1977 Swiss RC Aerobatics (F3A) Championships for RC Aerobatic Pilots

The 1977 Swiss RC Aerobatics Championships were held in Bulle (F3A National) and in Hausen a/A (F3A Elite). Both organizers, MG Bulle and MG Affoltern a/A, were well-prepared and ensured that the events ran smoothly. The Swiss champions were: Alex Meier of Wohlen in the F3A-National category and Bruno Giezendanner of Pfäffikon (for the eleventh time) in the Elite category.

(Short Aerobatics Program)

The organizers of the MG Bulle did their very best. What was clearly lacking, however, was experience. The common mistake of confusing the role of the competition director with that of the jury was repeated here. The competition director remains responsible for pilot orientation and the conduct of the competition. The jury is responsible for disputes, discrepancies, and the inspection of models, mufflers, etc.

Unfortunately, the weather also played tricks on this championship, its organizers, and the competitors. A light drizzle and a gray, overcast sky persisted throughout the entir-

day. Financially, this was certainly a major loss for the organizing group—though perhaps also an advantage, since the parking problem was already significant enough as it was.

The slightly sloped grass runway posed some problems for the pilots when wet. Most chose not to launch into the wind, preferring downwind launches and landings over a “small hill prize.” Some pilots had specially prepared their models for grass launches and fitted them with a slightly larger nose wheel. This reduced rolling resistance while also giving the propeller more ground clearance. While takeoffs with the wind and downhill were successful in most cases,

The situation was different during landings. Landing with a tailwind on sloping terrain caused the models to touch down at high speed, where they then—thanks to the grass—came to a stop relatively quickly. It wasn’t just the pilots who had to contend with these challenges, but also the judges, as it was often quite difficult to determine whether a model had touched down within the 15-meter circle or somewhere outside it. One such case involved, of all people, local hero Progin. However, contrary to what has been rumored in some quarters, the Swiss championship title was not at stake. Meier would have won even if Progin had completed a successful landing. In general, it should be noted that tremendous progress has been made in this aerobatics category in just one year. The top five to seven competitors were quite close together. Alex Meier, from Wohlen, Aargau, was indeed the favorite, having finished a close second behind Rolf Hohl of Allschwil in the T1 class at the Swiss Championships in Lodrino the previous year. Being the favorite isn’t easy. Nevertheless, Meier proved his skill in Bulle as well. The young local hero Progin can also be described as very talented. What he clearly lacks is the necessary competitive experience. The fourth-place finish by the sixteen-year-old up-and-coming pilot Mathias Bosshard from Pfäffikon should be considered a real surprise. It’s interesting to note that many pilots would suddenly execute flawless maneuvers—ones I couldn’t fly any better myself—only to be surrounded by undisciplined fumbling. This suggests that many pilots in this Swiss Championship possess above-average talent, but often lack self-control. Only a few seemed to be able to properly harness their powerful engines in the very strong winds and high altitudes—

speeds are very erratic. In this case, the motto is: Pace yourself! Here, too, the art often lies in restraint. Incidentally, this is an important part of the judges’ work in their respective regions. They should train “their” pilots to fly smoothly and cleanly, with precision and composure—which benefits the sport far more than cheating their own pilots at the Swiss Championships by awarding them excessively high scores. I see the support of young pilots in a completely different light.

This was already the second time that the elite aerobatic pilots were able to use the beautiful SLS airfield in Hausen a/A. The MG Affoltern team thus brought with them a fair amount of experience and expertise, both of which are essential for such events. Initially, there were problems with the scoring process, as the new scoring system introduced by the RC-FAKO created a significant amount of extra work for the scoring center, since each judge’s scorecard had to be calculated and tallied individually. Experience clearly showed that scoring offices must be staffed with more personnel in the future. Since this lesson was already put into practice on the second day of the competition, this important aspect also functioned flawlessly. The scores were transmitted from the scoring office to the launch site via a TV camera and monitor, a method that proved particularly effective at a sprawling airfield. Frequency monitoring was carried out using a spectrum analyzer, which was provided by the tireless Dölf Schoch of Zug. All in all, the MG Affoltern succeeded in organizing the Swiss Championships almost flawlessly—

effect. This is, of course, not least because the airfield—with its runway, taxiway, paved hangar apron, usable hangars, offices, restrooms, etc.—offers every conceivable convenience. No matter how bad the weather gets, everyone stays dry, and while waiting, they can take their model and accessories under the protective roof of the hangar. This is especially appreciated when you realize that over 90% of a competition consists of

consists of waiting. It would be a great boon for powered-flight pilots if more airfields in Switzerland were permitted to host such events. If one objectively compares the 1977 Swiss Championships, for example, with the 1976 European Championships in Belgium, Hausen must be given the edge. Larger numbers of participants do not proportionally create more problems for the organizer. What works with 10 pilots also works with 60, even at two airfields. For the first time at a Swiss Championship

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The engines were tested for noise levels in accordance with regulations. The measurements were conducted by B. Haidn and M. Schmocker of MG Dietikon. An initial evaluation revealed a less-than-favorable picture of our aerobatics elite in terms of noise control. Exactly half of the engines (6) met the regulations, which stipulate that the average of all measurement results (measured at 8 positions from a distance of 10 meters) must not exceed 84 dB(A). The quietest model [81.10 dB(A)] belonged to me, while the noisiest [86.25

dB(A)] was flown by Kurt Schnyder. Considering that the best in all sports also attract imitators, we should keep a closer eye on aerobatics in this regard, and it should no longer be the case that competitors who violate these official regulations ultimately rank ahead of those who comply with them . Otherwise, regulations become a farce and competitions a free pass for all manner of unauthorized behavior.

Emil Giezendanner