This sight takes your breath away.
Andrew Jesky is in the
zone. He is using his
iPod as a stick airplane
to practice the first
Unknown sequence.
His musical selection is
unknown as well.
Junior World Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli,
poses with his helper Andrea Villa.
40 MODEL AVIATION
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:12 PM Page 40February 2012 41
by Jim Quinn
AMA hosts pilots
from 31 countries
ISTORY WAS MADE at AMA’s International Aeromodeling
Center on August 1, 2011. A historic sixth win for one competitor
and a first-time-ever first place for another made the F3A World
Championship spectacular.
The historic sixth win came when Christophe Paysant-LeRoux of France
was crowned F3A World Champion. Christophe won the event in 1999,
2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, and is the current F3A World Champion.
The first-time-ever win goes to Marco Mazzucchelli of Italy, who was
crowned Junior World Champion. A Junior World Champion must be less
than 19 years old and at least four countries must be represented at a World
Championship for a Junior competitor to be so named.
AMA salutes and congratulates these two deserving RC pilots.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:14 PM Page 4142 MODEL AVIATION
Team USA’s Albert Glenn, team
manager, and pilots Andrew Jesky,
Chip Hyde, and Brett Wickizer
celebrate as World Team Champions.
Right: The Jury
members were (LR)
Bob Skinner,
Michael Ramel, and
Jim Eichenberg. The
Jury prepares the
judges, answers all
technical questions,
and resolves protests.
Below: A judge’s assistant, Rosemary
Ells, looks delighted with an all-
American barbecue.
The top 10 finalists took a moment for a group picture.
Carlos Hueb, from Brazil, reaches into
the bucket, hoping for a white marble
and no technical inspection.
With this year’s win, Christophe
Paysant-LeRoux became a six-time
World Champion.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:19 PM Page 42February 2012 43
Our Canadian friends went
all the way with national
pride. Check out the bottom
of their airplane.
Above: Ron Lockhart
and Andre Bouchard
check Gerhard Mayr’s
airplane for the 2-meter
maximum wingspan.
Below: Saturday
was a free day for
the pilots, but the
judges were back
in the classroom
for a refresher
course on the F-11
sequence.
Twenty judges assembled from around the world and worked
tirelessly to ensure judging was consistent.
Eighty-one pilots from 31 countries have
invested years of preparation in anticipation
of the 2011 F3A World Championship.
Beyond the pilots, there were 20 judges
from around the world.
Judges do not take their eyes off the
airplane during a competition flight; writing
scores down becomes the responsibility of
judges’ assistants. To help with language
clarity, many judges brought assistants with
them.
There were three jury members: Michael
Ramel from Germany, Bob Skinner from
South Africa, and Jim Eichenberg from
Canada. Jury members prepare the judges,
answer all technical questions, and resolve
all protests.
Dave Guerin, event director for the
previous seven US National Championships,
was the choice as event director for the F3A
World Championship. Dave selected Tom
Miller as assistant event director and
secured the assistance of more than 20
highly qualified individuals to do every
thing from processing contestants and
airplanes, to sound checks, random technical
inspections, tabulating scores, keeping the
flightlines running smoothly on two separate
sites, and much more.
Many teams arrived early so they could
familiarize themselves with the runways at
AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center
(IAC). Some of the teams that arrived early
chose to practice at other RC sites before the
contest began.
Countless factors warrant an early
arrival. The atmosphere might be different
here than in a competitor’s home country
and the glow fuel secured here in the US
might burn differently than what the pilots
are accustomed to.
By Saturday, July 23, most teams had
arrived and some had their airplanes
processed early. Each aircraft had to be
weighed, measured, and checked for failsafe
operations before it would be allowed
to fly in the F3A World Championship.
After an airplane passed all the tests,
stickers were applied to each removable part
of each airplane. Only stickered parts could
be used during the competition, and only
airplanes registered to that individual pilot
could be flown. There was no swapping of
parts or airplanes between pilots.
Along with pilot and airplane processing,
there was much activity for the judges.
Michael Ramel was president of the jury. It
was his responsibility to properly prepare
the 20 judges.
Each judge needed to be knowledgeable
about the sequences to be flown and had to
be consistent with the other judges in
scoring maneuvers. The 20 judges spent
countless hours of classroom preparation, as
well as actually judging flights flown by
demonstration pilots.
After each flight, judges gave their
opinion on a maneuver and a score was
given. By the end of Monday’s flight
training, the judges were well-prepared for
competition flights.
Photos by the author
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:22 PM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
SPONSORS
Right: Congratulations go to
Christophe Paysant-LeRoux
(center), from France, in first
place; Tetsuo Onda (left), from
Japan, in second place; and
Andrew Jesky (right), from the
US, in third place.
Below: At the end of the
Opening Ceremonies, Michael
Ramel officially opened the
2011 F3A World Championship.
Although Ron Morgan and
Al Williamson were seldom
seen, their management
and assistance was vital to
the success of the World
Championship.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s Technical Director,
was the Master of Ceremonies for the
opening ceremony. On Monday afternoon at
5 p.m., Greg announced each country by
name. As they were announced, teams
proudly carried their country’s flag onto the
parade grounds while their national anthems
played. It was moving to see the 31 teams in
a semicircle.
Words of welcome were delivered by the
AMA Executive Vice President Mark Smith
and Muncie, Indiana’s, mayor, Sharon
McShurley, and Michael Ramel officially
opened the 2011 F3A World Championship.
The opening ceremonies ended with a
delightful all-American country barbecue.
On Tuesday morning, July 26, the first
round of competition flying began. For the
next four days, each pilot flew one round
per day of the preliminary sequence (P-11).
During these four days, airplanes were given
a sound test before each flight.
After each flight the pilot drew a marble
from a bucket. The bucket had five marbles;
four white and one black marble. If the
Atlantic County Skyblazers
Futaba
F3A Unlimited
Hacker Brushless Motors
Hobbico
Horizon Hobby
Jerry Stebbins
Morgan Fuel
JTEC Radiowave
Jim Quinn
National Society of Radio Control
Aerobatics (NSRCA)
Plettenberg
Techstyles Sportswear
TruTurn
CA Model
Thunder Power RC
AVSAT, Inc.
SENIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, France
2. Tetsuo Onda, Japan
3. Andrew Jesky, United States
JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Marco Mazzucchelli, Italy
2. Robin Trumpp, Germany
3. Philip Rannetshauser, Germany
TEAM CHAMPIONS
1. United States
2. Japan
3. France
black marble was drawn, a full technical
inspection would be conducted on that
pilot’s airplane. If a white marble was
drawn, the pilot was free to leave the
flightline and prepare for his next flight. All
of the electric-powered airplanes, however,
were weighed after each flight.
There were highs and lows at the World
Championship. The team from Norway was
no exception. On Sunday, July 24,
Alexander Heindel and his wife, Jeanette,
celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
Congratulations! Team Norway’s low came
on Tuesday, the first day of flying.
Alex’s teammate, Henning Jurkjend’s
motor didn’t sound exactly right during the
sound check before his flight. When
Henning throttled up for his first flight, his
speed control failed, shorting out the motor
and battery pack.
Henning’s airplane was damaged
beyond repair, and sadly, it was his only
processed airplane for the contest. Henning
had traveled from the artic circle to fly in
the World Championship and he was
grounded because of an electrical problem.
As is true for all contests, some
adjustments were made on the fly. When the
early morning sun was an issue for Benoit
Paysant-LeRoux, his father, Jacques, was
quick to come to his aid. Using some duct
tape, a tent pole, and the top from a
Styrofoam ice chest, Jacques constructed a
shade to block the sun from Benoit’s eyes.
The weather is always a concern during
contests. Although there were threats of
major storms throughout the week, none
actually materialized during flying hours.
On the other hand, the heat was intense.
One of the jury members, Jim
Eichenberg, had a thermometer and
recorded the asphalt temperature under the
judges’ feet at a high of 151° F! One of the
judges had blisters on his feet; another’s
footwear stuck to the pavement. The only
thing hotter than the asphalt at AMA’s IAC
was the flying.
