Swiss Model Aircraft Pilots Among the World's Best

In early August, the F4C World Championships for scale, radio-controlled model airplanes were held in Spain in accordance with the rules of the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale), the international air sports organization headquartered in Lausanne. The models are first evaluated on the ground by a panel of experts, who assess their level of detail compared to the original based on photographs and construction documentation; they are then flown through challenging maneuvers to evaluate the precision of their flight. Andreas Lüthi (MG Burgdorf), a multiple world and European champion, was able to bring the 2012 world championship title back to Switzerland in this discipline with his Bücker Jungmeister. Thanks to the outstanding performance of our national team (Max Schildt, Andreas Lüthi, and Markus Günter), we even managed to secure second place in the team standings. This is yet another major success for Switzerland.

Just one week earlier, the elite of the model aerobatic helicopter scene gathered in Deutsch-

country at the European Championships, which are held every two years. Ennio Graber from Ticino has been a regular participant in national and international championships since 2001. After placing second at the 2008 European Championships and third at the 2009 F3C World Championships in Munice (USA), he became European champion in 2010. He successfully defended this title two years later in Germany. Incredible dexterity and precision are required to pilot these high-tech helicopters through demanding hovering maneuvers and spectacular aerobatic maneuvers. The affable pilot from Ticino, who has worked hard to develop these skills through years of training and who constantly optimizes his models in terms of both detail and mechanics, left his competitors in the highly competitive field

far behind him. With the maximum score of 1,000 points in each round, he won every flight in the preliminaries as well as the final flights. Ennio delivered a sensational performance there. Thanks to the strong individual performances of the F3C national team (Ennio Graber, Remo Hürlimann, Marc Emmenegger, Urs Herzog), they even managed to secure 6th place in the team standings.

Also in August, the European Championships in remote-controlled aerobatics with model airplanes took place in France. Today, electric motors are typically used in these aircraft, which measure a maximum of two by two meters and weigh up to five kilograms. Juniors up to eighteen years of age compete alongside the seniors in the main field and also compete in their own junior classification. Sandro Matti, just eighteen years old and from Emmenbrücke (MG Lucerne), succeeded in winning the junior runner-up title in this very popular and highly competitive model aircraft category.

Dominik Andrist (MG Bern) won the bronze medal thanks to his outstanding performance at the F1E European Championship for magnet-controlled hang glider models in Turda, Romania. In a highly competitive field of 38 pilots, 13 different nations were represented. In the team standings (Andreas Tschanz, Alfred Sigrist), Switzerland achieved a very respectable 7th place.

The first World Championships in the F3F (slope soaring) category will take place in October. We wish our national team—featuring Stefan Bertsch, Reto Blumer, and Martin Kopp—the best of luck at the World Championships in Germany.

Pilots who compete for Switzerland at world and continental championships participate in this high-performance sport as members of the Swiss Model Flying Association (SMV), which, as a division of the Aero-Club of Switzerland, is also a member of Swiss Olympic.

“Athletic successes in general—and such top performances in particular—are of great importance for raising awareness of and gaining recognition for model aviation,” explains Peter Germann, president of the Swiss Model Flying Association, who is delighted with the results achieved by his elite athletes.

SMV: How did you find this week of competition?

Sandro: For me, my first F3A European Championship was an amazing experience. A European Championship is also very impressive for us pilots and can’t be compared to a regular competition. The whole thing starts with the opening ceremony; then there’s the week-long competition, and finally the closing banquet—it was all really special. It was especially special that we

weren’t just flying for ourselves, but were competing as part of the national team for our own country. But the interaction with the other teams and pilots was also more intense than at other competitions, since we saw each other at the practice fields even outside of the competition itself.

Sandro: I'm currently in my final year of my

I’m training to be a business administrator. Thanks to my employer’s support, I was able to take four weeks off in a row this summer for the European Championship. Even otherwise, I use practically all of my remaining vacation days for model flying, so there aren’t many days left for a “real” vacation.

Sandro: I’m at the airfield practically every weekend, but before competitions I’m also there more often during the week, as long as my work or school schedule allows. Since the weather isn’t always the same at competitions, we train in almost any weather. Even storms or rain don’t faze us. On a typical training day, we make several flights. During these sessions, we practice the two routines that will be flown in the competitions, or just individual maneuvers that are particularly difficult.

Sandro: We built a backup glider specifically for the European Championships. That is, a second glider that’s exactly the same, with the same components. It would be used in the event of a technical problem. Fortunately, we didn’t have any problems and didn’t have to fly the backup glider.

Sandro: My competition model, the Bravo, is a full-FRP/Herex aircraft from Wistmodel. The model is built in Poland by Piotr Urbanski, who is also an F3A competition pilot, himself

built. The Bravo stands out for its excellent quality and light weight. An F3A aircraft must weigh less than 5,000 g to comply with the rules. My Bravo weighs just 4,750 g with a 10S 5,000 mAh 35C Fullymax battery. Like many other pilots, I use the new Plettenberg Advance 30-10 as the power source—an internal-rotor motor without a gearbox. For the transmitter, I use a JR XG11 with the new DHSS system.

Sandro: In my local model aircraft club in Lucerne, F3A competition flying is very popular. Twice a year, we hold a small F3A competition within the club. Thanks to these competitions and the support of the other competition pilots in my club, I soon discovered the appeal of F3A flying. After that, I started competing in regional and interregional F3A competitions, and three years ago I finally made the leap to the Swiss League; now I regularly compete in international competitions.

Sandro: Regional and interregional competitions are very common in Switzerland. Unfortunately, over the past two years, only a few pilots have participated in these competitions, and, much to the disappointment of the pilots and organizers, some competitions even had to be canceled due to

may be canceled if there are too few participants. In the F3A scene, there is a European World Cup featuring 15 competitions. It’s very exciting to compete in these events and fly against Europe’s best pilots, who also go on to compete in the European Championships. We also have an international competition in Reichenburg, Switzerland, that’s part of the World Cup. And the traditional competition in Liechtenstein is also part of the World Cup.

Sandro: My family is and always will be my most important sponsor. Without them, the last few years wouldn’t have been possible. It’s not just about the equipment you need. The hours-long drives to international competitions and all the training involved are also enormous. I’m glad that I’m supported by several companies. That takes care of a large portion of the costs for the planes and the equipment.

Sandro: My dad comes with me to every competition. Since I haven’t passed my driver’s test yet, he always has to come with me to practice, too. He goes to such great lengths for me! He’s also a huge help to me during practice and at competitions.

He reads the routine to me and corrects me when I make mistakes, or suggests new ideas for things we could try to fly even better. On top of that, he builds all my model airplanes over the winter and maintains them during the season. My uncle is also involved in model flying. He, too, supports me in any way he can. Without these two great pillars of support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Sandro: Like our neighbors Germany, Austria, and Italy, Switzerland doesn’t have a large pool of young talent competing. In Switzerland, the pool is limited to just three or four young pilots. It’s difficult to find new talent for F3A because the class requires a lot of training and looks very boring to outsiders. However, F3A is actually very exciting and interesting when you fly it yourself.

Sandro: It’s definitely worth getting started by entering a regional competition and giving it a try. The whole atmosphere of the competition alone is something you have to experience. You don’t need an expensive 2-meter model to get started; a smaller aerobatic plane will do. You can find some information and the current flight programs at www.modellflug.ch. I’ve also documented my achievements to date and the models I’ve flown—along with their specific specifications—on my website <http://www.sandro-matti.com>.