Swiss F4-Scale Championship in St. Stephan

After this summer’s seemingly endless sunny days, the Obersimmental Model Aircraft Club hosted the Swiss Championship, featuring scale model aircraft.

First things first: The weather gods were not on the organizers’ side. While the forecast had already predicted persistent, repeated downpours in the days leading up to the event, locals secretly hoped for localized clear spells brought by the Föhn wind.

The members of the organizing model aircraft club, led by Urs Jörg as organizing committee president, had spared no effort to ensure that both the terrain and the airfield and hangar infrastructure were in impeccable condition. Competition director Stéphane Lambert found himself in a less enviable position. It fell to him to schedule and plan three flight rounds and the scoring. Unfortunately, the Föhn winds were no match for the bad-weather front, and in the end, by taking advantage of the few brief clear spells, at least one flight round could be held in all categories. The competition director’s task was truly not an enviable one. In the meantime, while repeatedly waiting for the numerous puddles that had formed on the runway to subside somewhat, the participants were able to catch up with old acquaintances at the festival tent and engage in numerous interesting technical discussions.

The Saturday morning cocktail reception, to which the organizing committee had invited the landowners and local representatives from politics and tourism, also provided an opportunity for a mutual exchange of experiences and opinions. The information booth, stocked with trade publications, flyers from SMV and AeCS, and even balsa gliders for the event’s youngest visitors, was very well attended.

Thanks to the generous cooperation of Stephan Speiser of Prospective Concepts Aéronautics, the organizers were able to use the modern, spacious hall both for judging the models and for storing the models and accompanying vehicles. In addition to the customary medals, first-place finishers were presented with a rock crystal, and all participants received a “Mutschli” (cheese) produced locally. Despite the unfavorable weather, the 2022 Swiss Championship thus came to a fitting conclusion. The Obersimmental Model Aircraft Club and the 2022 Swiss Championship Organizing Committee would like to thank all visitors, sponsors, and volunteers for their valued support! ■

Daniel Loertscher