International Friendly Flights

The 10th International Model Aircraft Competition for the KOLIBRI CUP 1973 took place from August 24 to 26 under glorious weather conditions for free-flight glider models (Wiener Neustadt) and self-piloted slope-flight models (Kölbling). Five nations sent their competitors to Lower Austria. Nearly 100 participants competed in both classes at this anniversary competition. The competition spanned three days, with both individual and combined standings being scored in each class, as well as a team combination for the KOLIBRI CUP, sponsored by the market town of Ober-Grafendorf. Eight teams competed for this title.

The first day of competition in Wiener Neustadt featured not only former European champions, national champions, and regional champions, but also SPANN from Salzburg, who placed third at the World Championships. Despite the beautiful weather, however, small-scale thermals and thermal gusts gave the competitors a hard time, and even some of the “home team” members struggled. SPANN “got caught” in the fifth round, which earned him only 98 seconds and dropped him to 6th place—a result that even the two “MAX” scores in the 6th and 7th rounds could not reverse. The battle for the top five spots was decided by the two Germans, WITTE and MÜSSIG, with seven “FULL” runs — a tiebreaker between the two saw WITTE emerge as the winner — ahead of ZACH Gottfried from Wiener Neustadt, ZACHHALMEL from St. Pölten, and BANDL from Vienna.

In the team competition, after the first day, MFJ Metzingen led with 3,653 points, ahead of ÖMV-KAGRAN with 3,481 points and Aero-Club Hof with 3,194 points. UMSC-KOLIBRI trailed somewhat behind a Swiss team, scoring 2,673 points and finishing only in sixth place.

With almost no wind, the competition in the slope flying class began on Saturday at Kölbling, and instead of the usual strong wind, there were plenty of thermals that day, carrying the models hundreds of meters high, while just a short flight away, models quickly found themselves in a “dive.” Here, quite a few skilled model pilots were plagued by bad luck and had to give up any hopes of victory early on. In the team standings, ÖMV-KAGRAN took the lead with 5,681 points ahead of Metzingen and Hof, while KOLIBRI remained in 6th place and had almost no chance left of finishing in the top three.

On the evening before the final and decisive day of competition, a model aviation gathering was held at the BERTALAN Inn in Herzogenburg, attended by competitors, officials, and family members, as well as guests of honor including the mayors of Herzogenburg, Ober Grafendorf, and Statzendorf, the director of the Volksbank of Herzogenburg, and the members of the international jury. Union Federal Technical Director SCHOBEL presented small commemorative gifts to the guests of honor and team captains, gave a brief report on the anniversary event’s progress to date, and thanked the donors of trophies and prizes.

On Sunday, the final day of competition, the weather was once again beautiful, and unlike the previous day, a steady, favorable wind blew from the start of the penultimate round, raising hopes for slightly better performances.

In a thrilling final showdown, the ÖMV-KAGRAN team narrowly managed to hold onto the lead they had built the previous day and won the combined event ahead of Metzingen and Hof. Frankfurt-Höchst finished fourth, ahead of Oberkotzau, Kolibri, Switzerland, and England. The individual standings saw four Germans finish ahead of the Austrian ZACH, whereas the combined standings were won by the German RIEDLINGER. ZACH took second place here, ahead of the German Werner SCHUBERTH.

In the afternoon, Union National Technical Director SCHOBEL presided over the awards ceremony. He thanked all the officials for the patience with which they had shouldered all the burdens of their roles, but above all the competition management—Messrs. PFISTERER, HAIDEN, WURM, ZÖCHLING, and Felix Schobel Jr., as well as the members of the international jury, and finally thanked all the competitors for participating in the anniversary competition and for competing in good sportsmanship. Announcing that the next KOLIBRI CUP would be held again in two years, presenting the winners’ trophies, and giving a small gift to the event’s reliable and extremely hardworking secretary, Ms. Herta ERHARD, he concluded this model aircraft event with best wishes for a safe journey home.