Switzerland's Active and Successful Helicopter Community

In order to keep FAI competitions in Switzerland—which always require judges—within reasonable limits, it was decided to count the International F3 Cup in Pfäffikon as a qualifying event for the 2011 national team—much to the dismay of some pilots. From the perspective of the FAI judges in Switzerland—whose numbers are, unfortunately, very limited—I welcome and support this decision. Two-day events, in particular, place enormous demands on us judges.

Drawing on the Pfäffikon Model Flying Club’s decades of experience in organizing and hosting major international championships—including a European and a World Electric Aircraft Championship —was put to good use by the club’s active F3C pilots to host an international helicopter competition at the Pfäffikon model airfield. Ultimately, 16 pilots competed. The organization and execution went off without a hitch. After the briefing, the competition got underway right on time on Saturday. The audience watched the individual pilots’ flights with great interest, especially since we had Bernhard Egger, the reigning European champion, competing. Ennio Graber
placed third at the 2009 World Championship, making for an interesting comparison. The pilots in attendance thus had an excellent on-site demonstration. Ennio demonstrated in the first round—and Bernhard Egger in the second—that even top pilots make mistakes. The demanding FAI programs, which require a high level of concentration, leave no room for error. At the end of the first day, however, these two top pilots were still in the lead, with Ennio ahead of Bernhard. The second round was clearly a tough one, as the rankings show—for many, it became their discard round. The F program certainly places the highest demands on pilots. The weather held up well, and by evening, the participants were all satisfied. The second round started on time on Sunday; but there were concerns about the weather—rain could start at any moment. Thanks to the weather-proof judging crew, the highly motivated pilots, and the organizers, the two rounds on Sunday concluded without a hitch. The standings began to solidify further, and Ennio Graber showed no more slip-ups. Bernhard Egger remained hot on his heels, followed by Hans and Marc Emmenegger. The competition was a bit tighter from third to eighth place, while the
leaders were able to pull slightly ahead. Just as the last participant finished, the rain finally set in—time for the awards ceremony and the closing festivities in the festival tent. The organizers deserve great praise; everything went off without a hitch. We look forward to the next edition of an international FAI competition in 2011. Ennio Graber’s victory raises high hopes for the 2010 European Championships.

We met again on June 25 and 26 at the beautiful airfield of MC Neumatt (MG Burgdorf) in Bätterkinden. The AeCS’s 100th anniversary took its toll, so this event had to be moved to a weekday and, unusually, took place on Friday and Saturday! Nevertheless, 13 participants registered for the event and, like us judges, were willing to take a day off. In glorious summer weather, Peter Oberli and the president, “Tinu” Lüthi, of the organizing club, MC Neumatt, welcomed the participants and officials who had traveled to the event. The field was prepared, marked, and flagged out, and we were able to get started right on time. With

With one exception, all of the Swiss FAI judges were in attendance: Regina and Jürg Schmitter, Sepp Emmenegger, Rolf Hug, Marcel Weber, and Walter Heller. Since Peter Oberli took over the F3C scene again, we kicked off the event in our usual friendly atmosphere and were able to complete the first three rounds on Friday. At the top of the standings, the picture from the competition in Pfäffikon began to emerge. Urs Herzog secured 4th place with a consistent and very strong performance, finishing behind the national team trio of E. Graber, H. Emmenegger, and M. Emmenegger. Sepp Gisler had a bit of bad luck; unfortunately, there were repeated disruptions during the heats caused by passing farm vehicles—specifically tractors and horse-drawn carts—

. For example, he once had to stay “up” longer before autorotation, and unfortunately, the landing went wrong after a good flight. Remo Hürlimann confirmed his strong performance from the Pfäffikon F3 Cup with a 6th-place finish in the interim standings.

Things were lively at the traditional dinner, which Peter Oberli hosts regularly and for which he selects a suitable restaurant. The evening is always filled with discussions and stories from the old days—this time, the conversation went back many, many years. Those familiar with this scene—who’ve been around long enough—know what happens when names
like Ewald Heim, Michael Davideit, Michael Bosch, Josef Brennsteiner, and the Riggisberg scene come up in conversation. Next up are Ueli Müller, Ueli von Niederhäusern, Sumi (P. Summermatter)—who has filed the only protest to date at an F3C Swiss Championship—as well as the events in Lausanne featuring the Graupner Challenge Cup, the competitions in Auenstein (the highlight of which is always the night flying in the gravel pit!), Bubendorf, and the Coppa Ticino, where the name Daniele Graber (Ennio’s father) comes up. So this time, we spent a great Friday evening at the Hotel Bad Kyburg near Bätterkinden.

Two Different Programs
: On Saturday, the fourth round and the three final rounds featuring the top six pilots were flown. At the Swiss Championships, the competition follows the FAI format used in European and World Championships, meaning four preliminary rounds in Program P, with the final then flown in 2–3 rounds according to Program F. At the top of the standings, our national team colleagues demonstrated—even in Program F—that they rightfully belong on the national team. There were slight changes in positions 4–6, where Urs Herzog and Remo Hürlimann swapped places. Seppi Gisler held on brilliantly to 5th place. And so, on Saturday, amid
beautiful weather, we brought the F3C Swiss Championships to a close. The medals were awarded with one exception: Ennio had to leave his behind once again. It was presented to him on Sunday as part of the 100th-anniversary celebrations in Grenzen. A big thank you goes to our Peter Oberli and the MC Neumatt. With their preparations and great dedication, they ensured everything ran smoothly and made another fantastic event in the world of F3C model sports possible for us.

Walter Heller,
MFV Rapperswil-Jona