2009 Swiss Championships: Flying Against a Stunning Backdrop of Scenery and Spectators

33 pilots (9 F4C, 17 F4J, and 7 F4H) took on the challenge of presenting or flying their models for the judges’ evaluation. Although some registrations came in very slowly—especially for the helicopters—thanks to an intensive search and promotional efforts, enough pilots were found to hold a championship in the F4H category as well.

MGOW’s public relations efforts in the run-up to the Swiss Championships were intended to create a fitting atmosphere and generate interest among visitors. In collaboration with Zentralschweizer Fernsehen, a short television series titled “The Fascination of Model Building” was produced and aired as part of the evening lineup each of the three days leading up to the Swiss Championships. The success of this campaign, accompanied by various extensive newspaper reports, took everyone by surprise. Shortly after the competition began, there were already about 300 visitors at the airfield, and that number rose to approximately 1,500 spectators by noon. Over the course of the weekend, nearly 6,000 (!) spectators attended the event. Visitors even traveled from Northern Italy, France, Germany,

and Austria. The pilots clearly enjoyed flying in front of such a large crowd.

The competition was already very close during the construction evaluation, and there were a few surprises. The flight demonstrations also brought some minor surprises, which were

reflected in the final standings. The biggest surprise was likely Michael Tschiemer’s victory in the F4H category; with his Super Puma, he ultimately claimed a well-deserved win. In the F4J category, Adrian Senn surprised everyone in his first appearance at a Swiss Championship, finishing in an outstanding 7th place flying a Hawker Hunter MK-58 belonging to his father, Reto Senn.

The tightly organized competition, led by

Christoph Bitterli resulted in a few minor delays in the schedule despite the high number of participants, as four participants (two from Germany, two from Italy) did not arrive on time due to traffic problems. These gaps were filled by impromptu demonstration flights organized on the spot by the participating pilots—much to the delight of the audience, and likely also of the pilots themselves, who were able to showcase their full range of skills and the performance of their models. Martin Sannwald, in particular, with his Multiplex Funjet—powered by a Kolibri turbine—drew incredible amazement and spontaneous applause. These demonstration flights by the pilots, accompanied by presentations by the MGOW on beginner model aircraft, were held a total of three times and were met with spontaneous applause from the visitors each time. During the lunch break, Peter Nemecek from TUN Modellbau demonstrated “alternative” model aviation with a 10.6-meter Nimbus equipped with a folding engine. The

Spectators were visibly impressed by the performance of this aircraft and its elegance. At the conclusion of the Swiss Championship, the approximately 800 visitors still in attendance were treated to a world premiere of a very special kind: Reto Senn and Roger Thoma spontaneously decided to perform a tandem flight with their two Hawker Hunters. The highly challenging demonstration was repeatedly met with spontaneous applause from the expert audience in attendance.

In total, well over 250 flights were conducted this weekend, including training sessions. With one exception—which unfortunately resulted in a total loss during the landing approach due to a servo failure—there were no malfunctions in the engines, turbines, or remote control systems. With a few exceptions, all

pilots used Futaba 2.4-GHz systems. The equipment used during the Swiss Championships proved itself to be suitable for both everyday use and competition. The relocation of the helicopter flying area early Saturday morning, which was still necessary, turned out to be a stroke of luck in hindsight.

The enormous crowd of visitors interested specifically in the helicopter demonstrations would otherwise have led to space constraints in the designated general spectator area. Overall, it was evident that a great many visitors had come specifically for the helicopter demonstrations

. The helicopter pilots in attendance were also able to demonstrate their models in free flight, since the event in Stabio—which, unfortunately, took place at the same time—left enough time available that had originally been reserved for more helicopter pilots.

Outgoing F4H FaKo President Eric Ribak presented the award to the new Swiss F4H champion, Michael Tschiemer, while Organizing Committee President Rainer Beckerbauer had the honor of congratulating the new and former Swiss champions, Andreas Lüthi (F4C) and Urs Mayländer (F4J), on their victories. All pilots were presented with a certificate featuring a photo of the aircraft they had flown in the Swiss Championship. The

judges, albeit with a slight delay, received a certificate featuring images of the winning aircraft from the categories they had judged.

It was a wonderful flying event that showcased not only the fascination of model aviation but also the support that organized sports enjoy among the general public. All information and reports, including photos, can be found at .

*Rainer Beckerbauer*