Jury Report on Free Flight Junior World Championships 2008 F1A F1B F1P
FAI Jury
Gerhard Wöbbeking |
GER |
President |
Cenny Breeman |
Belgium |
Member |
Eugene Verbitsky |
Ukraine |
Member |
Dates
Location
Kiev/Ukraine
Organisation
Victor Stamov got support by a small but very competent team, which easily managed all the tasks. An open tent protecting the computer equipment north of the field served as an office. To announce the rounds, a computer system and loudspeakers was used. A big scoreboard informed about current results. The layout of the starting area and the boxes and tents of the teams was adjusted to the demands of the classes and the wind forecast, showing great experience and circumspection of the organiser.
Team Managers Meeting, Processing took place in open huts built in the orchard of the farm close to the flying field. A maximum time of 180 sec during the rounds was agreed, for all three classes. During the competitions, one fifth of all models had been checked as the rule demands.
Accommodation
Accommodation offered the hotel complex “Prolisok” at the west outskirts of Kiev, close to the main road. In little more than half an hour, the distance can be made. The hotel served a reasonable breakfast, but dinner didn’t fulfil all requirements of hungry juniors after a whole day of running across the steppe. The lunch packets served on the field were adequate and tasty. For the banquet, a good restaurant not far from the flying field had been located, again, near by the main road.
Flying site
About 30 km west of Kiev a part of the steppes has been used by freeflighters. Contest Director Victor Stamov approached a landowner and got permission to use an even better, extremely huge place not far from the first one south of the village Motyzhin. For a proper starting area the protector mowed voluntarily about a square kilometre of the strong steppe plants. To improve the access to the flying field, the village tarred the very last part of the road. A farmer near to the entrance offered space, a bar for beverages and a campsite.
Weather
The whole World Champs were blessed with very good weather. All flying days, wind speed varied from 0 m/sec to 3 m/sec with direction towards the steppe. The only exception was wind from the south during the early morning fly-off August 2nd classifying the F1P contest, when the two winning models disappeared in the village.
Competition
Thanks to good preparation and very good weather all contests went smoothly; no protest was submitted.
In F1A 45 competitors out of 17 teams flew. Kim Dong Yeup from South Korea was registered but didn’t fly, having lost his model while trimming before the competition. 15 juniors reached the first fly-off. The full team of Slovenia maxed out, presenting its Team Manager with an uncommon problem: Missing helpers to launch the models of his three participants he had to borrow two from other teams.
In F1B 28 flew out of 13 teams. During the first round the wind blew from the east parallel to the starting line, to the tactical disadvantage of the teams at the first poles. In the course of the following rounds, the wind direction shifted more and more to the north, perpendicular to the starting line. After round five the 5 minutes-break was prolonged when clouds covered almost the whole sky and the CD wanted to avoid an interruption caused by a storm. The contest was classified without a fly-off. The weight of the winning model was close to the limit and demanded its beacon to fulfil the requirements.
In F1P 17 flew out of seven teams, the World Champion of 2006 at an extra pole. The 2008 introduced reduction of the motor running time from ten to seven seconds seemed not to reduce the performance of the models considerably, thanks to an improved standard of trimming. Four made the fly-off, which could not be finished the same day, because the prevailing rule demands increments of the flying time of one minute only. Fading daylight forced to postpone the fourth fly-off round to the early morning of the reserve day.
Opening and Closing Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony took place on a small field in front of the farm mentioned. It was levelled for the occasion, a stage built and flagpoles erected. It was a nice show, with speeches of local and regional authorities and with Ukraine folklore, modern and traditional. One thrilling high point was a parachutist who dropped from a motorised paraglide; both took off and landed close to the parking lot.
Closing Ceremony. Again, space, stage and flag poles in front of the farm were used. The organiser presented a moving show; additional to the FAI medals and trophies, impressive cups were awarded. The ceremony was a worthy conclusion of nice days with growing international friendship shared by juniors from Europe, Asia and America.
Conclusions
Good organisation, good flying field and good weather made these championships an event which is almost impossible to top. CIAM ought to thank the organisers from Ukraine for all their efforts.