Dear Readers,

Nevertheless, model aircraft event organizers and competitors must handle the entire workload in their free time, sacrificing their vacations—not to mention the financial costs. This, however, requires a great deal of joy and enthusiasm; after all, every athlete must repeatedly face and overcome setbacks. What may look so natural, skillful, effortless—even almost easy—on the day of the championship actually requires a great deal of hard work, self-criticism, and tremendous perseverance. These are all things that can only be properly appreciated by someone who has been there themselves and has had the chance to take a look behind the scenes.

In the future, there should be more opportunities to get a glimpse into the work of a national model aircraft team. Many misconceptions and distorted perceptions could be corrected in this way—such as the notion of “semi-professionalism or elitism,” where everything supposedly goes more smoothly for them, their engines are perfectly tuned, and so on. Just how much experience and work it really takes to get the engine running the way it should, to properly trim the model, and to finally execute the maneuvers reasonably well—that’s something many an envious critic should be able to try out for themselves. Of course, there are model aviators who don’t want to bother with all the championships. That’s their prerogative. After all, not every car enthusiast is interested in racing—I’d almost say, thankfully not! If entire model flying clubs go for years without attending any competitions or events, that’s understandable and can usually be explained quite simply in terms of their membership: older members who seek relaxation, balance, and camaraderie above all else in model flying. Or, for the most part, very young members and beginners. Anyone who knows how much patience and effort a club president must invest—especially to help young model aviators practice reliability and precision and prepare for a goal with discipline—must grant such groups a longer “break.”

What is truly unhealthy is the trend that, by denying competitive sports, almost turns model flying back into a top-level sport. These are the people who repeatedly and emphatically point out that, for them, model flying is still a “real hobby,” and that they do it all just to “have some peace.” It goes without saying that even championship pilots claim their sport is a genuine hobby, just as track and field athletes, tennis players, and orienteers do. It is very difficult to put an end to such—I would say almost neurotic—developments. The situation is similar among certain Bible scholars, where everyone believes that only their own insights are correct and lead alone to true peace.

Once again, it should be emphasized here that true sport exists only where there is cooperation between recreational and elite sports. Without the many weekend pilots who help bring our sport to the general public, foster understanding, and recruit new talent, there would be no competitive sport. On the other hand, it has become clear that competitive sports often play a significant role in the technical advancement of our equipment. With this in mind, the passionate championship pilot and the satisfied motor glider pilot should gratefully join hands.

Sincerely,

E. Giezendanner