WeCoach | How Does the Success Story Continue?

In 2021 an idea took shape in the minds of Uli Gmelin and Ronald Reith, one that would shape many young pilots in the years to follow: to train Germany's most promising talents exactly where cross-country and mountain flying are practiced at world-class level. Six years later, WeCoach is a fixture in German junior glider pilot development, and the results speak for themselves.

This is WeCoach

Every year, WeCoach supports four juniors from the top of the WeGlide Free junior ranking with two weeks of intensive cross-country flight training each. Two of them fly in spring in Puimoisson 🇫🇷, and the other two head to Worcester 🇿🇦 in November. Both, two of the most appealing flying areas in the world. Flying takes place in Arcus M and Arcus T gliders belonging to the Achumer Störche, side by side with experienced coaches. All active and former national team members from various countries. That is exactly the program's distinguishing feature: no other program trains junior pilots so intensively in mountain flying at the world's flying hotspots. Travel, accommodation, tows, aircraft, and meals are all covered. Another distinguishing feature is the panel that selects the candidates: alongside the Achumer Störche and the WeGlide team, the previous year's award recipients also have a say.

The Results

Nearly all previous WeCoach award recipients can now be found near the top: in daily rankings, on competition lists, and in the national gliding team. 20 juniors supported in six years. Judging by the results, WeCoach has nothing to be modest about, and anyone who has heard a former recipient talk about their time in the mountains knows what this program sets off in young pilots.

Who makes this possible

The organization behind it is the association Achumer Störche e.V., which owns both gliders outright (100%). The association consists of members who co-financed the aircraft through interest-free loans. These members can use the aircraft for between 8 and 10 euros per flight hour. Other members pay between 260 and 290 euros per day.

For WeCoach, the association provides the aircraft at the reduced rate (8 or 10 euros), well aware that this does not cover costs. On top of that, they cover the candidates' membership fees. The entire organization is handled by the Achumer Störche together with the WeGlide team, which takes care of evaluation, invitations, jury meetings, and all public relations work.

Then there are the people without whom none of this would be possible: the coaches, all active and former national team members. Each year, a younger trainer is deliberately brought in as well, such as Hendrik Theiss, Philipp Ruhr, or Lukas Blattmann. So, that the knowledge grows into the next generation. For the trip to Puimoisson, where the team and aircraft travel together by two cars and both trailers, Alfred Spindelberger sponsors the accommodation year after year. In Worcester, Sven Olivier of the South African national team provides his hangar free of charge for three months for both aircraft. He is also available as an experienced local, and as a coach. To him, and to all individual donors, our gratitude is due. Thank you for making WeCoach possible!

And now it's up to all of us

As good as the results are, the situation must be stated honestly: the funds of the association supporting sports soldiers (a German cooperation between gliding and the military), which have largely carried WeCoach in recent years, are unfortunately coming to an end. For the program to continue in its current form, new sponsors are needed.

Last year's cost breakdown shows every line item: roughly €7,040 in Puimoisson, roughly €11,070 in Worcester. Together about €18,100 per year. For supporting four juniors at world-class level, that comes to €4,525 per pilot. A budget that already contains a great deal of volunteer effort and sponsored services.

The Achumer Störche keep a separate account for WeCoach: all donations flow there. All program costs listed in the table are paid from it. WeCoach does not fund the private flying of initiators or trainers. If flying takes place outside the program, that is paid for privately.

Building on it, not just saving it

WeCoach is meant not just to continue, but to grow. On the agenda: including a South African candidate in Worcester, in the longer term opening up to further nations, and eventually handing over the organization to a WeCoach alumni generation. Anyone who supports WeCoach is therefore not rescuing a dying model, but investing in the next generation of international gliding.

How you can help

Whether as a main sponsor, with an in-kind contribution like Alfred and Sven, or as an individual donor of any amount: every contribution keeps this program alive!

Depending on the level of donations, those responsible will decide in mid-September 2026 whether WeCoach will continue. If it is not feasible, donations will be returned to the donors.

Donations can be made to:

Achumer Störche e.V.
IBAN: DE52 2555 1480 0313 3231 31
BIC: NOLADE21SHG

Or simply directly via this link or the QR code:

If you want to donate but still have questions, or want to do an international cooperation, feel free to contact: uli.gmelin@proton.me or ronald.reith@hamburg.de.

Six years of WeCoach have shown what's possible when talent meets the right support. Let's work together to make sure that next year, four more young pilots again head off into the mountains 🙏

Honor Roll & Testimonials | All WeCoach Award Recipients Since 2021

Behind every success are faces. WeCoach has supported these 20 juniors since 2021. Many of them now shape the top tier of German junior gliding.

"What I was able to improve on the most were the basics of mountain flying — I gained confidence flying close to slopes and, as a result, also gained a sense of safety. This helped me enormously in my flying in southern France too!"

Jonas (Worcester, 2025)

"As a newcomer to mountain flying, the program was the perfect introduction, being guided into this fascinating discipline by experienced trainers. Especially great was the chance to fly in Worcester — a fantastic area that I probably would never have sought out on my own."

Ben (Worcester, 2024)

"My time with WeCoach was an absolute game-changer for me, giving me a deep understanding of alpine flying that still resonates today. Thanks to this training, in the following years I was able to achieve not only strong cross-country flights but even a complete migratory glider flight across the entire Alps."

Jannis (Puimoisson, 2023)

"The real-time coaching in the two-seater with highly dedicated trainers is simply outstanding. It allows flight technique, tactics, and optimal route choice to be trained extremely intensively and directly during the flight."

Gerrit (Puimoisson, 2022)

"What excites me about WeCoach is that individual potential also counts in the selection process, so that junior pilots with less high-performance aircraft also have a real chance. This fair concept allowed me to learn from competition professionals in South Africa and to develop enormously."

Jan (Worcester, 2021)

"Despite having more than 1,000 flight hours, it was only through the excellent balance of performance ambition and safety awareness that I truly learned to feel at home in the mountains. A year later I even came back to deepen what I had learned and pass on my knowledge to new alpine pilots."

Nils Schlautmann (Puimoisson, 2025)

All participants of recent years

2021 · Worcester: Felix Kries · Jan Schulz 2022 · Puimoisson: Eric Schneider · Gerrit Neugebauer 2022 · Worcester: Julia Steine · Karol Müller 2023 · Puimoisson: Lucas Brune · Jannis Däuble 2023 · Worcester: Nils Heck · Ben Fuglsang-Petersen 2024 · Puimoisson: Paul Schwarz · Hannes Paulus 2024 · Worcester: Jonas Zeller · Florian Taigel 2025 · Puimoisson: Leon Bartmann · Nils Schlautmann 2025 · Worcester: Finn Schelter · Benedikt Bursian 2026 · Puimoisson: Elias Weber · Luca Martini