Jury Report on Free Flight European Championships 2016 F1A F1B F1C
FAI Jury
| Gerhard Wobbeking | GER | President |
| Wilhelm Kamp | AUT | Member |
| Srdjan Pelagic | MKD | Member |
Dates
August 13 to 20, 2016
Location
Zrenjanin, Serbia
Organisation, Venue, Schedule
The Aeronautical Union of Serbia is one of the most experienced organizers especially of F1 championships and offered excellent events of all kind during the last decade. Contest Director was in the past and now again Nikola Borovac, always leaving his mark on the competitions, jovial and cooperative with the Jury. The Aradac-area in the vicinity of Zrenjanin saw several times before international F1ABCP events, as one of the big fields left in Europe to be usable in summer as it is covered with grass and not with crops. Anyhow, both qualities apply somewhat restricted: The grass is mainly high grown weed and a huge maize field had been planted not very far from the starting line.
For this line – used for all the competitions – a large and comfortable flat area had been picked out; as the cut weed proved to be troublesome for towing of F1A during the preceding World Cup event, it had been cleared before the EuCh took place. A small power line in some hundred meters distance destroyed one F1C finally during the last regular round of the championships.
The weather was very good, typical for late summer in eastern Europe – warm, light winds and strong thermals. In the 4. F1B-round a most impressive thunderstorm interrupted the event, but as all competitors had launched, the round could be closed early before gloom broke in. Fifth round and two fly-offs could start later on, but next morning the humidity had covered the area in fog and the 3. F1B-flyoff-round had to be postponed to the morning after.
Distance between the field and Zrenjanin is just a few kilometres. Processing took place in a hall next to the very good Hotel Vojvodina in the center of the town, where most of the teams stayed.
Participation
Participation at F1ABC EuCh for Seniors remains constant, slightly increasing over the years. 2012 supported 28 national teams the event in Italy, 2014 came 29 to Romania, 2016 again 28 teams showed up. Individual competitors in F1A: 77 in 2012, 83 in 2014, 81 now 2016. F1B was equally well supported: 76 (2012), 77 (2014) and 80 (2016) individuals. The figures in F1C levelled on a good standard: 45 (2012), 52 (2014) and 52 now in 2016 attended the contest. With 213 individual contestants for all three classes Serbia claims a new record.
Contest Organisation, Protests
All rounds started at 8 h and lasted 60 minutes, with 15 minutes pause to change poles. As first time five regular rounds only were to be flown, the shift to the new launch pole of the next round was by 7 or even 8 positions, but caused no complaints of contestants. But problems started, when 42 competitors performed a full house in F1A and in F1B, 19 in F1C. According to the rules, 126 timekeepers would had been necessary for the 6 min fly-offs for F1A and F1B, but weren’t available.
To resolve the situation, SC4 Vol F1 3.1.8.f) allows to split the crowd into two fly-off-groups. It was exercised at first in F1A of that very EuCh. The results showed 7 flyers maxing out in Group One, 2 only in Group Two. In order to avoid bias by the better air for the first group, the rule says: “6) An equal number of flyers from each group may proceed to the next round by including competitors …with the best flights below the maximum time”. The Contest Director approached the Jury, whether he must include 5 competitors with flights of less than 6 min into the 8 min-round, to be flown next morning. Jury had to admit that the rule with “may” gives him room to decide. To avoid medal winners without a string of clean results, Contest Director decided.
Now a self-appointed “inventor of the rule” went up to the Jury to insult them as “cowards”. Angry comments of competitors were accompanied by five protests in writing lodged by the Team Managers related. A late night meeting followed. Finally, in order to leave behind a good memory of the event, Contest Director changed his mind, under the condition, that the five protests were withdrawn. That happened and 14 F1A competitors, five without a clean score, attended the final fly-off next morning. One of the five won Bronze. In F1B, not less than 12 competitors without a first fly-off max were qualified to proceed into the
second, the 8 min fly-off; 36 contestants of that round demanded 108 timekeepers. It was almost dark, when the last models came to land, visible only by their flashers. – In his closing speech, the Jury President addressed the new rules: “To fulfil the demands of more than forty fly-off positions CIAM neither provided timekeepers nor daylight.” The proposal to classify F1-results caused by five rounds- competitions needs reworking.
Timekeeping
The organizer performed an enormous job getting enough timekeepers at the right time on the right place. Very few experienced modellers were nominated by the teams or could be recruited out of the Aeronautical Union of Serbia. Most timekeepers were students from a Technical College in Zrenjanin, with good eyes and reactions but little experience. The limits were especially obvious when several F1C were launched at the same time. As the electronic timers were all set at less than 4 seconds, timing of the motor run was almost in vain.
Opening and Closing Ceremony
The organizer performed an enormous job getting enough timekeepers at the right time on the right place. Very few experienced modellers were nominated by the teams or could be recruited out of the Aeronautical Union of Serbia. Most timekeepers were students from a Technical College in Zrenjanin, with good eyes and reactions but little experience. The limits were especially obvious when several F1C were launched at the same time. As the electronic timers were all set at less than 4 seconds, timing of the motor run was almost in vain.
Conclusions
The important issues of F1-championships were managed with excellent proficiency. Thus a report in a German magazine ended: “Serbia, please again!”