2022 Swiss Competition

The FAI World Cup and Euro Tour competition in the F5B category took place again this year in Switzerland—in San Vittore, GR.

San Vittore is located in Miso, one of the three Italian-speaking valleys of the canton of Graubünden, alongside Puschlav and Bergell. The airfield of the same name was built in 1941 by the Swiss Air Force in the valley plain within sight of the cantonal border with Ticino and remained in operation until 1955. The runway is oriented 08/26, which is ideal for cross-country flying in F5B, as pilots have the sun at their backs all day and are thus not blinded. The steep valley wall to the north also meant that the cross-country flight—at least the lower legs of the route—took place against this rugged backdrop, which was unfamiliar to some pilots from flatter regions. Conversely, the valley wall promised good conditions for thermal flying thanks to the sun’s warming effect. At least, that was the theory. The registered participants promised to live up to the “International” designation in the competition announcement. In addition to the entire Swiss team,

pilots from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and France also took part. Most participants arrived the evening before to complete a few test flights. However, the weather had other ideas, delaying these plans with an evening thunderstorm. That was fine, though—it left some time to chat with the visiting colleagues.

Things got underway on Saturday morning with the final test flights, and after the briefing at 9:00 a.m., the competition was able to start on time. To complete four rounds in a single day—and thus allow for a discard—a well-timed schedule was necessary. Since each pilot also calls out the time or distance to several other pilots as helpers, the starting order had to be just right. And in between, you also have to make sure the model is ready for the next flight—that is, that the batteries are charged and preheated. Since we were already nearing the end of the season, however, there were few changes to the setups; the pilots had found their optimal power setups and were focusing on improving their flying skills.

In the first round, both Thomas and Gerben immediately posted record-breaking 53 runs. Followed by Marco with 52, all the other Swiss pilots were also able to improve their personal bests under ideal “Ticino” conditions. The 50-run mark was surpassed left and right. As is often the case, the performances at the top were very close; in every round, the top half of the participants were within 4% of the round’s best time. After the lunch break, as the sun grew stronger, the old saying proved true: that

where air rises, it must also fall again. A prime example of this was Thomas’s third flight: After climbing to 350 m during the cross-country flight, that altitude had melted away to below 100 m within 5 minutes. After circling above a row of trees for the remaining minutes, it wasn’t quite enough, and a brief nudge of the engine caused him to exceed the energy limit, turning the flight into a discard. Round three went to Marco, and the decision was thus postponed to the final round. All the pilots in the top half of the standings had thus recorded their discard result after lunch.

In the end, it resulted in a local one-two finish with Thomas ahead of Marco and Heiko. Serial winner Gerben fell out of podium contention for once due to two crashes after lunch. Newcomer Flavio was able to cover more distance in every round with his Avionik B10 and is now working on optimizing his energy consumption.

We would like to thank everyone for a great competition under the experienced leadership of Emil Giezendanner and his helpers, and especially GE S. Vittore for their hospitality and excellent cuisine.

*Andreas Lang, August 2022*

Actually, we’d love to tell you about our heroic exploits at the F5B World Championships (and maybe proudly show off our medals...), but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Due to the political situation, nations coming from far away—such as the U.S., Japan, and Australia—canceled their participation early on. Other nations also had concerns; in some cases, they were unable to field a full team, and so on. By the deadline for final registration, there were 3 Swiss, 3 Dutch, 1 Czech, and 2 Bulgarians... So the CIAM had no choice but to cancel the 2022 F5B World Championships… The last World Championships took place in Japan in 2018. Following the COVID-related postponements and cancellations, there will once again be no competition at the highest level. It’s a shame, because: We would have been so ready! With Thomas and Marco finishing in 1st and 2nd place, respectively, in the 2021 (Wittenwil) and 2022 (San Vittore) World Cup competitions, each having stood at the very top of the podium once, and with 2nd and 4th places in the 2022 Eurotour overall standings, the team would have had a wealth of experience and firepower. As the third pilot, Lucas—who is about to embark on a year abroad for his studies—had to give up his spot. Since his first F5B World Championship as a junior pilot and team mainstay, he has made the transition to the senior ranks with ease and has become a regular medalist at the Swiss Championships. Beating his father has almost become a mission in itself... With his withdrawal, one might have expected a slightly weaker team. But due to the COVID-related delay, Remo Frattini—a two-time world champion (2010 and 2014 for Italy)—was able to compete for Switzerland again, as the two-year waiting period had expired. On paper, it could have been a very successful World Championship. If only, would that, if…

Nevertheless, we can look back on an exciting F5B season. As in other disciplines, the return to “normality” has not yet been fully realized. The season kicked off somewhat unusually late with the Swiss Championship on June 9. On that summery Saturday, the MG Breitenbach not only gave up a day of flying but also provided volunteers and the “Beiz.” After four thrilling rounds on a new measuring system, Thomas Wäckerlin once again stood at the top of the podium. Close behind was the “Cantoni family,” where youthful coolness prevailed over experience. Remo Frattini, in 4th place, also signaled his readiness for the World Championships, which were still planned at the time. At the subsequent Eurotour competitions in

Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the Swiss pilots were consistently found among the frontrunners. “Nothing new,” one might almost say... Was it perhaps also due to Switzerland’s new “secret weapon,” the AL (Andy Lang) propeller...? Who knows. We’d love to get used to seeing the podium in San Vittore on August 6, with Thomas in first place (two-time Eurotour champion in 2022) and Marco in second. An exciting season, then, with great

athletic results. F5B, as spectacular as it looks, is a relatively straightforward category. You can get a fully equipped plane with exactly the same components used by the 2022 winners for less than the cost of a high-tech F5J plane. Plus, you don’t need three different versions (light, standard, windy) to be prepared for all weather conditions... Enough chit-chat—time to get back to training.

*Marco Cantoni, FAKO F5*

Holding the F5B competition on Saturday and the F5J competition on Sunday is quite a challenge for the organizing club, volunteers, and competition officials. The results are impressive. Here, we’d like to briefly focus on Sunday’s F5J competition.

The F5J electric flight class, with its elegant, large, and lightweight F5J glider models, is arguably the greatest success to date among the FAI electric flight competition classes. The number of participants proved this right from the very first European and World Championships, as well as the FAI World Cup events. Today, F5J is one of the RC categories with the highest number of participants and is extremely popular among juniors. Large models have always been attractive to pilots and

spectators alike. Made from laminated plastics, these models have wingspans of up to 4 meters and weigh between 1 and 2 kilograms. Since 15 or more models take off simultaneously at major competitions, F5J events are both exciting and appealing to competitors and spectators alike. These elegant gliders—big is beautiful—fly with plenty of lift today yet can still come to a near “standstill” before landing.

In closing, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Gruppo Elimodellisti San Vittore (GESV) for the superb organization of the venue, the excellent cuisine, and, of course, the impeccable competition support provided by the club members. Where else do you find World and European champions spending an entire day at the F5B control station and then serving as timekeepers on the second day? And

And in a competition class that you don't even compete in yourself?

*Emil Giezendanner*

P.S.: For more on F5J, see the report on the European Championships in Hungary in MFS 6-22.