Sportflyer and the relay pilots in Riggisberg

Ever since we started combining the two categories into a single event, there used to be a lot of relay teams and fewer Sportflyer participants, but this time it was completely the other way around. I think Daniela Schmiter really “sparked” a lot of motivation—thanks. In the end, three relay teams from MG Münchenbuchsee and two from our club took part. As for the sport flyer pilots, nine were ultimately registered for the Basics program and another nine for the Upper program. That was a very encouraging field, and it meant quite a bit of work for the top-notch judging team—I’m talking about Team Schmitter! It’s safe to say that Swiss aerobatics is alive and well—there were four or five really young pilots competing in both programs. It was a joy to watch them, whether in the air or on the ground talking shop. They were fully engaged, full of enthusiasm and joy. The same was true for the slightly older pilots—there was a certain relaxed atmosphere, nothing too intense, but still with the necessary focus.

As mentioned at the beginning, everyone had to contend with the gusty north wind. The Bise isn’t pleasant at our airfield—it keeps changing direction, and rarely blows in the direction of the runway. Still, you’ve got two control sticks to counteract it. As competition pilots always say, anyone can fly well when there’s no wind! Then there was the completely different category that had to—or was allowed to—take to the air: the formation pilots. Here, too, things were incredibly bumpy. With a lot of effort and skill, they managed to put on an impressive flight as well. The MG Münchenbuchsee team had a much harder time with their relatively light models. The Riggisberg team, with their home-field advantage, apparently knew the conditions a bit better. Here, too, you could feel everyone’s enjoyment of formation flying—it is, after all, a team sport.

Later in the afternoon, the sun finally warmed us up—though it was almost time for the awards ceremony by then. In the Upper Class, Rodito Nussbaumer came out on top, followed by Alain Schad and Vital Widmer. In the Basics category, the somewhat more experienced Riggisberg pilots finished first, followed by the very young up-and-coming pilots. They might just turn the tables in the future. The complete results are posted on HP.mg-riggisberg.ch under “Modellfluggruppe Riggisberg – Home.” We’ll definitely have to rethink the future of the team competition—with only two model flying clubs participating… Well, we’ll figure something out; we’re looking forward to seeing what happens! We’ll definitely keep holding relay competitions—it’s just always fun. With that in mind, see you soon again at our airbase.