Anyone who has joined the German competition scene in recent decades will immediately recognize the D-6318 Nimbus 4. Young pilots participate with this aircraft in the  competition open class, which would hardly be possible for them without this glider. It was not uncommon for the juniors to cause a sensation and be a serious competitor. But what is actually behind the competition mark "EP"? The lettering on the tail unit is the first indication of a journey back to the beginnings.

Lady Enid Paget

If you research this name, you initially find relatively little about her and certainly nothing that could link her to gliding. But first things first, she had a particular fondness for gliding.

It was in the 1950s when Lady Enid met a couple of glider pilots in Angers, France. At the time, she lived near Angers, in one of the many castles in the area. As Lady Enid came from a very wealthy family, she could afford a correspondingly expensive hobby: she bought the best gliders (ASW 12, Foka 4) and lent them out free of charge to talented pilots who could not afford a suitable aircraft. Diether Memmert, who himself benefited from her support in the 1970s, recounts his first meeting with Lady Enid:

"I met her for the first time in 1966 in Angers at the Eurocup competition. Even back then, she offered prizes for young pilots at this competition, who were always very close to her heart. At that time, however, it was mainly various experienced French and Swiss pilots who benefited from her aircraft sponsorship. Later, Heinz Huth also had an ASW 12 from her for two years, as did Wolfgang Gross."

Diether Memmert himself also benefited from Lady Enid's support over the years. For the 1973 German Championships at Hahnweide, Diether was allowed to fly her brand new Nimbus 2, with which he achieved five daily victories. On the first day of the competition, however, he landed on a field in the Black Forest together with Manfred Dick. A friendship developed that would later also be relevant for the "Echo Papa" project.

But first Manfred Dick also benefited enormously from Lady Enid Paget's support. In 1976, he became German Junior Champion in the Standard class and was awarded the Nimbus 2 on the recommendation of Diether Memmert. Manfred was the first junior federal pilot under Lady Enid and the concept paid off. He flew it from 1977-1982 with great success. In 1979 Manfred became German Champion in Bückeburg and still holds the title of the youngest German Champion in the Open Class.

"For me as a young pilot of 25, it was an unforgettable experience to be allowed to fly a Nimbus 2. Many thanks to Lady Enid and Diether Memmert!"

Later, in 1990, he achieved the second 1000-km flight within Germany after Klaus Holighaus and the first with a two-seater (ASH 25). Klaus Holighaus had already achieved this in 1987 with the Nimbus 2, so there were 11 years between the two achievements. From today's perspective, it is hard to imagine that such a long time has passed without 1000 km being flown in Germany. However, in addition to the enormous advances in gliders, weather forecasts and analysis options, it is precisely these support programs that have contributed to today's performance density and have shaped many pilots.

Further back in time. In the years when Manfred Dick chased the Nimbus 2 through the skies, a new era in the Open Class was ushered in at the same time. The Nimbus 3 and the ASW 22 caused quite a stir and the Nimbus 2 was hardly able to compete. For unknown reasons, Lady Enid Paget was unable to invest any more money in her idea to purchase an adequate replacement for the Nimbus 2 at this time, but Diether Memmert, together with Manfred Dick and Sigi Baumgartl, proposed a new concept: the Nimbus 2 would be sold and in future only talented young pilots would be supported in the smaller classes. Lady Enid Paget was convinced by this idea. In 1984, the proceeds from the sale of the Nimbus 2 were used to purchase an LS 4 with the competition mark "EP". The "Echo Papa" sponsorship idea was born!

Echo Papa

Peter Fischer was the second junior to benefit from the new idea. He looks back on his time as an EP pilot with enthusiasm. A time filled with flying experiences and successes that would probably not have happened without those involved in the funding project.

"With the LS4, I was the second junior to be promoted after Manfred Dick and was able to fly both competitions and long-distance flights with it. One of them took me to the Barron Hilton Cup in the USA, the experience was indescribable! I was also able to finance my flying with the German Sports Aid that I now received. The "Robert Kronfeld Memorial Competition", for example, was a firmly planned source of money for me to be able to afford diesel for my car, entry fees and F-tows at championships. For me, this sponsorship was my entry into the national team, of which I was a member for almost 20 years. Without this sponsorship, I would probably have remained a model airplane pilot due to a lack of financial resources."

Holger Karow was in a similar situation at the time and was able to use the LS4 at the same time as Peter. Holger is still successful on the competition scene today, and Peter was also able to record good successes as part of the sponsorship project. In order to remain competitive in the standard class, the LS4 was soon replaced by a more powerful Discus, with which Peter traveled to the World Championships in Texas:

"I went to my first World Championships in Texas, USA, in 1991 with the D-0921 EP. I remember that time very well. I came 7th at the World Championships. I lacked a bit of luck for the podium. I also didn't take part in what I considered to be the sometimes reckless actions of pilots from other nations, as it was always very important to me to be able to hand over the borrowed glider safely to a successor in the sponsorship program."

