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Name: Phil Jones
Country: UK
Date of birth: 26th October 1965
Class: gp
Glider: Ventus 2B
Contest number: E4

Phil enters the Grand Prix after becoming the 18M World Champion in June.

Phil Jones was born into a gliding family in Winchester in 1965. His first glider flight was at the age of two months and he was never out of the cockpit of an aircraft for long, regularly flying with his father, Ralph, 8 times British Champion and a world championship competitor himself.

With this background it was almost inevitable that Phil would go on to become a leading competition pilot, winning the UK National title in 1995 (in the Open Class) and in 2002 (in the 18m Class). In the 2003 world championships in Lezsno, Phil gained a Bronze medal in the 18m class, alongside his brother Steve who won the Silver medal. In 2006 won the 18 m class at the world championships in Sweden.

Phil is also the holder of 10 UK Speed and distance records.

After leaving school, Phil joined the RAF where he flew a very different kind of aircraft – a Tornado GR1, clocking up 2000 fast jet hours. He now works as a commercial airline pilot with First Choice Airways, with over 7000 hours on Boeing 757s and Airbus A320s.

Phil flies at Lasham and has four children, Lora (20), Catherine (18) , Alexandra (16) and Matthew (14).