The untrained eye can’t see it, but Uwe Wahlig’s competition glider is obsolete. Forty-plus years, three generations of wing profile refinements, and other design changes separate Wahlig’s plane from the latest gliders. But the reigning world gliding champion in the Club Class remains true to his trusty LS-3 sailplane built in 1977.

To be perfectly clear, as a senior developer at SAP, Wahlig doesn’t oppose technological advances. But when he sees value in something, he holds onto it and improves it. He applies this principle to many things in his life, but it’s perhaps most evident in his vintage glider. Together, Wahlig and his LS-3 “November Sierra” glider consistently finish ahead when competing against the best pilots and planes in the world.