National Team Qualifying Helicopter Flying Competition (F3C) in Oberönz

We arrived on time at the MV Oberönz grounds for the 2nd NM Qualifying Round of 2007. The event was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., so for me, coming from eastern Switzerland, that meant getting up early. Around 9:00 a.m., we got started with a brief welcome and the briefing; all six registered FAI pilots had arrived. The five FAI judges and the jury were ready. Team and competition director Peter Oberli explained the planned schedule for the day and referred to the valid FAI flight programs. In Switzerland, at National Championship qualifiers, the valid FAI programs A/C/A/C are flown alternately over four rounds. The C program has been in effect since 2008; with the World Championships in Poland, the B program was thus held for the last time. Following Patrick Kessler’s retirement from the FAI scene, Hans Emmenegger, the “team senior,” took his place on the field. Enio Graber was absent; he had already qualified for the 2008 national team with his two results from the Swiss Championships and the 1st NMA. Now, the winner of the 2007 Swiss Cup, Marc Emmenegger, was already on the list of participants and delivered impressive performances, as the rankings show. In my opinion, this makes him the “Rising Star of the Year” in the helicopter scene—bravo! He’s sure to be a contender in all FAI competitions in 2008, and as we know, he has an expert by his side in the form of his experienced father.

Before the lunch break, we were also able to complete one run each of patterns A and C with the six pilots. The glorious fall weather played its part, though the picking up fall winds gave most pilots a hard time during the flight maneuvers. As is well known, the terrain is very challenging; even the distance from the judges’ row to the landing circle resulted in enormous differences in wind speed. So in the final run, Hans’s trademark didn’t stay on his head—his hat fell victim to the gusts!

It’s an open secret that the current FAI programs demand the highest level of skill and a great deal of training. Jürg Schmitter couldn’t hide his delight with the new C program. Hans Emmenegger has already mastered it down to the last detail. As Jürg told us, Hans made a deep impression on many prominent figures in the FAI scene with his pre-flight demonstration of the C program at the World Championships in Poland. May his skill pay off at the next European Championships and earn him a good placing as a reward for his tireless dedication. This officially marked the end of the 2007 FAI F3C season; we can certainly be proud of the results we achieved, even though luck wasn’t on our side at the World Championships this time and Switzerland had to leave without a medal. Our team leader, Peter Oberli, contributes greatly to the F3C scene and is largely responsible for the fact that we are once again among the best in Europe—thank you very much. Unfortunately, we will not be defending the title; there will certainly be a new European champion. The top three pilots are set; starting with the fourth-place finisher, the reserves step in should any of the top three be unable to compete. Heartfelt congratulations and best of luck for the coming year, culminating in the European Championships in early July 2008 in France.

*Walter Heller,
Rapperswil-Jona Model
Aircraft Club*

Based on the results of this year’s three competitions, the following national team has been selected for the 2008 World Championships in France: