ACTIVE SWISS FREEFLIGHT ATHLETES

A season marked by small successes is drawing to a close. The results were good, but the strong performances of previous years could not be repeated. No top finishes were achieved at the international championships this year. Lauri Malila was unable to defend his F1A world championship title. He had set his model too sharply in the second fly-off. Samuel Mouret, a young pilot, drew attention to himself with very strong performances. Urs Muntwyler also competed in an international championship for the first time. The incidents at the 2024 European Championships led to some pilots not participating in this World Championship. As a result, only three pilots from Switzerland competed. At various World Cups, we achieved results that show we are among the world’s best.

In the F1E category, the Swiss were unable to build on their previous successes. Once again, the lack of available helpers proved to be a disadvantage. Nationally, the Swiss Championships for the FAI classes were held with some luck regarding the weather.

The F1A and F1B classes competed in Plamboz. In F1A, fog prevented the competition from starting. By the time the fog cleared, only three rounds could be flown. At the end of the third round, the wind grew increasingly strong. Consequently, the championship had to be ended after three rounds.

Two pilots, Dominik Andrist and Samuel Mouret, achieved the maximum number of points. In the F1B class, five rounds were flown. However, the wind was not cooperative here either. While the first round allowed for three minutes of flight time, the remaining flights had to be limited to two minutes. In this class, two pilots—Christian Andrist and Giancarlo Polla—consistently achieved the required flight times. Both fly-offs were held in November in the Gürbetal valley. Conditions were optimal, and the flight time was set at ten minutes for both classes. Dominik Andrist won the F1A class with a flight time of 7 minutes and 51 seconds. In the F1B class, Christian Andrist won with a flight time of 6 minutes and 47 seconds.

The Swiss F1E Championships were held in Wikartswil near Bern. The orientation of this slope is proving to be an increasing disadvantage. We can practically only fly when the Föhn is blowing. However, the Föhn is usually very weak, so flying is mostly thermal-based. This is also becoming an increasing disadvantage for pilots who fly abroad. The models can rarely be flown into a headwind. The results also reflect this. The winner was Andreas Tschanz, the pilot who best mastered the conditions.

Our highlight was definitely the second Gürbe Cup, which took place at the end of October. A total of 97 participants took part. The weather was very favorable. Rain the day before, optimal conditions on Friday and Saturday, and rain on Sunday. In all classes, many pilots achieved the maximum number of points after the regular rounds. Christian and Dominik Andrist competently led this World Cup as competition directors. Fly-offs were held in all classes after five rounds. The fly-off time was set at 8 minutes. It turned out that this was the right decision. Only in the F1B class did several pilots reach the time limit. For the organizer, it becomes extremely difficult to organize a fly-off with such a large number of participants under conditions as evenly matched as those on these two days. In such cases, the organizer relies on the assistance of the pilots in attendance.

Alfred Andrist

World-Class Competition at the FAI Free Flight World Cup (Gürbe Cup) in Mühlethurnen

97 free flight pilots from 15 countries competed in the 2nd Gürbe World Cup on Friday, October 31, and Saturday, November 1, 2025. Organized every two years by the free-flight pilots of the Bern Model Club following the World Championships, this FAI World Cup also serves as the final leg of the FAI World Cup annual standings in free flight.

The Andrist family and “partner towns”—as we call them in Switzerland—were primarily responsible for organizing the Gürbe Cup. To ensure that low-altitude overflights or forced landings by helicopters would not interfere with the model aircraft, local businesses were notified and a “Danger Area” was requested from the FOCA. This appears in the NOTAM for aviators.

Timekeeping was handled by RC pilots from MV Bern and “friendly model flying clubs.” This allowed for an official timekeeper to be assigned to each of the up to 22 launch sites. This is also significant for the promotion of free flight.

Adrian Eggenberger, President of the Swiss Model Aviation Association (SMV), and Yeginsoy Faruk, SMV Sports Director, attended the Gürbe Cup on Friday. Adrian Eggenberger to Michael Bleuer, President of the CH Free Flight Technical Commission: “I was very impressed by the smooth and orderly conduct of the Gürbe Cup and by the B/C/Q flights at a very high level with the impressive high-performance aircraft.”

On Friday, the three motor glider categories—F1B (rubber-powered), F1C (internal combustion engine), and the new F1Q electric class—took to the air. Under calm conditions with little wind, five rounds were flown with specified flight times of two four-minute flights and three three-minute flights. In the F1B (rubber-powered) category, nearly the entire world elite was on the starting line. Three Swiss pilots were among the competitors. The competition organizers

sought to fly the models for the maximum possible flight time in the fly-off. The podium spots in this category were all taken by Ukrainian pilots, who collectively held nine world championship titles:

1. Oleg Kulakowsky/UKR (4 world championship titles)
2. Alexander Andrukov/formerly UKR, now USA (3 world championship titles)
3. Stepan Stefanchuck/UKR (2 world championship titles)

The smallest category is F1C (internal combustion class), which ultimately had 5 pilots (out of 11 registered). Kenneth Faux from Great Britain took first place, ahead of Claus-Peter Wächter from Germany and Viachselslav Aleksandrov from Ukraine. Peter Maurer from Kehrsatz near Bern finished in 5th place.

The F1Q electric glider class was flown at a World Championship for the first time this year. The three highest-ranked pilots in the World Cup, along with one or two Swiss pilots, competed. The winner was Franco Gradi of Italy, who thereby replaced Imola Varadi of Hungary—ranked 12th—at the top of the world rankings. Second place went to Germany’s Andre Seifert, ahead of Mihaly Varadi from Hungary. The Varadis are also a “works team,” as they are one of the two best-known suppliers of F1Q models.

On Saturday, 43 pilots of all ages flew classic F1A gliders using the high-launch method. Six Swiss and 12 German pilots competed, including Lauri Malila, the 2023 world champion. The light winds posed significant challenges for the pilots during the dynamic launches. In this maneuver, the pilots accelerate their models out of a deep turn and initiate the takeoff with a spectacular backward fall. This complex maneuver requires athletic stamina and good falling technique; without these, injuries can occur. Forces of around 40 kg act on the line, which is 100 times the model’s weight. This necessitates a correspondingly sturdy construction. Using the 50-meter line, altitudes of well over 100 meters are achieved. Twenty-two pilots, including four Swiss pilots, flew the maximum duration in all flights. With rain setting in, thermal updrafts were hardly to be expected in the evening, and so none of the pilots reached the 8-minute flight time. The top ranks were consistently occupied by well-known top pilots:

1. Dusan Fric (CZ) – Winner of the 1st Gürbe Cup 2023
2. Jan Vosejkpa (CZ)
3. Michael Bleuer (CH, MV Rüttenen)

The participants were thrilled by the varied landscape of the Gürbe Valley and the views of the mountains. A raclette dinner brought this successful Free Flight World Cup to a close. The results can be found at www.guerbecup.ch, among other places. ■

Urs Muntwyler