British Gliding Team selected Trig for his state of the art high performance glider, a Jonkers JS1 C. “Weight is a vital part of a glider pilot’s consideration – the Trig TT22 and TY91 are installed to save weight and free up panel space.”

Pete said, “The transponder will allow me to contemplate direct flights to Norway and the South of France from the UK, I’m already looking forward to flying these distances in this high performance machine.”

Pete also hopes his Jonkers machine will add an edge to his competitive flying, “The JS1 has been wind tunnel tested by the world’s top designers to deliver every ounce of soaring capability and speed performance. With a 60:1 glide ratio it’s the ultimate low drag design, capable of cruising between 120-130 knots.”

Pete’s flying career had a less than ideal start

“Back in the 19070’s my first instructor was a hang glider pilot who’d only been flying for three weeks. His leg was in a plaster cast from a recent flying accident.”

Thankfully Peter survived and after taking part in hang glider competitons he graduated to gliders. “I realised that gliders could take me much further and faster. I loved to explore the sky, learning about the weather, learning from nature – the weather is such an endless and complex phenomina.” His affinity for the elements still provides Pete with a huge buzz and perhaps explains his competition success. “It’s incredible when the world’s top 50 pilots are all in one place, you’re all working hard to discover what the air is capable of delivering. Every second, every foot of altitude matters, you have to maintain incredible levels of concentration. Being under that pressure for six hours means you have to be physically fit. Success requires you to use all your knowldege and experience and sometimes a bit of luck helps too!”

Pete won the European Open Class competition in 2005, 2007 and 2009. In the Gliding World Championship in Texas last year he achieved the fastest average speed of 160 kts on his distance tasks. He will be flying for team GB in the 2014 World Championships, supported of course by his Trig radio and transponder.