Unlike other contests, a World
Championship is the only place you can
meet and converse with previous World
Champions. Wolfgang Matt of Lichtenstein,
Gilichi Naruke of Japan, Chip Hyde of the
2011 FAI F3A
World Championship
RESULTS
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:24 PM Page 44US, and France’s Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, the current reigning World
Champion, were all in attendance.
World Championship contests bring
people together from around the world.
Teams bring souvenirs of their country to
share with new-found friends in the host
country. The team from Columbia brought
friendship bracelets in the colors of their
national flag to share.
A World Championship also brings out
the best in national pride. Some members of
the Canadian team stayed in AMA’s
campground and proudly displayed
Canada’s flag at their campsite—as well as
on the bottom of their airplanes.
Saturday, July 30, was reserved as a rain
date if needed. Because the weather had
cooperated, Saturday turned out to be a free
day of practice for the semifinal pilots. The
judges, on the other hand, were back in the
classroom to review the finals sequence (F-
11). Michael Ramel again led the classroom
discussion, and the judges went outside for
more demonstration flights, discussions of
each maneuver, and an analysis of scores.
After a morning of instruction, the judges
were treated to an afternoon tour of the
National Museum of the US Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located in
Dayton, Ohio. They also took some time to
enjoy the Jet World Masters, being
conducted at Wright-Patterson.
After four rounds, the number of pilots
was reduced to 30 for the semifinals. These
30 pilots would fly two flights on Sunday.
The sequence changed as well. For the
semifinals, the 30 remaining pilots will fly
F-11, the finals sequence. The best F-11
sequence and the average of the three best
P-11 sequences would give us the 10
finalists for the last day of flying on
Monday, August 1.
On Sunday evening, the 10 finalist pilots
met to select two Unknown sequences.
These sequences have never been seen
before. Pilots go around the room taking
turns to select maneuver after maneuver.
The F3A Sporting Code dictates rules for
selecting maneuvers.
Only stick airplane practice flights are
permitted; the pilots are not allowed to
practice these two Unknown sequences in
any other manner—even on a simulator.
Monday morning would have 40 more
flights. These flights would be flown in
front of all 20 judges. The 10 judges in the
middle would judge centered maneuvers.
The five on each end would judge turnaround
maneuvers only.
Monday morning, August 1, was a perfect
day for flying. After two rounds of F-11 and
two rounds of Unknowns, a new World
Champion would be named. The best F-11
and the best Unknown flight for each pilot
would determine the winner. After 40
flights, scores were normalized to a
maximum of 1,000 per roundAndrew Jesky, of Team USA, was in
third place. Out of a possible 2,000 points,
Andrew was less than 49 points behind first
place. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, from
France, won round one of F-11 for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda, from Japan, won round
two, the first Unknown round, for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda also won round three,
the second round of F-11, for another 1,000
points. Round four, the second Unknown
round, was won by Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, giving him an additional 1,000
points. Both pilots scored the maximum
2,000 points, resulting in a tie for first place.
The jury had to go to the FAI Sporting
Code, Section 5.1.9, which states, “In the
case of a tie, the semifinal score will be used
to determine the classification.” The
semifinal results showed Tetsuo Onda with
a score of 1,964.34. Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux had a score of 2,000, making him
the reigning World Champion for an
unprecedented sixth time.
Greg Hahn emceed the closing
ceremonies. Michael Ramel crowned the
new World Champion, Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, as well as the Junior World
Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli. Michael
Ramel also named Team USA as the firstplace
team. Led by team manager Albert
Glenn, pilots Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and
Brett Wickizer comprised Team USA.
Dave Guerin and his entire crew put
forth a superior effort and it was a job well
done. Ron Morgan, competition director,
and Al Williamson, RC manager, can look
back on an event that many international
competitors described as “like coming to
heaven.” Many commented that “this is an
incredible flying site.”
Greg Hahn had one final duty to fulfill in
his capacity as AMA’s Technical Director.
He emceed the Monday evening banquet at
the Horizon Convention Center. Dinner was
served, speeches were made, more awards
were made, and farewells were exchanged.
Many of these pilots will see each other
from time to time throughout the next two
years, but it won’t be until 2013, in South
Africa, when such incredible talent will
assemble once again for another World
Championship.
Every competitor, support crew, staff
member, and fan should be proud of himself
or herself. All were part of an incredible
piece of RC history. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 40,41,42,43,44,45
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 40,41,42,43,44,45
This sight takes your breath away.
Andrew Jesky is in the
zone. He is using his
iPod as a stick airplane
to practice the first
Unknown sequence.
His musical selection is
unknown as well.
Junior World Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli,
poses with his helper Andrea Villa.
40 MODEL AVIATION
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:12 PM Page 40February 2012 41
by Jim Quinn
AMA hosts pilots
from 31 countries
ISTORY WAS MADE at AMA’s International Aeromodeling
Center on August 1, 2011. A historic sixth win for one competitor
and a first-time-ever first place for another made the F3A World
Championship spectacular.
The historic sixth win came when Christophe Paysant-LeRoux of France
was crowned F3A World Champion. Christophe won the event in 1999,
2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, and is the current F3A World Champion.
The first-time-ever win goes to Marco Mazzucchelli of Italy, who was
crowned Junior World Champion. A Junior World Champion must be less
than 19 years old and at least four countries must be represented at a World
Championship for a Junior competitor to be so named.
AMA salutes and congratulates these two deserving RC pilots.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:14 PM Page 4142 MODEL AVIATION
Team USA’s Albert Glenn, team
manager, and pilots Andrew Jesky,
Chip Hyde, and Brett Wickizer
celebrate as World Team Champions.
Right: The Jury
members were (LR)
Bob Skinner,
Michael Ramel, and
Jim Eichenberg. The
Jury prepares the
judges, answers all
technical questions,
and resolves protests.
Below: A judge’s assistant, Rosemary
Ells, looks delighted with an all-
American barbecue.
The top 10 finalists took a moment for a group picture.
Carlos Hueb, from Brazil, reaches into
the bucket, hoping for a white marble
and no technical inspection.
With this year’s win, Christophe
Paysant-LeRoux became a six-time
World Champion.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:19 PM Page 42February 2012 43
Our Canadian friends went
all the way with national
pride. Check out the bottom
of their airplane.
Above: Ron Lockhart
and Andre Bouchard
check Gerhard Mayr’s
airplane for the 2-meter
maximum wingspan.
Below: Saturday
was a free day for
the pilots, but the
judges were back
in the classroom
for a refresher
course on the F-11
sequence.
Twenty judges assembled from around the world and worked
tirelessly to ensure judging was consistent.
Eighty-one pilots from 31 countries have
invested years of preparation in anticipation
of the 2011 F3A World Championship.
Beyond the pilots, there were 20 judges
from around the world.
Judges do not take their eyes off the
airplane during a competition flight; writing
scores down becomes the responsibility of
judges’ assistants. To help with language
clarity, many judges brought assistants with
them.
There were three jury members: Michael
Ramel from Germany, Bob Skinner from
South Africa, and Jim Eichenberg from
Canada. Jury members prepare the judges,
answer all technical questions, and resolve
all protests.
Dave Guerin, event director for the
previous seven US National Championships,
was the choice as event director for the F3A
World Championship. Dave selected Tom
Miller as assistant event director and
secured the assistance of more than 20
highly qualified individuals to do every
thing from processing contestants and
airplanes, to sound checks, random technical
inspections, tabulating scores, keeping the
flightlines running smoothly on two separate
sites, and much more.
Many teams arrived early so they could
familiarize themselves with the runways at
AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center
(IAC). Some of the teams that arrived early
chose to practice at other RC sites before the
contest began.
Countless factors warrant an early
arrival. The atmosphere might be different
here than in a competitor’s home country
and the glow fuel secured here in the US
might burn differently than what the pilots
are accustomed to.
By Saturday, July 23, most teams had
arrived and some had their airplanes
processed early. Each aircraft had to be
weighed, measured, and checked for failsafe
operations before it would be allowed
to fly in the F3A World Championship.
