29th International Rhine Valley Cup

On June 4 and 5—as is customary during Pentecost—the FAI-sanctioned competition for the International Rheintal Cup, hosted and organized by the Rheintal Model Sports Flying Club, took place again this year. The event was held at the model airfield in Koblach.

Unfortunately, as had been the case for most of May and into June this year, the weather forecast was not very favorable. Of the 23 registered pilots, 20 showed up on time for the start, including an impressive 11 Swiss pilots. They were joined by the three pilots from the Liechtenstein national team.

Weather-wise, light rain but very light winds characterized the first day of the event. Competition director Toni Moser managed the pilot roll call cautiously in light of the weather conditions. The well-coordinated organizational team from the MSFC Rheintal ensured that everything ran smoothly.

As expected, Wolfgang Matt (Lie) secured first place in the first round with 1,000 points, followed by Heinz Kronlachner (Aut) with 956, Bernhard Schaden (Sui) with 923, and Roland Matt with 921 points. Proven techniques, ultra-quiet models, and precisely executed maneuvers were the standout impressions after the first round.

In the second round as well, Wolfgang Matt retained the top spot with 1,000 points. But the sensation came from the young Swiss national team pilot Bernhard Schaden of MG Einsiedeln, who, with 992 points, trailed Matt by just 8 points. Taking the discarded result into account, this set the stage for an exciting third round on Pentecost Monday as competitors vied for the remaining medal positions. Kronlachner with 969, Roland Matt with 956, and Danksagmüller (Austria) with 938 points also remained above the 900-point mark.

Before the thrilling finale on Pentecost Monday, there was a welcome reception that brought pilots and officials together for lively music and dancing.

For Switzerland and Austria, this year’s Rheintal Cup served as a valuable test of equipment and an opportunity to assess their current level of flying proficiency. We can look forward with anticipation to the new generation of models, which will be introduced in 1996 in accordance with the new CIAM regulations. For the organizing club, the Rheintal Model Sport Flying Club—which will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rheintal Cup in 1996—this will be complemented by the honorable task of hosting the Austrian National Championship on Pentecost Saturday, 1996.

Rheintal Model Aircraft Club

Due to weather-related interruptions on Sunday, it soon became clear that there would not be enough time to complete the scheduled fourth round, so the third round would have to decide the outcome. First place had already been decided thanks to Wolfgang Matt’s two round victories. Bernhard Schaden won the third round with 1,000 points, while Wolfgang Matt recorded his best score of the day with 995 points. Heinz Kronlachner also improved his score to 991 points and took third place. The team title, with 5,671 points, went to the Liechtenstein team consisting of Wolfgang, Roland, and Norbert Matt. Second place in this classification went to Team Austria 1, consisting of Kronlachner, Danksagmüller, and Berger, while Team Switzerland 1, with Schaden, Lehmann, and Studer, took third place with 5,297 points.

For the members of Liechtenstein’s national team, the