Looking for New Scale Pilots – F4 Scale Helicopter Information and Training

In 2018, Roland Kaufmann of MG Fehraltorf was elected to the F4-Scale Technical Commission as the Heli Scale division representative. Various issues—such as lingering problems, contemporary challenges, or simply a reluctance to compete—were on the table and had to be resolved by him. Through countless discussions and visits to events—where Roland analyzed the situation and sought to understand it—he took steps just one year into his term to make F4 Heli Scale attractive again and dispel old prejudices.

In the spring of 2019, Rolf Duppenthaler from MG Obwalden launched an F4 Scale helicopter training day. Unfortunately, interest among beginners was too low when the event was first held. The event was canceled at the time due to a lack of registrations. However, this did not deter FAKO director Roland Kaufmann from trying again in 2020, this time in collaboration with the MG Interlaken led by Jan Zurbuchen. The goal was to help interested pilots overcome their hesitation about this competitive discipline. The organizers aimed to support newcomers and encourage their participation by addressing the following topics:

• How can I successfully break into the scale modeling scene with an existing model and relatively little effort?
• Construction documentation is very important in competition. Using existing documentation from successful Swiss Championship participants, the organizers aimed to highlight what to pay attention to during the building process.
• But what good is even the most beautiful model if the beginner doesn’t know how to fly the maneuvers correctly during the competition to earn the necessary points?
• Tips and tricks for the model and for flying to earn as many points as possible
• Overcome the fear of competition and instill the motivation to participate

This information day was intended to give interested helicopter pilots (scale or semi-scale) an insight into the competition scene and motivate them to participate in the Swiss Championship. The registration numbers showed that the approach of motivating new participants with an information day proved to be spot on. A impressive 20 pilots wanted to take part in this helicopter information and training day. “Wanted to”: Unfortunately, like many other events in March and April 2020, the event had to be canceled due to the coronavirus.

On August 29 and 30, the 2020 Swiss F4, Jet Scale, and Heliscale Championships will take place at the former military airfield in Interlaken. Interested pilots can register today at <https://modellflug.ch/events.aspx?Event=5743&lang=DE>. The relevant rules and regulations can be found at <https://modellflug.ch/DE/cont/36>.