Successful Scale World Championships in Norway

The most recent World Championships in the “Scale” category took place in Meiringen (2018). Due to the pandemic, the 2020 World Championships were postponed by two years to August 22–30, 2022. During the long wait, the Norwegian organizer not only had to put in additional organizational effort but also had to modify and scale back the original competition and supporting program due to financial constraints; some sponsors ran into financial difficulties and withdrew their support.

Two launch sites—one for F4C and another for F4H—had originally been planned, but both classes ended up flying on the same runway.

Among the judges who were cut from the roster was our Swiss representative, Heinz Schär. Switzerland—a powerhouse in scale flying—without a judge! This caused quite a stir in the run-up to the event and was certainly not an advantage.

The Jarlsberg recreational airfield proved to be an ideal venue.

The infrastructure met the requirements.

The initially nasty weather gave way to sunnier days, mostly with strong winds and temperatures ranging from 16 to 21 degrees.

In both categories, three rounds were flown, as usual.

The 1,900-kilometer trip to the competition was a real challenge just to be able to participate at all.

Whether by RV, bus, or plane, everyone managed to arrive at the starting line on time with their undamaged models.

The official test flight also went smoothly for all pilots, with no repairs needed afterward. We were ready!

We boosted our morale and team spirit over dinner together, whether at the airfield or in Tonsberg—a ten-minute drive away (where the non-campers, half the team, were staying at a hotel).

After Saturday’s opening ceremony, which included refreshments at the airfield, the judging began on Sunday. All pilots first had to undergo the airframe inspection, which in the F4C class often took more than an hour. For Reto Senn and me, this was a special occasion, as our models were new and making their debut.

Gody Fischer’s Pilatus Porter made its debut at a World Championship in the “competitive class.”

The F4H class began on Sunday afternoon with the first flight round under windy but sunny conditions.

On Monday, the flights of the first round were repeatedly interrupted due to bad weather. Since only one launch site was available and three rounds were planned for all 68 participants, the organizer pushed to complete the first flight for all F4H pilots. The conditions were still within the rules but very borderline, so three pilots decided not to launch. Max Schilt was among them, which increased the pressure on him since he had already used his discard.

However, as it turned out in hindsight, the decision was the right one and had no negative consequences.

When the scores from the construction evaluation were posted on Wednesday, the outlines of a possible victory began to take shape.

For me, it was a record score for any World Championship—and I achieved it with the new glider. Reto and Gody also scored strongly.

In the F4H class, Markus Günther and Max Schilt scored roughly as expected. Urs Brand, on the other hand, was disappointed, and no one on the team could understand his low score.

In a discussion with the judges, Steve Henzen and Urs received a few explanations, which were only partially satisfactory; nothing was changed. Words of encouragement were needed to boost motivation
for the remaining flights; even though Urs’s individual result took a back seat, his commitment to the team score was crucial.

The emotional highs and lows a pilot experiences during a competition week are part of the competition; those who handle them best are more likely to be among the winners.

Reto also had to cope with a disappointment in his first flight when a landing gear leg retracted upon landing, which significantly reduced his all-important landing points.

Generally, the wind was blowing along the runway axis, but unfortunately it was blowing crosswise during my flights.

We were all able to complete two good flights; the support of our flight assistants was crucial and played a decisive role.

Martin Lüthi went above and beyond, guiding several pilots through
the flight program. My wife, Therese, also flawlessly fulfilled her first assignment as a co-pilot at a World Championship!

There was no shortage of excitement. The podium spots remained up for grabs until the very end. Markus Günther was in 2nd place in the F4H class at one point. I slowly fought my way up from 3rd place.

As a team in the F4C class, we didn’t secure our victory until Saturday with the final flights. Second place in the F4H team competition was also up in the air for a long time and was a nice reward.

We’ve definitely exceeded our goals in the team standings!

I didn’t expect to win the individual gold medal; a spot on the podium was my goal, though—which makes this success all the more exciting!

Reto and Markus’s two fourth-place finishes may not have made it onto the podium, but from a sporting perspective, they were great performances!

Of course, the focus is on athletic success—and from our perspective, we delivered!

The supporting program created a great atmosphere.

“Nation Night” brought the nations together; each country provided a culinary highlight typical of its culture (Switzerland?—cheese and chocolate; what else!).

For a change, the closing banquet didn’t take place at a posh downtown venue, but instead featured a band and an awards ceremony—with everyone dressed in more casual, athletic attire—in the festival tent at the airfield.

Special recognition goes to our oldest team member, Gody Fischer; at over 80 years old, he’s won a team gold medal.

Bravo, Gody! – Before heading home, you said this was probably your last appearance at a World Championship. You said the same thing at the World Championship before last... That’s why we’re looking forward to our next appearance with you—likely in Romania in 2024.

A huge thank you goes to our team managers, Thomas Günther and Steve Henzen; they worked hard before and

the World Championships and provided us pilots with tremendous support.

Our wives and partners were right there cheering us on, taking care of our physical well-being, and keeping team morale high.

A big thank you also goes to the SMV, which supported the efforts of our Fako President, Reto Senn, to create a uniform, practical, sporty, and attractive outfit; thank you very much!

Rankings:
2022 Scale World Championships (modellflug.ch)