50 Years of the Jura Cup Tethered Flight Competition – An Unforgettable Anniversary

Fifty years ago—in September 1973—the International Jura Cup was held for the first time. This was a historic event for tethered flight in Switzerland and marked the beginning of a new era. For the first time, the newly built tethered flight facility at Schwalbennest near Büsserach, SO, was presented to an international audience. And it was a huge success: 80 competitors from 12 nations traveled to the event and competed for trophies in the Speed, Aerobatics, and Team Racing categories. Overnight, the Schwalbennest had become the center of the European tethered flight scene. Filled with euphoria, the organizer—the Breitenbach Model Flying Club—decided at the time to hold the competition as a World Cup event every two years from then on. That euphoria has lasted to this day. On the weekend of June 23–24, the Jura Cup celebrated its 50th anniversary.

A lot has happened in these 50 years. Model aircraft technology has made enormous strides, new flight categories have been developed, and the rules for conducting international competitions have been continuously adapted by the umbrella organization for model aviation (CIAM). New tethered flight facilities have been built in various countries, and many new international competitions have been launched. These developments have had an impact on how tethered flight competitions are held. As a result, it is no longer possible to hold an international event featuring different categories on a single weekend using just one runway (as at the Schwalbennest). This is because several runways would be required—including for official practice sessions. The Jura Cup has also been continuously adapted to the latest developments in the scene. Since 2016, it has even been held annually, but in rotating categories: one year in the racing categories

Speed and team racing one year, aerobatics the next. For the 50th anniversary, it was the Jura Cup Aerobatics’ turn. And as a special highlight, it was held not at the Schwalbennest but in Ciriè in the Italian region of Piedmont (Photo 1). This was made possible by an invitation from the Italian tethered flight enthusiasts to organize the Jura Cup together with the equally traditional Franco-Ballesio Cup. This meant two World Cup events in one weekend: the Jura Cup on June 23–24 and the Franco-Ballesio Cup on June 24–25, 2023. There was enormous interest in participating in this double competition. To ensure it could be held without any stress, a limit of 25 participants even had to be set. This number of registrations was reached in just one day (Photo 2).

A large delegation had traveled from Switzerland (Photo 3), including 6 pilots who competed (Photos 4, 5). Lauri Malila achieved an outstanding result, finishing in 5th place (Photo 6). The other Swiss pilots finished lower in the rankings—which was partly understandable: They were also using the dual competition in Ciriè to test various models and techniques in preparation for the upcoming European Championship in Poland. The competition was won by Marco Valliera of Italy, one of the world’s best aerobatics pilots (Photos 7, 8). The Chinese pilots Jun Yang and Bingchu Jiang took 2nd and 3rd place. Their long journey from Beijing to Ciriè had paid off (Photo 9). The complete results of the Jura—

Cups 2023 can be viewed here: <https://www.fesselflug.ch/>

It was a picture-perfect event: wonderful weather, excellent organization, motivated pilots, highly professional performances—what more could you ask for!

Our Italian friends from the VO.LI Aeromodellistico Club in Ciriè went above and beyond to organize both competitions perfectly, all while radiating cheerfulness and great helpfulness. Also noteworthy was the performance of the five judges, who awarded approximately 2,400 scores for flight maneuvers each day over the course of these three days

They managed to pull it off without losing their focus (Photo 10). And finally, the Piedmontese hospitality and delicious cuisine also deserved high praise.

In summary, it can be said that this dual competition was a fitting celebration of the Jura Cup’s anniversary (Photo 11)—and arguably the finest international tethered flight aerobatics event in Europe this year. All participants agree that the Jura Cup Aerobatics in Ciriè should definitely be held again in two years. On top of that,

add to that the fact that the magnificent tethered flight facility in Ciriè allows for flying with a 21-meter line length, which meets today’s international standard for aerobatics. The Schwalbennest facility—built as a racecourse for speed and team racing—is designed for a shorter line length, which posed a challenge for foreign aerobatics pilots. However, the Schwalbennest will be back in action next year when the Jura Cup is held for speed and team racing.

Over the past 50 years, the Jura Cup has

— yet it has retained its status as one of the most important and time-honored tethered flight competitions in Europe.

Swiss tethered-flight pilots and the MG Breitenbach can be proud of this.

Ursi Borer, MG Breitenbach, July 2023