Indoor Flying at Its Best: Swiss Open Indoor Masters 2023

This year’s Swiss Open Indoor Masters (SOIM), the Swiss Championship in indoor model aerobatics (F3P), took place once again at GoEasy in Siggenthal after a five-year hiatus. At this championship, European and local pilots competed in various categories, battling for placement and honor. Sylvain Pasini was crowned Swiss champion, while the exceptional Austrian pilot Gernot Bruckmann once again stood out as the outstanding pilot of the event.

Europe's best indoor pilots gathered at the GoEasy Sportarena in Siggenthal Station on the second weekend of February to compete in the Open International Swiss Indoor Aerobatics Championships. Using their remote-controlled model airplanes, the pilots had to fly a predetermined program consisting of eleven maneuvers as perfectly as possible to earn a maximum of ten points per maneuver. Six judges evaluated the performances and deducted points for deviations from the specified requirements, which were immediately displayed on the large video wall above them. The score was then multiplied by the maneuver’s difficulty factor, and everything was tallied at the end. It sounds a bit confusing, but the computer was well programmed and handled all the calculations to everyone’s satisfaction.

The aircraft built by the pilots themselves were also impressive. High-end carbon models, covered with Mylar film, have already replaced the former Depron models for some time now. Despite a wingspan of 90 centimeters and a length of up to one meter—and equipped with a motor, ESC, servos, and battery—the weight of the planes usually remains under 60 grams. With their twin-bladed propellers, the airplanes glide silently through the air in the hangar at a walking pace. The hangar ventilation had to be turned off; otherwise, the lightweight planes would inevitably have been blown away by the wind. Anyone who thinks it’s easy to fly such a slow aircraft is sorely mistaken. Every turn, every roll, every deviation, every up-and-down movement, and every twitch must be recognized, corrected, and controlled in a timely manner. This can only be achieved with a great deal of practice and proper training.

On Saturday and Sunday morning, a total of five scoring flights were to be completed in the expert class. It didn’t take long for the wheat to be separated from the chaff, and even less experienced spectators could see clear differences between the pilots. The final took place on Sunday afternoon, with only the top ten pilots competing. They had to complete an even more difficult course twice. The winner of the final was Gernot Bruckmann from Austria, followed by Donatas Paužuolis from Lithuania and Ignace Pawlenko from Belgium. Although the Swiss pilots did not finish at the very top, they still had four pilots in the final and placed fourth, sixth, ninth, and tenth. Sylvain Pasini and Philipp Schürmann narrowly missed the podium. And so Sylvain Pasini secured the title of Swiss Champion, followed by Philipp

Schürmann and Arnaud Carrard. Sandro Veronelli and Swiss team manager Ruedi Gallati finished in fourth and fifth place.

The aeromusical was an absolute blast for the event’s attendees. Each pilot flew a model that was slightly heavier and sturdier than those used for aerobatics. The flights were performed to a freely compiled program set to music selected specifically for the occasion. Precision took a back seat, but that meant nonstop action. Many spectators were stunned when the plane would roll forward, tip nose-down, and then suddenly launch itself back into the air with a backward somersault. The planes did somersaults, spun like a leaf toward the ground, only to miraculously soar back into the air just before impact. It almost seemed as if the planes were moving with boundless freedom. Nothing is impossible. Special effects such as LED light strips, streamers, and a shower of confetti rounded out the performances and, as a pleasant side effect, earned extra points. Some pilots managed to captivate the entire audience and concluded their performances to thunderous applause. As in the aerobatics program, Gernot

Bruckmann took the lead in the standings here as well, followed by Sylvain Pasini and Arnaud Carrard.

The event was a complete success and was praised by many participants. The Hotwings Klingnau Model Flying Club did an excellent job organizing the competition, and the venue, GoEasy at Siggenthal Station, provided a spacious and ideal facility for the event. Detailed results for all categories flown can be viewed online at <https://indoor.modellflug.ch/events.aspx?Event=6104&lang=DE>.

Photos: Markus Pfister