Results – Regional Championships

MODEL AIRPLANES - GROUP - FLIMS

MG Flims

The Flims Model Aircraft Ski Cup was held for the third time on February 28. Nearly one hundred participants from 20 model aircraft clubs—ranging from Ticino to Aargau—had registered to compete. Once again, a wide variety of prizes motivated the pilots to get the “most” out of their models and to use their flying and skiing skills to guide their aircraft from Naraus to Foppa.

Word had spread about the success of the first two competitions. This combination of model flying and skiing—which is no longer entirely new—seems to be a welcome change of pace for many model flyers, as it allows them to combine their hobby with a ski trip. It is primarily thanks to word-of-mouth among model airplane enthusiasts in Regions 5 and 6 that the expected number of registrations had already been received ten days before the registration deadline; unfortunately, over 50 registrations and inquiries had to be rejected for technical reasons.

For the first time, pilots from abroad also took part in the Model Ski Cup: three model pilots from Bavaria had traveled to Flims specifically for this event.

The weather was on the organizers’ side this time; plenty of sunshine and pleasant warmth provided the pilots with nearly ideal conditions for holding the competition.

As planned, the first round began at 10 a.m. in Naraus following a brief briefing. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, this year’s event had to forgo the pre-flight run-through of the course, which would have given participants a clearer idea of how this unique discipline works. A new feature of the course was a gate 10 meters wide and 4 meters high that pilots had to fly under before landing their model within a marked rectangle. The remaining stations remained unchanged. The horizontal figure-eight, the slalom, and the loop posed no major problems for the participants. Only the task of flying under the gate was underestimated by many participants and thus proved to be the downfall of some models. Nevertheless, a considerable number of pilots managed to clear the obstacle more or less safely.

The scoring of the landings also gave rise to discussions on several occasions. According to the organizers, the flight should not conclude with a controlled crash, but rather with a landing befitting a glider model. These differences of opinion will be addressed in the future with a more precise description of the permissible landing methods.

As for the ski run, the unchanged course presented no significant difficulties for the participants; this is to remain the case in the future to ensure the conditions for a safe and accident-free “descent” for both the pilot and the model.

However, there will be another significant change to the program for upcoming competitions: Upon reviewing the rankings, it becomes apparent that the middle tier of participants is separated by only small point differences; this is because only exceeding or falling short of the ideal time now affects the ranking: Therefore, a timed cross-country flight will now be introduced in place of the horizontal figure-eight; this discipline, unique to F3B, is intended to help ensure that participant qualification better reflects their flying performance. We hope this will yield clear results in the competitive race for the MG Flims Challenge Cup.

The large number of registrations and the corresponding interest in our competition are, in themselves, very gratifying. However, for technical reasons, we are unfortunately unable to allow more than 90 participants to start. Therefore, we must implement a participant limit. It is important to us that the participants are distributed as evenly as possible among the various model flying groups. For this reason, in the future, no more than 6 pilots per group will be allowed to compete.

After the second round, which began as scheduled at 1:00 p.m., the awards ceremony took place at 5:00 p.m. Jann Harry of the MG Mittelrheintal received the MG Flims challenge cup. The winner fell just 5 points short of the maximum score. In second place was Martino Viglino of the MG Davos, and in third place was Guido Herzog of the MG Thal.

M. Accola

Organization: MG Thun

Under the leadership of Chairman Hanspeter Stähli, the Thun Model Flying Club organized the regional championship for Categories F1A (standard gliders) and SK (flying wings). At Kirchenthurnen-Moos, Ernst Edward, head of the Free Flight Category Regional Group 2, served as flight director, and many members of the Thun Model Flying Club, along with other volunteers, ensured that the championship ran smoothly.

The jury, consisting of three experienced model aviators, had no “incidents” to deal with, so they were able to watch the many beautiful flights. The snow-covered ground and various furrows in the fields posed some challenges for the competitors as they launched their models. Each participant had seven attempts within a set time to launch their “bird,” with a maximum of 3 minutes of flight time counted toward the score. It soon became clear that achieving the maximum flight time was no easy feat. In the flying-wing category, no one reached 180 seconds. Although no thermals were observed, the average flight times in both categories were better than in 1981. The reason is certainly a very light wind and a sky that remained overcast for almost the entire flying session. The few raindrops had virtually no impact on the flying. Of the 181 flights scored in the standard model category, 24—or 13.26%—were maximum flights. The average flight time was 127.72 seconds for the F1A class and 74.34 seconds for the SK class per flight.

The competition for medals, the regional championship title, and a spot in the Swiss Championship was conducted in a very fair manner and with great dedication. The big winners in the F1A class were the model pilots from the Grenchen Model Flying Club, who took the top three spots ahead of Josef Benés from Thun. In the SK class, as was the case last year, the oldest participant took first place ahead of two fellow pilots from Bern.

At the awards ceremony, heartfelt thanks were extended to the farmers who consistently make their land available. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find launch sites where free-flight competitions can be held. One thing is truly unfortunate: that more model aviators do not compete in the regional competition. It’s the place where beginners can learn, even if they later choose to join the vast majority of radio-controlled model aircraft pilots. Free flight is and will always remain the foundation of the enjoyable and educational world of model building and model flying.

P.S.

Organization: MG Hinwil