Other young talents such as Robert Schröder and Kai Siebert also benefited from the glider. Kai took the Discus to its second world championship in New Zealand in 1995. Developments in high-performance aircraft were still progressing enormously at this time and the Discus also seemed outdated again after eight years. In an ongoing exchange with Lady Enid, it was then agreed that she wanted to ensure that the funding concept would be continued in the long term through a corresponding legacy, and in 1996 she did indeed leave a large sum in her will for the promotion of young talent.

As a result, Diether Memmert and Manfred Dick, together with the German National Aeroclub DAeC, established the "Lady Enid Paget Award". The prize was decided at the general meeting of the German Gliding Association on November 1, 1996, during the 55th German Gliding Day in Bamberg. The idea was to go back to the roots. In keeping with Lady Enid's idea of always awarding the best possible equipment, a Nimbus 4 was purchased, which was to be awarded to two juniors each year. The selection criteria were performance in the central and decentralized competition. The decision was made by the "Lady Enid Page Board of Trustees", consisting of 5 people.

Nimbus 4 'EP' - Stepping stone to success

1998 was the first year in which the D-6318 Nimbus 4 EP was able to give wings to the German juniors. A glide ratio of 60 is still the dream of many glider pilots today and even then this dream was fulfilled for selected juniors. The fact that the Nimbus 4 will be a springboard for many young talents is proven by none other than Michael Sommer, who was the first to fly the new EP. Today, Michael has five world championship titles to his name in the open class (2006/2008/2010/2014/2018) and has fond memories of his time with the EP:

"In 1997 it was just a rumor at first, then it quickly became a certainty: the legendary Lady Enid Paget had made a bequest to provide a competitive Open Class glider for Germany's juniors. The news was followed by a lot of discussion in the gliding world, such as "does it really have to be such a high-quality glider for the juniors, wouldn't two Standard Class gliders make more sense?", or "in the hands of the juniors, it won't take two years for the glider to break down", and much more. For me personally, these discussions were irrelevant from the moment I was announced as the first users of the brand-new Nimbus 4, EP, D-6318 together with Bernhard Schlipf at the glider pilots' conference in Frankfurt in November 1997. It's hard to imagine the pride, awe and honor I felt when I was allowed to make my second flight with the glider after Tilo at Hahnweide in early 1998. When I left the Hahnweide behind me with the EP on the trailer coupling, I felt almost thieving joy and at the same time a portion of disbelief that this 'super orchid' (yes, that's what they called it back then!) had been entrusted to me, a penniless student who had previously 'only' flown the LS1-f in club class. The 2 years with the EP opened my eyes to what is possible in gliding. I associate many great experiences with the glider, but above all, of course, access to the world's best gliders. I only finished fifth in the Open Class DM in 1998 due to an off-field landing, but the foundation had been laid, the virus had broken out, contacts had been made - I continue to fly Open Class! The established open class pilots weren't just delighted - suddenly even a fat wallet couldn't protect them from the 'young savages'. So, without any exaggeration, I can say that Lady Enid Paget's sponsorship has enabled me to become one of the most successful Open Class pilots. Thank you Lady Enid, thank you Diether for the trust you have placed in me! At the same time, I have always felt the responsibility to return the valuable equipment I borrowed undamaged. The other pilots after me must have felt the same way, because this is the only way to explain why all the impetuous juniors who have had the pleasure of flying the Nimbus 4 have managed for almost 25 years and almost 6,000 flying hours without causing any significant damage. This makes me particularly proud, as it shows that Lady Enid's confidence in the juniors was justified. Unfortunately, I never got to meet her, but I think she would be pleased with her work."

Over the years, the list of sponsored juniors has filled up and you can still see them all at the top of the rankings today. The vision of the creators of the "Lady Enid Page Sponsorship Award" has been confirmed: a springboard to success! Care was always taken to ensure that the material remained competitive. In 2011, the Nimbus 4 was upgraded to 850 kg MTOW with a "Permit to Fly" license. The aircraft was also repainted and the instruments modernized. None of this would have been possible without private donations. Many former EP pilots have also contributed.

The "Lady Enid Paget Sponsorship Award" is one of the oldest in the history of German performance gliding. Since 1982, around 100 young pilots have been sponsored in Germany with the LS 4 EP, the Discus EP and the Nimbus 4 EP. A big thank you to Lady Enid Paget, the DAeC and everyone who has supported the "Echo Papa" project over the last 25 years.

What does the 'EP' project look like in the future?

The Nimbus 4 'EP', D-6318, is more than 25 years old and has led many young pilots to unforgettable experiences and great successes in almost 6,000 flying hours. After the expiry of a "Permit to Fly" for 850kg max. take-off weight, the EP may only be flown with 750kg in future. This means that it is no longer competitive in central competitions in the open class. In memory of Lady Enid Paget, it is time to procure an adequate replacement for the long-serving Nimbus 4. The most cost-effective option is a Nimbus 4 T with an 850 kg registration and a turbo as a homecoming aid.

To be continued ...