San Vittore – The Cradle of Model Aircraft Builders

The San Vittore Model Helicopter Club (www.gesv.ch) is a group of rotary-wing enthusiasts founded in 1981 by Daniele Graber, whose purpose is to bring together and welcome all enthusiasts of radio-controlled helicopters, offering them both technical assistance in building model helicopters and the theoretical foundation necessary for flying.

Ennio Graber and Daniele Duzzi actively participate in the group’s social life, and their technical expertise, as well as their willingness to help, are an invaluable resource for all lovers of this challenging discipline. Although they have achieved countless successes over the years at the highest levels of the FAI F3C championships (part of Swiss Olympic), they are down-to-earth, polite, calm, and modest individuals—yet also

extremely determined—both are former Swiss champions and have been pilots on the Swiss national Elimodellismo team for years. They are certainly role models for anyone wishing to take up this fabulous hobby. Ennio and Daniele represent Switzerland and San Vittore in the best possible way all over the world. We can proudly say that, thanks to their achievements, we can boast of being the most decorated and well-known group in Europe.

Whether by tradition or by fate, Ennio Graber’s path in sports was already set even before he was born. Take his crib, for example: for any child, it’s usually found in their own room, specially set up by their parents with all the care and joy

imaginable—or even in the parents’ bedroom. For Ennio, however, things were different; his crib was mostly located in his father’s workshop, and he inherited his passion for model helicopters practically between feedings. An integral part of his life were the smells and sounds found in any hobby workshop, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, as his first

first toy he received was a rotor blade instead of the usual rattle given to babies. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” A proverb that clearly highlights how and in what ways his father may have influenced his life. The big breakthrough came in 2001 when Ennio, the second alternate for the World Championships held in the United States in 2001 following the withdrawal of former Swiss champion Patrick Kessler and that of the first alternate, Hans Emmenegger (who had placed fourth in the Swiss national team selection), was called upon to represent the Swiss team as the third man. It should be noted that:

• this was his absolute “debut” as a participant in a world championship
• he had not trained, having received the news of his participation only a few days earlier

2016 F3C
European Championship in Poland.

Ennio Graber and Daniele Duzzi.

FAI F3C Swiss Championship – 2014.

The result was surprising. He, the young boy on the Swiss team, placed 27th, Daniele Graber 15th, and Swiss champion Stephan Meyer 30th—out of 65 participants, the world’s best pilots. Ennio represents Switzerland, as well as his club (Gruppo Elimodellisti San Vitore), with honor; he has amply demonstrated that he has inherited all the talent and qualities of his father, Daniele Graber. Ennio, your club can only thank you for what you’re accomplishing and for what you’re demonstrating. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. →

Ever since he was born, he’s spent practically every weekend with his father at the San Vittore airfield; for him, too, the little playroom was nothing more than his father’s hobby room, and he was soon handed a remote control—first for a toy car, then a small airplane, and later an RC helicopter at age 10.

Daniele grew up alongside great pilots; he had the honor of meeting the legendary Daniele Graber and then Ennio, the living embodiment of the perfect pilot and

Ennio’s fabulous results, Daniele decided in 2012 to start competing and participated in the Newcomer Championship at the Swisscup, winning the 2012 Swiss Newcomer Championship title.

He continued in 2013 in the Swisscup Promotion category, where success came quickly: he won the Swiss Promotion Championship title, competed in the July round of the Italian Championship in Carpi in the F3C Sport category—where he took first place—and in September participated in the Moon-

Light Cup in Slovenia, where he again won every flight and took first place in the F3C Sport category; also present at the Moonlight Cup were the Italian and German champions

in the F3C Sport category. Also in 2013, he competed in two races in the premier class with a surprising result. In 2013, Daniele flew in three different categories—

achieving excellent results. The Swiss National Team Manager, impressed by Daniele’s results and potential, selected him for the National Team as a Junior rider. But as early as 2014,

Daniele’s achievements earned him a spot on the Swiss National Team.

Text: GESV

Photo: GESV

Editor: Wolf Völler