After an airplane passed all the tests,
stickers were applied to each removable part
of each airplane. Only stickered parts could
be used during the competition, and only
airplanes registered to that individual pilot
could be flown. There was no swapping of
parts or airplanes between pilots.
Along with pilot and airplane processing,
there was much activity for the judges.
Michael Ramel was president of the jury. It
was his responsibility to properly prepare
the 20 judges.
Each judge needed to be knowledgeable
about the sequences to be flown and had to
be consistent with the other judges in
scoring maneuvers. The 20 judges spent
countless hours of classroom preparation, as
well as actually judging flights flown by
demonstration pilots.
After each flight, judges gave their
opinion on a maneuver and a score was
given. By the end of Monday’s flight
training, the judges were well-prepared for
competition flights.
Photos by the author
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:22 PM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
SPONSORS
Right: Congratulations go to
Christophe Paysant-LeRoux
(center), from France, in first
place; Tetsuo Onda (left), from
Japan, in second place; and
Andrew Jesky (right), from the
US, in third place.
Below: At the end of the
Opening Ceremonies, Michael
Ramel officially opened the
2011 F3A World Championship.
Although Ron Morgan and
Al Williamson were seldom
seen, their management
and assistance was vital to
the success of the World
Championship.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s Technical Director,
was the Master of Ceremonies for the
opening ceremony. On Monday afternoon at
5 p.m., Greg announced each country by
name. As they were announced, teams
proudly carried their country’s flag onto the
parade grounds while their national anthems
played. It was moving to see the 31 teams in
a semicircle.
Words of welcome were delivered by the
AMA Executive Vice President Mark Smith
and Muncie, Indiana’s, mayor, Sharon
McShurley, and Michael Ramel officially
opened the 2011 F3A World Championship.
The opening ceremonies ended with a
delightful all-American country barbecue.
On Tuesday morning, July 26, the first
round of competition flying began. For the
next four days, each pilot flew one round
per day of the preliminary sequence (P-11).
During these four days, airplanes were given
a sound test before each flight.
After each flight the pilot drew a marble
from a bucket. The bucket had five marbles;
four white and one black marble. If the
Atlantic County Skyblazers
Futaba
F3A Unlimited
Hacker Brushless Motors
Hobbico
Horizon Hobby
Jerry Stebbins
Morgan Fuel
JTEC Radiowave
Jim Quinn
National Society of Radio Control
Aerobatics (NSRCA)
Plettenberg
Techstyles Sportswear
TruTurn
CA Model
Thunder Power RC
AVSAT, Inc.
SENIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, France
2. Tetsuo Onda, Japan
3. Andrew Jesky, United States
JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Marco Mazzucchelli, Italy
2. Robin Trumpp, Germany
3. Philip Rannetshauser, Germany
TEAM CHAMPIONS
1. United States
2. Japan
3. France
black marble was drawn, a full technical
inspection would be conducted on that
pilot’s airplane. If a white marble was
drawn, the pilot was free to leave the
flightline and prepare for his next flight. All
of the electric-powered airplanes, however,
were weighed after each flight.
There were highs and lows at the World
Championship. The team from Norway was
no exception. On Sunday, July 24,
Alexander Heindel and his wife, Jeanette,
celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
Congratulations! Team Norway’s low came
on Tuesday, the first day of flying.
Alex’s teammate, Henning Jurkjend’s
motor didn’t sound exactly right during the
sound check before his flight. When
Henning throttled up for his first flight, his
speed control failed, shorting out the motor
and battery pack.
Henning’s airplane was damaged
beyond repair, and sadly, it was his only
processed airplane for the contest. Henning
had traveled from the artic circle to fly in
the World Championship and he was
grounded because of an electrical problem.
As is true for all contests, some
adjustments were made on the fly. When the
early morning sun was an issue for Benoit
Paysant-LeRoux, his father, Jacques, was
quick to come to his aid. Using some duct
tape, a tent pole, and the top from a
Styrofoam ice chest, Jacques constructed a
shade to block the sun from Benoit’s eyes.
The weather is always a concern during
contests. Although there were threats of
major storms throughout the week, none
actually materialized during flying hours.
On the other hand, the heat was intense.
One of the jury members, Jim
Eichenberg, had a thermometer and
recorded the asphalt temperature under the
judges’ feet at a high of 151° F! One of the
judges had blisters on his feet; another’s
footwear stuck to the pavement. The only
thing hotter than the asphalt at AMA’s IAC
was the flying.
Unlike other contests, a World
Championship is the only place you can
meet and converse with previous World
Champions. Wolfgang Matt of Lichtenstein,
Gilichi Naruke of Japan, Chip Hyde of the
2011 FAI F3A
World Championship
RESULTS
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:24 PM Page 44US, and France’s Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, the current reigning World
Champion, were all in attendance.
World Championship contests bring
people together from around the world.
Teams bring souvenirs of their country to
share with new-found friends in the host
country. The team from Columbia brought
friendship bracelets in the colors of their
national flag to share.
A World Championship also brings out
the best in national pride. Some members of
the Canadian team stayed in AMA’s
campground and proudly displayed
Canada’s flag at their campsite—as well as
on the bottom of their airplanes.
Saturday, July 30, was reserved as a rain
date if needed. Because the weather had
cooperated, Saturday turned out to be a free
day of practice for the semifinal pilots. The
judges, on the other hand, were back in the
classroom to review the finals sequence (F-
11). Michael Ramel again led the classroom
discussion, and the judges went outside for
more demonstration flights, discussions of
each maneuver, and an analysis of scores.
After a morning of instruction, the judges
were treated to an afternoon tour of the
National Museum of the US Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located in
Dayton, Ohio. They also took some time to
enjoy the Jet World Masters, being
conducted at Wright-Patterson.
After four rounds, the number of pilots
was reduced to 30 for the semifinals. These
30 pilots would fly two flights on Sunday.
The sequence changed as well. For the
semifinals, the 30 remaining pilots will fly
F-11, the finals sequence. The best F-11
sequence and the average of the three best
P-11 sequences would give us the 10
finalists for the last day of flying on
Monday, August 1.
On Sunday evening, the 10 finalist pilots
met to select two Unknown sequences.
These sequences have never been seen
before. Pilots go around the room taking
turns to select maneuver after maneuver.
The F3A Sporting Code dictates rules for
selecting maneuvers.
Only stick airplane practice flights are
permitted; the pilots are not allowed to
practice these two Unknown sequences in
any other manner—even on a simulator.
Monday morning would have 40 more
flights. These flights would be flown in
front of all 20 judges. The 10 judges in the
middle would judge centered maneuvers.
The five on each end would judge turnaround
maneuvers only.
Monday morning, August 1, was a perfect
day for flying. After two rounds of F-11 and
two rounds of Unknowns, a new World
Champion would be named. The best F-11
and the best Unknown flight for each pilot
would determine the winner. After 40
flights, scores were normalized to a
maximum of 1,000 per roundAndrew Jesky, of Team USA, was in
third place. Out of a possible 2,000 points,
Andrew was less than 49 points behind first
place. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, from
France, won round one of F-11 for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda, from Japan, won round
two, the first Unknown round, for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda also won round three,
the second round of F-11, for another 1,000
points. Round four, the second Unknown
round, was won by Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, giving him an additional 1,000
points. Both pilots scored the maximum
2,000 points, resulting in a tie for first place.
The jury had to go to the FAI Sporting
Code, Section 5.1.9, which states, “In the
case of a tie, the semifinal score will be used
to determine the classification.” The
semifinal results showed Tetsuo Onda with
a score of 1,964.34. Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux had a score of 2,000, making him
the reigning World Champion for an
unprecedented sixth time.
Greg Hahn emceed the closing
ceremonies. Michael Ramel crowned the
new World Champion, Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, as well as the Junior World
Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli. Michael
Ramel also named Team USA as the firstplace
team. Led by team manager Albert
Glenn, pilots Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and
Brett Wickizer comprised Team USA.
