Swiss Scale F4 Championship

The event took place at the former Interlaken military airfield. A total of 26 pilots competed for the title in the various categories. Over the two days, we welcomed about 1,500 spectators, who got to see the beautiful models both on the ground and in the air.

There was already a flurry of activity in the hangar early on, and once the briefing was over, the first pilots headed toward the launch site with their models. After the pre-flight demonstration for the judges, it quickly became clear that it wouldn’t be easy for the jet pilots to fly their vertical maneuvers safely. The rain clouds caused us some unexpected concern. Postponing the start, waiting it out, and reassessing the situation—these were now the major challenges facing the competition director. Despite a few interruptions, however, we managed to complete at least one scoring flight in every category. Now everyone was hoping that the weather would at least improve a bit on Sunday, and as time went on, the rain clouds disappeared and the sun shone in all its glory.

Six-time world champion Andreas Lüthi from Burgdorf had the opportunity to showcase his flying skills to the large crowd against a magnificent backdrop. When I asked him after his flight where he finds the motivation to compete for his 20th Swiss championship title, he said: “It’s always a reward for the many hours you put into a model like this, and then you can hope to find yourself among the top finishers. I don’t lose my motivation that easily, and when I eventually retire, I’ll have even more time for this wonderful hobby.”

With the beautiful weather in the afternoon, we suddenly had a crosswind relative to the runway, which gave some pilots quite a bit of trouble. In the end, there was also enough time to showcase the beautiful helicopter models to the spectators in an aerobatic display. The awards ceremony took place against a special backdrop: The Hunter Club from Interlaken was there with a mock cockpit, which was especially popular with younger visitors. Many thanks also for this display. A total of four pilots from the local Interlaken model flying club participated in the Swiss Championships. Three of them even made it onto the winners’ podium. Congratulations!

All in all, it was a very enjoyable Swiss Championship. There were no crashes or accidents, and everyone involved was able to take their models home undamaged. It was a great pleasure for me to organize this 2012 Swiss Championship with a competent jury, scorekeepers, pilots, and willing volunteers. In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved for their professional work. Events of this kind would not be possible without such volunteers.

Hans Blättler,
Competition Director

www.mg-interlaken.ch

www.modellflug.ch

F4C

1. Andreas Lüthi, Burgdorf
2. Walter Gähwiler, Bern
3. Markus Günther, Interlaken
4. Max Schilt, Interlaken
5. Gody Fischer, Dübendorf

F4J (Jet)

1. Roger Thoma, Marbach
2. Adrian Senn, Biel
3. Pascal Thoma, Oberriet
4. Walter Gähwiler, Bern
5. Andreas Schär, Rothrist

F4H (Helicopter)

1. Roland
Kaufmann 2. Michael Tschiemer, Interlaken
3. Jan Zurbuchen, Interlaken
4. Josef Gisler, SZ-UR
5. Walter Beeler, SZ-UR