F3C Worldcup in Schwadernau
The first Model Helicopter World Cup of the 2026 season took place on the weekend of May 30th/31st, 2026, hosted by Schwadernau-Scheuren. Nineteen pilots competed in a fantastic competition under brilliant weather conditions.
They came from all corners of Central Europe: 19 pilots from England, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland demonstrated their aerobatic routines before the critical eyes of an equally international judging panel.
It all started with a debriefing between the head of the technical commission, Rolf Mäder, and the president of the Schwadernau flying club, Theo Friedli: "Would you like to see a really large number of helicopters at the field?" Since accommodating 7 or 20 pilots at a competition doesn't add much work, Theo's spontaneous "Sure, why not?" prompted the planning to begin. The division of labor was as usual: the club provided the field and, with the energetic help of the women, took care of the catering. The technical commission organized the judges, the scoring, and the rest of the administration. In the case of an international Category 2 competition, the World Cup organizer also provided significant assistance.
And so, on a warm to hot weekend at the end of May, the pilots were able to hover, fly, and autorotate their models. Unfortunately, one pilot lost his model due to a technical defect, but otherwise, the event ran precisely according to plan and without any problems. At lunchtime, the model aircraft club provided excellent catering on-site, and in the evening, the pilots met at the nearby Hotel Florida for a communal dinner. The social aspect of such an event is also a wonderful experience, refreshingly different from Facebook and Instagram, and one that will remain a great memory.
The reigning European and Swiss champion, Ennio Graber, clearly prevailed in the competition, ahead of British leader Steve Roberts and Italian champion Alessandro Del Lungo. They were followed by members of the Swiss national team, Marc Emmenegger and Andy Gasser.
For the first time at an international Category 2 competition, the three-stage competition format was used: Three so-called preliminary flights were normalized to a score of 1,000, with one result being dropped. This score then served as the first result in the semi-final standings. Each participant flew exactly one semi-final program. These two scores were again normalized to a score of 1,000, forming the first result for the final, which was contested by the top eight pilots. Since only one final program was flown due to time constraints, no mistakes were allowed; every inaccuracy and every error mercilessly impacted the result.
The awards ceremony was held punctually according to schedule, and almost immediately afterward, a powerful thunderstorm began. All in all, a very successful event. A heartfelt thank you goes to all the helpful members of the Schwadernau Scheuren club, the judges, the scorers, and last but not least, the pilots, whose extremely disciplined behavior ensured the competition ran smoothly and, according to the feedback received, thoroughly enjoyed the event. A competition at its finest!
Following this link you may find a press comment!
Clicking this link you may find an interview of Radio Canal-3!
And here is the complete ranking list
Rolf Mäder
Chairman F3-Heli Committee Switzerland
|
Alle News
Jahr
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Friday, February 20, 2026
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
|