Dave Guerin and his entire crew put
forth a superior effort and it was a job well
done. Ron Morgan, competition director,
and Al Williamson, RC manager, can look
back on an event that many international
competitors described as “like coming to
heaven.” Many commented that “this is an
incredible flying site.”
Greg Hahn had one final duty to fulfill in
his capacity as AMA’s Technical Director.
He emceed the Monday evening banquet at
the Horizon Convention Center. Dinner was
served, speeches were made, more awards
were made, and farewells were exchanged.
Many of these pilots will see each other
from time to time throughout the next two
years, but it won’t be until 2013, in South
Africa, when such incredible talent will
assemble once again for another World
Championship.
Every competitor, support crew, staff
member, and fan should be proud of himself
or herself. All were part of an incredible
piece of RC history. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 40,41,42,43,44,45
This sight takes your breath away.
Andrew Jesky is in the
zone. He is using his
iPod as a stick airplane
to practice the first
Unknown sequence.
His musical selection is
unknown as well.
Junior World Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli,
poses with his helper Andrea Villa.
40 MODEL AVIATION
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:12 PM Page 40February 2012 41
by Jim Quinn
AMA hosts pilots
from 31 countries
ISTORY WAS MADE at AMA’s International Aeromodeling
Center on August 1, 2011. A historic sixth win for one competitor
and a first-time-ever first place for another made the F3A World
Championship spectacular.
The historic sixth win came when Christophe Paysant-LeRoux of France
was crowned F3A World Champion. Christophe won the event in 1999,
2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, and is the current F3A World Champion.
The first-time-ever win goes to Marco Mazzucchelli of Italy, who was
crowned Junior World Champion. A Junior World Champion must be less
than 19 years old and at least four countries must be represented at a World
Championship for a Junior competitor to be so named.
AMA salutes and congratulates these two deserving RC pilots.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:14 PM Page 4142 MODEL AVIATION
Team USA’s Albert Glenn, team
manager, and pilots Andrew Jesky,
Chip Hyde, and Brett Wickizer
celebrate as World Team Champions.
Right: The Jury
members were (LR)
Bob Skinner,
Michael Ramel, and
Jim Eichenberg. The
Jury prepares the
judges, answers all
technical questions,
and resolves protests.
Below: A judge’s assistant, Rosemary
Ells, looks delighted with an all-
American barbecue.
The top 10 finalists took a moment for a group picture.
Carlos Hueb, from Brazil, reaches into
the bucket, hoping for a white marble
and no technical inspection.
With this year’s win, Christophe
Paysant-LeRoux became a six-time
World Champion.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:19 PM Page 42February 2012 43
Our Canadian friends went
all the way with national
pride. Check out the bottom
of their airplane.
Above: Ron Lockhart
and Andre Bouchard
check Gerhard Mayr’s
airplane for the 2-meter
maximum wingspan.
Below: Saturday
was a free day for
the pilots, but the
judges were back
in the classroom
for a refresher
course on the F-11
sequence.
Twenty judges assembled from around the world and worked
tirelessly to ensure judging was consistent.
Eighty-one pilots from 31 countries have
invested years of preparation in anticipation
of the 2011 F3A World Championship.
Beyond the pilots, there were 20 judges
from around the world.
Judges do not take their eyes off the
airplane during a competition flight; writing
scores down becomes the responsibility of
judges’ assistants. To help with language
clarity, many judges brought assistants with
them.
There were three jury members: Michael
Ramel from Germany, Bob Skinner from
South Africa, and Jim Eichenberg from
Canada. Jury members prepare the judges,
answer all technical questions, and resolve
all protests.
Dave Guerin, event director for the
previous seven US National Championships,
was the choice as event director for the F3A
World Championship. Dave selected Tom
Miller as assistant event director and
secured the assistance of more than 20
highly qualified individuals to do every
thing from processing contestants and
airplanes, to sound checks, random technical
inspections, tabulating scores, keeping the
flightlines running smoothly on two separate
sites, and much more.
Many teams arrived early so they could
familiarize themselves with the runways at
AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center
(IAC). Some of the teams that arrived early
chose to practice at other RC sites before the
contest began.
Countless factors warrant an early
arrival. The atmosphere might be different
here than in a competitor’s home country
and the glow fuel secured here in the US
might burn differently than what the pilots
are accustomed to.
By Saturday, July 23, most teams had
arrived and some had their airplanes
processed early. Each aircraft had to be
weighed, measured, and checked for failsafe
operations before it would be allowed
to fly in the F3A World Championship.
After an airplane passed all the tests,
stickers were applied to each removable part
of each airplane. Only stickered parts could
be used during the competition, and only
airplanes registered to that individual pilot
could be flown. There was no swapping of
parts or airplanes between pilots.
Along with pilot and airplane processing,
there was much activity for the judges.
Michael Ramel was president of the jury. It
was his responsibility to properly prepare
the 20 judges.
Each judge needed to be knowledgeable
about the sequences to be flown and had to
be consistent with the other judges in
scoring maneuvers. The 20 judges spent
countless hours of classroom preparation, as
well as actually judging flights flown by
demonstration pilots.
After each flight, judges gave their
opinion on a maneuver and a score was
given. By the end of Monday’s flight
training, the judges were well-prepared for
competition flights.
Photos by the author
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:22 PM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
SPONSORS
Right: Congratulations go to
Christophe Paysant-LeRoux
(center), from France, in first
place; Tetsuo Onda (left), from
Japan, in second place; and
Andrew Jesky (right), from the
US, in third place.
Below: At the end of the
Opening Ceremonies, Michael
Ramel officially opened the
2011 F3A World Championship.
Although Ron Morgan and
Al Williamson were seldom
seen, their management
and assistance was vital to
the success of the World
Championship.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s Technical Director,
was the Master of Ceremonies for the
opening ceremony. On Monday afternoon at
5 p.m., Greg announced each country by
name. As they were announced, teams
proudly carried their country’s flag onto the
parade grounds while their national anthems
played. It was moving to see the 31 teams in
a semicircle.
Words of welcome were delivered by the
AMA Executive Vice President Mark Smith
and Muncie, Indiana’s, mayor, Sharon
McShurley, and Michael Ramel officially
opened the 2011 F3A World Championship.
The opening ceremonies ended with a
delightful all-American country barbecue.
On Tuesday morning, July 26, the first
round of competition flying began. For the
next four days, each pilot flew one round
per day of the preliminary sequence (P-11).
During these four days, airplanes were given
a sound test before each flight.
After each flight the pilot drew a marble
from a bucket. The bucket had five marbles;
four white and one black marble. If the
Atlantic County Skyblazers
Futaba
F3A Unlimited
Hacker Brushless Motors
Hobbico
Horizon Hobby
Jerry Stebbins
Morgan Fuel
JTEC Radiowave
Jim Quinn
National Society of Radio Control
Aerobatics (NSRCA)
Plettenberg
Techstyles Sportswear
TruTurn
CA Model
Thunder Power RC
AVSAT, Inc.
SENIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, France
2. Tetsuo Onda, Japan
3. Andrew Jesky, United States
JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Marco Mazzucchelli, Italy
2. Robin Trumpp, Germany
3. Philip Rannetshauser, Germany
TEAM CHAMPIONS
1. United States
2. Japan
3. France
black marble was drawn, a full technical
inspection would be conducted on that
pilot’s airplane. If a white marble was
drawn, the pilot was free to leave the
flightline and prepare for his next flight. All
of the electric-powered airplanes, however,
were weighed after each flight.
There were highs and lows at the World
Championship. The team from Norway was
no exception. On Sunday, July 24,
Alexander Heindel and his wife, Jeanette,
celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
Congratulations! Team Norway’s low came
on Tuesday, the first day of flying.
Alex’s teammate, Henning Jurkjend’s
motor didn’t sound exactly right during the
sound check before his flight. When
Henning throttled up for his first flight, his
speed control failed, shorting out the motor
and battery pack.
Henning’s airplane was damaged
beyond repair, and sadly, it was his only
processed airplane for the contest. Henning
had traveled from the artic circle to fly in
the World Championship and he was
grounded because of an electrical problem.
As is true for all contests, some
adjustments were made on the fly. When the
early morning sun was an issue for Benoit
Paysant-LeRoux, his father, Jacques, was
quick to come to his aid. Using some duct
tape, a tent pole, and the top from a
Styrofoam ice chest, Jacques constructed a
shade to block the sun from Benoit’s eyes.
The weather is always a concern during
contests. Although there were threats of
major storms throughout the week, none
actually materialized during flying hours.
On the other hand, the heat was intense.
One of the jury members, Jim
Eichenberg, had a thermometer and
recorded the asphalt temperature under the
judges’ feet at a high of 151° F! One of the
judges had blisters on his feet; another’s
footwear stuck to the pavement. The only
thing hotter than the asphalt at AMA’s IAC
was the flying.
Unlike other contests, a World
Championship is the only place you can
meet and converse with previous World
Champions. Wolfgang Matt of Lichtenstein,
Gilichi Naruke of Japan, Chip Hyde of the
2011 FAI F3A
World Championship
RESULTS
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:24 PM Page 44US, and France’s Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, the current reigning World
Champion, were all in attendance.
World Championship contests bring
people together from around the world.
Teams bring souvenirs of their country to
share with new-found friends in the host
country. The team from Columbia brought
friendship bracelets in the colors of their
national flag to share.
A World Championship also brings out
the best in national pride. Some members of
the Canadian team stayed in AMA’s
campground and proudly displayed
Canada’s flag at their campsite—as well as
on the bottom of their airplanes.
Saturday, July 30, was reserved as a rain
date if needed. Because the weather had
cooperated, Saturday turned out to be a free
day of practice for the semifinal pilots. The
judges, on the other hand, were back in the
classroom to review the finals sequence (F-
11). Michael Ramel again led the classroom
discussion, and the judges went outside for
more demonstration flights, discussions of
each maneuver, and an analysis of scores.
After a morning of instruction, the judges
were treated to an afternoon tour of the
National Museum of the US Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located in
Dayton, Ohio. They also took some time to
enjoy the Jet World Masters, being
conducted at Wright-Patterson.
After four rounds, the number of pilots
was reduced to 30 for the semifinals. These
30 pilots would fly two flights on Sunday.
The sequence changed as well. For the
semifinals, the 30 remaining pilots will fly
F-11, the finals sequence. The best F-11
sequence and the average of the three best
P-11 sequences would give us the 10
finalists for the last day of flying on
Monday, August 1.
On Sunday evening, the 10 finalist pilots
met to select two Unknown sequences.
These sequences have never been seen
before. Pilots go around the room taking
turns to select maneuver after maneuver.
The F3A Sporting Code dictates rules for
selecting maneuvers.
Only stick airplane practice flights are
permitted; the pilots are not allowed to
practice these two Unknown sequences in
any other manner—even on a simulator.
Monday morning would have 40 more
flights. These flights would be flown in
front of all 20 judges. The 10 judges in the
middle would judge centered maneuvers.
The five on each end would judge turnaround
maneuvers only.
Monday morning, August 1, was a perfect
day for flying. After two rounds of F-11 and
two rounds of Unknowns, a new World
Champion would be named. The best F-11
and the best Unknown flight for each pilot
would determine the winner. After 40
flights, scores were normalized to a
maximum of 1,000 per roundAndrew Jesky, of Team USA, was in
third place. Out of a possible 2,000 points,
Andrew was less than 49 points behind first
place. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, from
France, won round one of F-11 for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda, from Japan, won round
two, the first Unknown round, for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda also won round three,
the second round of F-11, for another 1,000
points. Round four, the second Unknown
round, was won by Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, giving him an additional 1,000
points. Both pilots scored the maximum
2,000 points, resulting in a tie for first place.
The jury had to go to the FAI Sporting
Code, Section 5.1.9, which states, “In the
case of a tie, the semifinal score will be used
to determine the classification.” The
semifinal results showed Tetsuo Onda with
a score of 1,964.34. Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux had a score of 2,000, making him
the reigning World Champion for an
unprecedented sixth time.
Greg Hahn emceed the closing
ceremonies. Michael Ramel crowned the
new World Champion, Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, as well as the Junior World
Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli. Michael
Ramel also named Team USA as the firstplace
team. Led by team manager Albert
Glenn, pilots Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and
Brett Wickizer comprised Team USA.
Dave Guerin and his entire crew put
forth a superior effort and it was a job well
done. Ron Morgan, competition director,
and Al Williamson, RC manager, can look
back on an event that many international
competitors described as “like coming to
heaven.” Many commented that “this is an
incredible flying site.”
Greg Hahn had one final duty to fulfill in
his capacity as AMA’s Technical Director.
He emceed the Monday evening banquet at
the Horizon Convention Center. Dinner was
served, speeches were made, more awards
were made, and farewells were exchanged.
Many of these pilots will see each other
from time to time throughout the next two
years, but it won’t be until 2013, in South
Africa, when such incredible talent will
assemble once again for another World
Championship.
Every competitor, support crew, staff
member, and fan should be proud of himself
or herself. All were part of an incredible
piece of RC history. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 40,41,42,43,44,45
This sight takes your breath away.
Andrew Jesky is in the
zone. He is using his
iPod as a stick airplane
to practice the first
Unknown sequence.
His musical selection is
unknown as well.
Junior World Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli,
poses with his helper Andrea Villa.
40 MODEL AVIATION
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:12 PM Page 40February 2012 41
by Jim Quinn
AMA hosts pilots
from 31 countries
ISTORY WAS MADE at AMA’s International Aeromodeling
Center on August 1, 2011. A historic sixth win for one competitor
and a first-time-ever first place for another made the F3A World
Championship spectacular.
The historic sixth win came when Christophe Paysant-LeRoux of France
was crowned F3A World Champion. Christophe won the event in 1999,
2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, and is the current F3A World Champion.
The first-time-ever win goes to Marco Mazzucchelli of Italy, who was
crowned Junior World Champion. A Junior World Champion must be less
than 19 years old and at least four countries must be represented at a World
Championship for a Junior competitor to be so named.
AMA salutes and congratulates these two deserving RC pilots.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:14 PM Page 4142 MODEL AVIATION
Team USA’s Albert Glenn, team
manager, and pilots Andrew Jesky,
Chip Hyde, and Brett Wickizer
celebrate as World Team Champions.
Right: The Jury
members were (LR)
Bob Skinner,
Michael Ramel, and
Jim Eichenberg. The
Jury prepares the
judges, answers all
technical questions,
and resolves protests.
Below: A judge’s assistant, Rosemary
Ells, looks delighted with an all-
American barbecue.
The top 10 finalists took a moment for a group picture.
Carlos Hueb, from Brazil, reaches into
the bucket, hoping for a white marble
and no technical inspection.
With this year’s win, Christophe
Paysant-LeRoux became a six-time
World Champion.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:19 PM Page 42February 2012 43
Our Canadian friends went
all the way with national
pride. Check out the bottom
of their airplane.
Above: Ron Lockhart
and Andre Bouchard
check Gerhard Mayr’s
airplane for the 2-meter
maximum wingspan.
Below: Saturday
was a free day for
the pilots, but the
judges were back
in the classroom
for a refresher
course on the F-11
sequence.
Twenty judges assembled from around the world and worked
tirelessly to ensure judging was consistent.
Eighty-one pilots from 31 countries have
invested years of preparation in anticipation
of the 2011 F3A World Championship.
Beyond the pilots, there were 20 judges
from around the world.
Judges do not take their eyes off the
airplane during a competition flight; writing
scores down becomes the responsibility of
judges’ assistants. To help with language
clarity, many judges brought assistants with
them.
There were three jury members: Michael
Ramel from Germany, Bob Skinner from
South Africa, and Jim Eichenberg from
Canada. Jury members prepare the judges,
answer all technical questions, and resolve
all protests.
