RC Hang Gliding on the Bielstein, Oberer Hauenstein

In the Oberbaselbiet Model Flying Club, most members are actively involved in slope soaring. Our club agreed that if no other organizer could be found for the 1978 RCS Slope Soaring Swiss Championships, the members of the MG-OB would step in to fill the gap.

A week before the competition, weather conditions stabilized as a high-pressure system brought warm fall weather across all of Europe. Several days before the competition, the three surveyed slopes were assessed for their suitability under these weather conditions. In the morning, starting around 9 a.m., a wind blew at 1–2 meters per second from the SW; at 11 a.m., it shifted to the NW at about 1 meter per second; and around 3 p.m., we measured the same speed from the SW. These wind and weather conditions posed some challenges for us, as we did not know of any competitive slope in the Jura where flying was possible in the directions listed above.

The organizers decided one day before the competition to set up the course on the Bielstein, on the north-facing slope of the MG-OB.

On October 15, 1978, the 40 pilots, who had traveled from all over Switzerland, gathered at 8:00 a.m. at the upper Hauenstein. After a group drive to the Hauberg farms and the ascent to the north face of the Bielstein, the

pilots were briefed by the competition director. The competition was conducted according to the existing national regulations.

During the first round, the wind was blowing at about 2 meters per second from the southwest. This posed major problems for some pilots. Given the poor conditions, even the best models managed only two complete circuits of the triangle, followed by a landing in the designated landing rectangle.

When the second round could finally begin around noon, it became clear that the organizer had made the right choice in selecting the north slope. The wind shifted to the northwest, and thanks to the developing thermals, the pilots were able to make full use of the entire 8-minute flight time. During the timing period, the best models were recorded completing up to eight laps of the triangle in 4 minutes.

During the half-hour lunch break, the jury decided to cancel the fourth round.

At the end of the third round, four pilots were tied for the lead with the maximum of 3,000 points. After verifying their frequencies, pilots Kaufmann (Hobie-Hawk), Dellenbach (Ideal), Schraner (Brillant V), and Steinmann (Hobie-Hawk) were called to participate in a joint fourth round.

Bruno Kaufmann of the Dietli Model Flying Club was unable to handle this pressure—

kon/Brüttisellen took the lead and won convincingly. The remaining three pilots in this tiebreaker were tied for second place and thus had to compete in a second tiebreaker. During this flight, it became apparent what attentive spectators had already noticed in the first tiebreaker: Jürg Steinmann of the MG Oberbaselbiet was having trouble controlling his model. The crash of his model left him in fourth place. Paul Dellenbach of the MG Nidwalden was able to win the third tiebreaker and

The members of MG Oberbaselbiet hope that an organizer will once again be found for the 1979 Swiss Championship in this wonderful category of model flying.

F. Müller

Flag marshals and timekeepers play a crucial role in RCS slope competitions. Their responsibility is particularly great because the slope competition is a triangular course, and pilots rely on precise signaling to avoid losing too much time.

In poor conditions, even the best models managed only two full laps. In the afternoon, the wind shifted to the “right” direction, and there were light thermals, allowing the pilots to make the most of the flight time. Photo: Schelling.