26th Free Flight Seminar in Gretzenbach

Rolf Steinegger, a competitor in the F1D Indoor European Championship, introduced the audience to F1D competition flying. The European Championship took place in an underground salt mine in Romania. Rolf was the only Swiss competitor and was participating in a European Championship for the first time. The Romanians capitalized on their “home-field advantage” and won the European Championship. To succeed, the models must fly well and for a long time, and their characteristics must be utilized to the fullest. The 0.4 g rubber is wound up to 1,400 U. The fuselage then bends up to 9 degrees at 4 Nmm. Top pilots fly them for over 27 minutes. Achieving this requires many test flights. Under certain circumstances, the model may also need to be controlled using helium-filled balloons. The 2026 World Championship will be held at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, USA. The Swiss team consists of Rolf Steinegger and Gianni Polla.

Rolf is also a lecturer in the Department of Aviation at the ZHAW “School of Engineering” in Winterthur. He works with aviation students to build an F1M-L model as a project. The model was developed by German indoor model aircraft pilot Bruno Wächter. The students receive a box containing the building materials and detailed instructions. They demonstrate the model’s function and construction, as well as how to fly it and achieve optimal flight performance up to the ceiling of the 14-meter-high hall at the ZHAW in Winterthur. A competition and a detailed technical report conclude this interesting project at the ZHAW.

Free Flight Commission President Michi Bleuer gave an overview of the results of the 2025 season and a preview of the 2026 competition season that afternoon. Swiss pilots secured several podium finishes at the World Cups. There will now be two open free-flight training sessions on April 3 at Birrfeld and on May 31 in Mühlethurnen. For beginners, the traditional Lorstorf competition for free-flight models up to 140 cm will be held on March 22—details are available on the SMV website under “Free-Flight Events.”

Peter Ziegler (see also MFS 1-2026), organizer of the IG Gummimotor (Gummimotor.ch), provided a historical overview of the IG Gummimotor’s activities. He began with model aircraft enthusiast Alfred Gentner. The Olten Gliding Club makes its airfield available during times when glider pilots are not flying in Olten. Details can be found at Gummimotor.ch. The focus of the homemade models is on model aircraft classes that are popular in the U.S. and the Eastern European countries. Very suitable models of these types are also available at specialty stores in Switzerland, such as Kinder Modellbau.

Urs Muntwyler, team manager for the World and European Championships, provided a review and outlook on the 2025 and 2026 free flight competition seasons for the Swiss National Free Flight Team in the F1A/F1B and F1Q categories. He also provided an update on changes from the FIA-CIAM Commission. A new F1T spin glider category has been introduced in indoor flying. Further details can be found at modellflug.ch.

In his presentation on “The Formation of Ground-Level Thermals,” Urs Muntwyler demonstrated how daytime thermals—which are relevant to free-flight pilots—form. This allows the amplitude of thermal lift to be measured and calculated. Weather programs from gliding and the targeted use of thermal-generating devices are intended to improve results in the F1B and F1Q categories during standard runs. The 26th Free Flight Seminar concluded with a presentation on the new F1Q class, “Gliders with Electric Motors.”

Each year, the FAI honors individuals and groups who have distinguished themselves through outstanding dedication and great passion for air sports. In October 2025, Swiss free-flight pilot Alfred Andrist from Thun received the Paul Tissandier Diploma. Fredi Andrist has been an active and successful free flight athlete and official at various levels of the SMV for many decades and has been competing nationally and internationally in the FAI categories F1A, B, and E for decades.

UM