Chris Schrader, R6N Contest Manager
Chris Schrader was born and raised in the Florida Keys (as you can see by the photo above, whether you're on the water or up in the air, you can never wear too much sun screen). By age 2, his father took Chris flying with him at Kendall Gliderport over Everglades National Park by strapping him into a child's car seat in the back of a Schweizer 2-33. Chris soloed at age 18, flew briefly at North Florida Soaring Society and came back to the sport earning his PPG rating at Tampa Bay Soaring Society and subsequently attended the 2005 U.S. Team Sponsored Junior Cross-Country Soaring Camp at Harris Hill. Before going to law school, Chris briefly flew with the Minnesota Soaring Club in 2007, and later joined Adrian Soaring Club where he mostly soared the club's Standard Cirrus. After a five plus year hiatus from soaring, getting married, having 3 kids, and starting a new business, Chris returned to the sport once again in 2015 joining Sandhill Soaring Club and becoming their treasurer. Chris was nominated to the SSA's Board of Directors in 2017 (Region 6), and given his professional background and eagerness to promote soaring, was named Chair of the SSA's Growth & Retention Committee. Chris is a self-described "Sailplane Racing Enthusiast" who enjoys SSA, WGC, SGP, and Formula 1.0 racing formats.
In July of 2017, Chris lead a pilot project for the SSA and was instrumental in commissioning Steven Shea, founder of Abyssmal Entertainment, to film and document the 2017 U.S. Juniors Camp Contest at Harris Hill (obtaining nearly 4 Tb of video, interviews, etc). Its aim was to obtain high production value B-roll footage and to produce two short promotional videos that will soon premiere at the 2018 SSA Convention in Reno, Nevada. Among other things, the next big project will include the development of digital (including web and social media products) and print marketing materials for the SSA, including brochures and other items that feature QR codes linked to demographically targeted SSA promotional videos. Such materials will include a space for your local soaring club to affix their label with the club's contact information and website URL address. In an effort to accomplish these goals as cost effectively as possible, the SSA is soliciting member donated video footage (including GoPro video and other raw 4K quality video). For more info about this program, click here to make an inquiry. You can expect to receive a reply e-mail in 3-5 business days.
When Chris isn't working, raising kids, or volunteering at his home club or for the SSA, he enjoys flying his club's 17.74m Schempp-Hirth Open Cirrus (N77CN), nicknamed "Chicken Noodle." While Chris had crewed for others and flew a couple of "practice days," back in 2005, he just recently completed his first sanctioned contest in September of 2017 at Blue Ridge Soaring Society's Region 4 South contest in New Castle, VA. When Chris isn't flying he enjoys mentoring Juniors and beginners in cross-country soaring. All three of his children have flown with him in Sandhill Soaring Club's Schweizer 2-33A and share their dad's love for everything aviation (there's airplanes, towplanes, gliders and spacecraft scattered all over the house as you read this).
In July of 2017, Chris lead a pilot project for the SSA and was instrumental in commissioning Steven Shea, founder of Abyssmal Entertainment, to film and document the 2017 U.S. Juniors Camp Contest at Harris Hill (obtaining nearly 4 Tb of video, interviews, etc). Its aim was to obtain high production value B-roll footage and to produce two short promotional videos that will soon premiere at the 2018 SSA Convention in Reno, Nevada. Among other things, the next big project will include the development of digital (including web and social media products) and print marketing materials for the SSA, including brochures and other items that feature QR codes linked to demographically targeted SSA promotional videos. Such materials will include a space for your local soaring club to affix their label with the club's contact information and website URL address. In an effort to accomplish these goals as cost effectively as possible, the SSA is soliciting member donated video footage (including GoPro video and other raw 4K quality video). For more info about this program, click here to make an inquiry. You can expect to receive a reply e-mail in 3-5 business days.
When Chris isn't working, raising kids, or volunteering at his home club or for the SSA, he enjoys flying his club's 17.74m Schempp-Hirth Open Cirrus (N77CN), nicknamed "Chicken Noodle." While Chris had crewed for others and flew a couple of "practice days," back in 2005, he just recently completed his first sanctioned contest in September of 2017 at Blue Ridge Soaring Society's Region 4 South contest in New Castle, VA. When Chris isn't flying he enjoys mentoring Juniors and beginners in cross-country soaring. All three of his children have flown with him in Sandhill Soaring Club's Schweizer 2-33A and share their dad's love for everything aviation (there's airplanes, towplanes, gliders and spacecraft scattered all over the house as you read this).