Successful and Less Successful Electric Aircraft

Remo Frattini Dominates

Remo Frattini took the lead right from the start in a field of about 40 competitors from thirteen countries and never relinquished that position until the very end. With this title, he has now won all three of the International Air Sports Federation (FAI)’s top athletic honors: European Champion, World Champion, and FAI World Cup Winner. His victory also laid the crucial foundation for the Italian team’s outstanding second-place finish.

For the first time in the 25-year history of the FAI World Electric Aircraft Championships, the winner is

The Swiss electric gliding team won the world championship title in the team competition. The Swiss team—comprising Patrick Häusler of MG Buttikon (bronze medal), Thomas Wäckerlin of MG Rapperswil-Jona (4th place), and Marco Cantoni, MG Bournens and Schaffhausen (21st place), prevailed over strong competition from Italy and Germany over the course of eight rounds. An important contribution to the

The Swiss team's success was led by team manager Pierre Bossard of GAM CERN. The joint competition visits and training sessions paid off.

Our sprinters—Marcel Schlage, Christian Hanke, and Karsten Garth—put in strong performances. Unfortunately, they fell slightly short of their results at the 2008 World Championships (3rd place in the team standings). These athletes’ top performances at this year’s international competitions in Europe had raised high expectations for the World Championships. Apparently, the team couldn’t quite handle the pressure of those expectations. They all had what it takes to compete for top spots. But in the end, it all comes down to the results. The cuts, in particular, reflect a lack of composure and poor risk assessment. With a little luck, Marcel could have clinched the bronze medal. His fourth-place finish is somewhat consoling, yet still a little disappointing. He dared to compete with a gearmotor (Kontronik) and should be celebrated as the “world champion in silent flying.” Once again: The organizer failed to provide a proper ranking list, and the measuring equipment was already showing its age...