1976 Indoor Gliding World Championships

The foggy weather caused high humidity in the hangar, which had a disastrous effect on our models. One after another, René and I snapped two fuselages each; they couldn’t withstand the elastic band at 1,900 revolutions. Flying was no longer permitted after 11 a.m. Although I had six finished models with me, I had to use an older model that had already been flown in. So instead of the hoped-for 30-minute flight, I only managed a meager 16' 39". The evening practice flight of 24' 25" couldn’t improve the situation, of course. René and Dieter, with the best flights of 29' 40" and 29' 55" respectively, were in the middle of the pack. Switzerland was the only country not represented by a team leader, so everyone had to take on some of that work, which naturally put us at a disadvantage.

Thanks to the spacious rooms at our lodging, we were able to repair our models during the night shift. René promptly set the new official Swiss record with a time of 34' 33". Thanks to good teamwork, two Swiss pilots managed to break the 30-minute mark. There used to be a “30-Minute Club,” but this time, even with two such flights, it wasn’t enough to make it into the top half of the rankings.
The Americans, led by former world champion Andrews, put on the most impressive performance.
The most recent world champion, Czechowski of Poland, was less fortunate, finishing in 28th place.
With 15 countries participating, this up-and-coming category saw a record turnout. Here are some figures on the number of entries from various countries: USA 300, Czechoslovakia 20, West Germany 15, and Switzerland 7. That same evening, the banquet and awards ceremony were held in grand style.
In summary, it must be said that the entire World Championship was organized in a far too rushed manner. Because no fixed flight times were set, there were times when up to 16 models were in the air simultaneously, which led to several collisions and crashes. The organization of lodging and meals was excellent.