Dave Guerin, event director for the
previous seven US National Championships,
was the choice as event director for the F3A
World Championship. Dave selected Tom
Miller as assistant event director and
secured the assistance of more than 20
highly qualified individuals to do every
thing from processing contestants and
airplanes, to sound checks, random technical
inspections, tabulating scores, keeping the
flightlines running smoothly on two separate
sites, and much more.
Many teams arrived early so they could
familiarize themselves with the runways at
AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center
(IAC). Some of the teams that arrived early
chose to practice at other RC sites before the
contest began.
Countless factors warrant an early
arrival. The atmosphere might be different
here than in a competitor’s home country
and the glow fuel secured here in the US
might burn differently than what the pilots
are accustomed to.
By Saturday, July 23, most teams had
arrived and some had their airplanes
processed early. Each aircraft had to be
weighed, measured, and checked for failsafe
operations before it would be allowed
to fly in the F3A World Championship.
After an airplane passed all the tests,
stickers were applied to each removable part
of each airplane. Only stickered parts could
be used during the competition, and only
airplanes registered to that individual pilot
could be flown. There was no swapping of
parts or airplanes between pilots.
Along with pilot and airplane processing,
there was much activity for the judges.
Michael Ramel was president of the jury. It
was his responsibility to properly prepare
the 20 judges.
Each judge needed to be knowledgeable
about the sequences to be flown and had to
be consistent with the other judges in
scoring maneuvers. The 20 judges spent
countless hours of classroom preparation, as
well as actually judging flights flown by
demonstration pilots.
After each flight, judges gave their
opinion on a maneuver and a score was
given. By the end of Monday’s flight
training, the judges were well-prepared for
competition flights.
Photos by the author
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:22 PM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
SPONSORS
Right: Congratulations go to
Christophe Paysant-LeRoux
(center), from France, in first
place; Tetsuo Onda (left), from
Japan, in second place; and
Andrew Jesky (right), from the
US, in third place.
Below: At the end of the
Opening Ceremonies, Michael
Ramel officially opened the
2011 F3A World Championship.
Although Ron Morgan and
Al Williamson were seldom
seen, their management
and assistance was vital to
the success of the World
Championship.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s Technical Director,
was the Master of Ceremonies for the
opening ceremony. On Monday afternoon at
5 p.m., Greg announced each country by
name. As they were announced, teams
proudly carried their country’s flag onto the
parade grounds while their national anthems
played. It was moving to see the 31 teams in
a semicircle.
Words of welcome were delivered by the
AMA Executive Vice President Mark Smith
and Muncie, Indiana’s, mayor, Sharon
McShurley, and Michael Ramel officially
opened the 2011 F3A World Championship.
The opening ceremonies ended with a
delightful all-American country barbecue.
On Tuesday morning, July 26, the first
round of competition flying began. For the
next four days, each pilot flew one round
per day of the preliminary sequence (P-11).
During these four days, airplanes were given
a sound test before each flight.
After each flight the pilot drew a marble
from a bucket. The bucket had five marbles;
four white and one black marble. If the
Atlantic County Skyblazers
Futaba
F3A Unlimited
Hacker Brushless Motors
Hobbico
Horizon Hobby
Jerry Stebbins
Morgan Fuel
JTEC Radiowave
Jim Quinn
National Society of Radio Control
Aerobatics (NSRCA)
Plettenberg
Techstyles Sportswear
TruTurn
CA Model
Thunder Power RC
AVSAT, Inc.
SENIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, France
2. Tetsuo Onda, Japan
3. Andrew Jesky, United States
JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Marco Mazzucchelli, Italy
2. Robin Trumpp, Germany
3. Philip Rannetshauser, Germany
TEAM CHAMPIONS
1. United States
2. Japan
3. France
black marble was drawn, a full technical
inspection would be conducted on that
pilot’s airplane. If a white marble was
drawn, the pilot was free to leave the
flightline and prepare for his next flight. All
of the electric-powered airplanes, however,
were weighed after each flight.
There were highs and lows at the World
Championship. The team from Norway was
no exception. On Sunday, July 24,
Alexander Heindel and his wife, Jeanette,
celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
Congratulations! Team Norway’s low came
on Tuesday, the first day of flying.
Alex’s teammate, Henning Jurkjend’s
motor didn’t sound exactly right during the
sound check before his flight. When
Henning throttled up for his first flight, his
speed control failed, shorting out the motor
and battery pack.
Henning’s airplane was damaged
beyond repair, and sadly, it was his only
processed airplane for the contest. Henning
had traveled from the artic circle to fly in
the World Championship and he was
grounded because of an electrical problem.
As is true for all contests, some
adjustments were made on the fly. When the
early morning sun was an issue for Benoit
Paysant-LeRoux, his father, Jacques, was
quick to come to his aid. Using some duct
tape, a tent pole, and the top from a
Styrofoam ice chest, Jacques constructed a
shade to block the sun from Benoit’s eyes.
The weather is always a concern during
contests. Although there were threats of
major storms throughout the week, none
actually materialized during flying hours.
On the other hand, the heat was intense.
One of the jury members, Jim
Eichenberg, had a thermometer and
recorded the asphalt temperature under the
judges’ feet at a high of 151° F! One of the
judges had blisters on his feet; another’s
footwear stuck to the pavement. The only
thing hotter than the asphalt at AMA’s IAC
was the flying.
Unlike other contests, a World
Championship is the only place you can
meet and converse with previous World
Champions. Wolfgang Matt of Lichtenstein,
Gilichi Naruke of Japan, Chip Hyde of the
2011 FAI F3A
World Championship
RESULTS
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:24 PM Page 44US, and France’s Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, the current reigning World
Champion, were all in attendance.
World Championship contests bring
people together from around the world.
Teams bring souvenirs of their country to
share with new-found friends in the host
country. The team from Columbia brought
friendship bracelets in the colors of their
national flag to share.
A World Championship also brings out
the best in national pride. Some members of
the Canadian team stayed in AMA’s
campground and proudly displayed
Canada’s flag at their campsite—as well as
on the bottom of their airplanes.
Saturday, July 30, was reserved as a rain
date if needed. Because the weather had
cooperated, Saturday turned out to be a free
day of practice for the semifinal pilots. The
judges, on the other hand, were back in the
classroom to review the finals sequence (F-
11). Michael Ramel again led the classroom
discussion, and the judges went outside for
more demonstration flights, discussions of
each maneuver, and an analysis of scores.
After a morning of instruction, the judges
were treated to an afternoon tour of the
National Museum of the US Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located in
Dayton, Ohio. They also took some time to
enjoy the Jet World Masters, being
conducted at Wright-Patterson.
After four rounds, the number of pilots
was reduced to 30 for the semifinals. These
30 pilots would fly two flights on Sunday.
The sequence changed as well. For the
semifinals, the 30 remaining pilots will fly
F-11, the finals sequence. The best F-11
sequence and the average of the three best
P-11 sequences would give us the 10
finalists for the last day of flying on
Monday, August 1.
On Sunday evening, the 10 finalist pilots
met to select two Unknown sequences.
These sequences have never been seen
before. Pilots go around the room taking
turns to select maneuver after maneuver.
The F3A Sporting Code dictates rules for
selecting maneuvers.
Only stick airplane practice flights are
permitted; the pilots are not allowed to
practice these two Unknown sequences in
any other manner—even on a simulator.
Monday morning would have 40 more
flights. These flights would be flown in
front of all 20 judges. The 10 judges in the
middle would judge centered maneuvers.
The five on each end would judge turnaround
maneuvers only.
Monday morning, August 1, was a perfect
day for flying. After two rounds of F-11 and
two rounds of Unknowns, a new World
Champion would be named. The best F-11
and the best Unknown flight for each pilot
would determine the winner. After 40
flights, scores were normalized to a
maximum of 1,000 per roundAndrew Jesky, of Team USA, was in
third place. Out of a possible 2,000 points,
Andrew was less than 49 points behind first
place. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, from
France, won round one of F-11 for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda, from Japan, won round
two, the first Unknown round, for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda also won round three,
the second round of F-11, for another 1,000
points. Round four, the second Unknown
round, was won by Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, giving him an additional 1,000
points. Both pilots scored the maximum
2,000 points, resulting in a tie for first place.
The jury had to go to the FAI Sporting
Code, Section 5.1.9, which states, “In the
case of a tie, the semifinal score will be used
to determine the classification.” The
semifinal results showed Tetsuo Onda with
a score of 1,964.34. Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux had a score of 2,000, making him
the reigning World Champion for an
unprecedented sixth time.
Greg Hahn emceed the closing
ceremonies. Michael Ramel crowned the
new World Champion, Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, as well as the Junior World
Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli. Michael
Ramel also named Team USA as the firstplace
team. Led by team manager Albert
Glenn, pilots Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and
Brett Wickizer comprised Team USA.
Dave Guerin and his entire crew put
forth a superior effort and it was a job well
done. Ron Morgan, competition director,
and Al Williamson, RC manager, can look
back on an event that many international
competitors described as “like coming to
heaven.” Many commented that “this is an
incredible flying site.”
Greg Hahn had one final duty to fulfill in
his capacity as AMA’s Technical Director.
He emceed the Monday evening banquet at
the Horizon Convention Center. Dinner was
served, speeches were made, more awards
were made, and farewells were exchanged.
Many of these pilots will see each other
from time to time throughout the next two
years, but it won’t be until 2013, in South
Africa, when such incredible talent will
assemble once again for another World
Championship.
Every competitor, support crew, staff
member, and fan should be proud of himself
or herself. All were part of an incredible
piece of RC history. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 40,41,42,43,44,45
This sight takes your breath away.
Andrew Jesky is in the
zone. He is using his
iPod as a stick airplane
to practice the first
Unknown sequence.
His musical selection is
unknown as well.
Junior World Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli,
poses with his helper Andrea Villa.
40 MODEL AVIATION
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:12 PM Page 40February 2012 41
by Jim Quinn
AMA hosts pilots
from 31 countries
ISTORY WAS MADE at AMA’s International Aeromodeling
Center on August 1, 2011. A historic sixth win for one competitor
and a first-time-ever first place for another made the F3A World
Championship spectacular.
The historic sixth win came when Christophe Paysant-LeRoux of France
was crowned F3A World Champion. Christophe won the event in 1999,
2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, and is the current F3A World Champion.
The first-time-ever win goes to Marco Mazzucchelli of Italy, who was
crowned Junior World Champion. A Junior World Champion must be less
than 19 years old and at least four countries must be represented at a World
Championship for a Junior competitor to be so named.
AMA salutes and congratulates these two deserving RC pilots.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:14 PM Page 4142 MODEL AVIATION
Team USA’s Albert Glenn, team
manager, and pilots Andrew Jesky,
Chip Hyde, and Brett Wickizer
celebrate as World Team Champions.
Right: The Jury
members were (LR)
Bob Skinner,
Michael Ramel, and
Jim Eichenberg. The
Jury prepares the
judges, answers all
technical questions,
and resolves protests.
Below: A judge’s assistant, Rosemary
Ells, looks delighted with an all-
American barbecue.
The top 10 finalists took a moment for a group picture.
Carlos Hueb, from Brazil, reaches into
the bucket, hoping for a white marble
and no technical inspection.
With this year’s win, Christophe
Paysant-LeRoux became a six-time
World Champion.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:19 PM Page 42February 2012 43
Our Canadian friends went
all the way with national
pride. Check out the bottom
of their airplane.
Above: Ron Lockhart
and Andre Bouchard
check Gerhard Mayr’s
airplane for the 2-meter
maximum wingspan.
Below: Saturday
was a free day for
the pilots, but the
judges were back
in the classroom
for a refresher
course on the F-11
sequence.
Twenty judges assembled from around the world and worked
tirelessly to ensure judging was consistent.
Eighty-one pilots from 31 countries have
invested years of preparation in anticipation
of the 2011 F3A World Championship.
Beyond the pilots, there were 20 judges
from around the world.
Judges do not take their eyes off the
airplane during a competition flight; writing
scores down becomes the responsibility of
judges’ assistants. To help with language
clarity, many judges brought assistants with
them.
There were three jury members: Michael
Ramel from Germany, Bob Skinner from
South Africa, and Jim Eichenberg from
Canada. Jury members prepare the judges,
answer all technical questions, and resolve
all protests.
Dave Guerin, event director for the
previous seven US National Championships,
was the choice as event director for the F3A
World Championship. Dave selected Tom
Miller as assistant event director and
secured the assistance of more than 20
highly qualified individuals to do every
thing from processing contestants and
airplanes, to sound checks, random technical
inspections, tabulating scores, keeping the
flightlines running smoothly on two separate
sites, and much more.
Many teams arrived early so they could
familiarize themselves with the runways at
AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center
(IAC). Some of the teams that arrived early
chose to practice at other RC sites before the
contest began.
Countless factors warrant an early
arrival. The atmosphere might be different
here than in a competitor’s home country
and the glow fuel secured here in the US
might burn differently than what the pilots
are accustomed to.
By Saturday, July 23, most teams had
arrived and some had their airplanes
processed early. Each aircraft had to be
weighed, measured, and checked for failsafe
operations before it would be allowed
to fly in the F3A World Championship.
After an airplane passed all the tests,
stickers were applied to each removable part
of each airplane. Only stickered parts could
be used during the competition, and only
airplanes registered to that individual pilot
could be flown. There was no swapping of
parts or airplanes between pilots.
Along with pilot and airplane processing,
there was much activity for the judges.
Michael Ramel was president of the jury. It
was his responsibility to properly prepare
the 20 judges.
Each judge needed to be knowledgeable
about the sequences to be flown and had to
be consistent with the other judges in
scoring maneuvers. The 20 judges spent
countless hours of classroom preparation, as
well as actually judging flights flown by
demonstration pilots.
After each flight, judges gave their
opinion on a maneuver and a score was
given. By the end of Monday’s flight
training, the judges were well-prepared for
competition flights.
Photos by the author
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:22 PM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
SPONSORS
Right: Congratulations go to
Christophe Paysant-LeRoux
(center), from France, in first
place; Tetsuo Onda (left), from
Japan, in second place; and
Andrew Jesky (right), from the
US, in third place.
Below: At the end of the
Opening Ceremonies, Michael
Ramel officially opened the
2011 F3A World Championship.
Although Ron Morgan and
Al Williamson were seldom
seen, their management
and assistance was vital to
the success of the World
Championship.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s Technical Director,
was the Master of Ceremonies for the
opening ceremony. On Monday afternoon at
5 p.m., Greg announced each country by
name. As they were announced, teams
proudly carried their country’s flag onto the
parade grounds while their national anthems
played. It was moving to see the 31 teams in
a semicircle.
Words of welcome were delivered by the
AMA Executive Vice President Mark Smith
and Muncie, Indiana’s, mayor, Sharon
McShurley, and Michael Ramel officially
opened the 2011 F3A World Championship.
The opening ceremonies ended with a
delightful all-American country barbecue.
On Tuesday morning, July 26, the first
round of competition flying began. For the
next four days, each pilot flew one round
per day of the preliminary sequence (P-11).
During these four days, airplanes were given
a sound test before each flight.
After each flight the pilot drew a marble
from a bucket. The bucket had five marbles;
four white and one black marble. If the
Atlantic County Skyblazers
Futaba
F3A Unlimited
Hacker Brushless Motors
Hobbico
Horizon Hobby
Jerry Stebbins
Morgan Fuel
JTEC Radiowave
Jim Quinn
National Society of Radio Control
Aerobatics (NSRCA)
Plettenberg
Techstyles Sportswear
TruTurn
CA Model
Thunder Power RC
AVSAT, Inc.
SENIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, France
2. Tetsuo Onda, Japan
3. Andrew Jesky, United States
JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Marco Mazzucchelli, Italy
2. Robin Trumpp, Germany
3. Philip Rannetshauser, Germany
TEAM CHAMPIONS
1. United States
2. Japan
3. France
black marble was drawn, a full technical
inspection would be conducted on that
pilot’s airplane. If a white marble was
drawn, the pilot was free to leave the
flightline and prepare for his next flight. All
of the electric-powered airplanes, however,
were weighed after each flight.
There were highs and lows at the World
Championship. The team from Norway was
no exception. On Sunday, July 24,
Alexander Heindel and his wife, Jeanette,
celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
Congratulations! Team Norway’s low came
on Tuesday, the first day of flying.
Alex’s teammate, Henning Jurkjend’s
motor didn’t sound exactly right during the
sound check before his flight. When
Henning throttled up for his first flight, his
speed control failed, shorting out the motor
and battery pack.
Henning’s airplane was damaged
beyond repair, and sadly, it was his only
processed airplane for the contest. Henning
had traveled from the artic circle to fly in
the World Championship and he was
grounded because of an electrical problem.
As is true for all contests, some
adjustments were made on the fly. When the
early morning sun was an issue for Benoit
Paysant-LeRoux, his father, Jacques, was
quick to come to his aid. Using some duct
tape, a tent pole, and the top from a
Styrofoam ice chest, Jacques constructed a
shade to block the sun from Benoit’s eyes.
The weather is always a concern during
contests. Although there were threats of
major storms throughout the week, none
actually materialized during flying hours.
On the other hand, the heat was intense.
One of the jury members, Jim
Eichenberg, had a thermometer and
recorded the asphalt temperature under the
judges’ feet at a high of 151° F! One of the
judges had blisters on his feet; another’s
footwear stuck to the pavement. The only
thing hotter than the asphalt at AMA’s IAC
was the flying.
Unlike other contests, a World
Championship is the only place you can
meet and converse with previous World
Champions. Wolfgang Matt of Lichtenstein,
Gilichi Naruke of Japan, Chip Hyde of the
2011 FAI F3A
World Championship
RESULTS
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:24 PM Page 44US, and France’s Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, the current reigning World
Champion, were all in attendance.
World Championship contests bring
people together from around the world.
Teams bring souvenirs of their country to
share with new-found friends in the host
country. The team from Columbia brought
friendship bracelets in the colors of their
national flag to share.
A World Championship also brings out
the best in national pride. Some members of
the Canadian team stayed in AMA’s
campground and proudly displayed
Canada’s flag at their campsite—as well as
on the bottom of their airplanes.
Saturday, July 30, was reserved as a rain
date if needed. Because the weather had
cooperated, Saturday turned out to be a free
day of practice for the semifinal pilots. The
judges, on the other hand, were back in the
classroom to review the finals sequence (F-
11). Michael Ramel again led the classroom
discussion, and the judges went outside for
more demonstration flights, discussions of
each maneuver, and an analysis of scores.
After a morning of instruction, the judges
were treated to an afternoon tour of the
National Museum of the US Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located in
Dayton, Ohio. They also took some time to
enjoy the Jet World Masters, being
conducted at Wright-Patterson.
After four rounds, the number of pilots
was reduced to 30 for the semifinals. These
30 pilots would fly two flights on Sunday.
The sequence changed as well. For the
semifinals, the 30 remaining pilots will fly
F-11, the finals sequence. The best F-11
sequence and the average of the three best
P-11 sequences would give us the 10
finalists for the last day of flying on
Monday, August 1.
On Sunday evening, the 10 finalist pilots
met to select two Unknown sequences.
These sequences have never been seen
before. Pilots go around the room taking
turns to select maneuver after maneuver.
The F3A Sporting Code dictates rules for
selecting maneuvers.
Only stick airplane practice flights are
permitted; the pilots are not allowed to
practice these two Unknown sequences in
any other manner—even on a simulator.
Monday morning would have 40 more
flights. These flights would be flown in
front of all 20 judges. The 10 judges in the
middle would judge centered maneuvers.
The five on each end would judge turnaround
maneuvers only.
Monday morning, August 1, was a perfect
day for flying. After two rounds of F-11 and
two rounds of Unknowns, a new World
Champion would be named. The best F-11
and the best Unknown flight for each pilot
would determine the winner. After 40
flights, scores were normalized to a
maximum of 1,000 per roundAndrew Jesky, of Team USA, was in
third place. Out of a possible 2,000 points,
Andrew was less than 49 points behind first
place. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, from
France, won round one of F-11 for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda, from Japan, won round
two, the first Unknown round, for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda also won round three,
the second round of F-11, for another 1,000
points. Round four, the second Unknown
round, was won by Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, giving him an additional 1,000
points. Both pilots scored the maximum
2,000 points, resulting in a tie for first place.
The jury had to go to the FAI Sporting
Code, Section 5.1.9, which states, “In the
case of a tie, the semifinal score will be used
to determine the classification.” The
semifinal results showed Tetsuo Onda with
a score of 1,964.34. Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux had a score of 2,000, making him
the reigning World Champion for an
unprecedented sixth time.
Greg Hahn emceed the closing
ceremonies. Michael Ramel crowned the
new World Champion, Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, as well as the Junior World
Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli. Michael
Ramel also named Team USA as the firstplace
team. Led by team manager Albert
Glenn, pilots Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and
Brett Wickizer comprised Team USA.
Dave Guerin and his entire crew put
forth a superior effort and it was a job well
done. Ron Morgan, competition director,
and Al Williamson, RC manager, can look
back on an event that many international
competitors described as “like coming to
heaven.” Many commented that “this is an
incredible flying site.”
Greg Hahn had one final duty to fulfill in
his capacity as AMA’s Technical Director.
He emceed the Monday evening banquet at
the Horizon Convention Center. Dinner was
served, speeches were made, more awards
were made, and farewells were exchanged.
Many of these pilots will see each other
from time to time throughout the next two
years, but it won’t be until 2013, in South
Africa, when such incredible talent will
assemble once again for another World
Championship.
Every competitor, support crew, staff
member, and fan should be proud of himself
or herself. All were part of an incredible
piece of RC history. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/02
Page Numbers: 40,41,42,43,44,45
This sight takes your breath away.
Andrew Jesky is in the
zone. He is using his
iPod as a stick airplane
to practice the first
Unknown sequence.
His musical selection is
unknown as well.
Junior World Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli,
poses with his helper Andrea Villa.
40 MODEL AVIATION
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:12 PM Page 40February 2012 41
by Jim Quinn
AMA hosts pilots
from 31 countries
ISTORY WAS MADE at AMA’s International Aeromodeling
Center on August 1, 2011. A historic sixth win for one competitor
and a first-time-ever first place for another made the F3A World
Championship spectacular.
The historic sixth win came when Christophe Paysant-LeRoux of France
was crowned F3A World Champion. Christophe won the event in 1999,
2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, and is the current F3A World Champion.
The first-time-ever win goes to Marco Mazzucchelli of Italy, who was
crowned Junior World Champion. A Junior World Champion must be less
than 19 years old and at least four countries must be represented at a World
Championship for a Junior competitor to be so named.
AMA salutes and congratulates these two deserving RC pilots.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:14 PM Page 4142 MODEL AVIATION
Team USA’s Albert Glenn, team
manager, and pilots Andrew Jesky,
Chip Hyde, and Brett Wickizer
celebrate as World Team Champions.
Right: The Jury
members were (LR)
Bob Skinner,
Michael Ramel, and
Jim Eichenberg. The
Jury prepares the
judges, answers all
technical questions,
and resolves protests.
Below: A judge’s assistant, Rosemary
Ells, looks delighted with an all-
American barbecue.
The top 10 finalists took a moment for a group picture.
Carlos Hueb, from Brazil, reaches into
the bucket, hoping for a white marble
and no technical inspection.
With this year’s win, Christophe
Paysant-LeRoux became a six-time
World Champion.
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:19 PM Page 42February 2012 43
Our Canadian friends went
all the way with national
pride. Check out the bottom
of their airplane.
Above: Ron Lockhart
and Andre Bouchard
check Gerhard Mayr’s
airplane for the 2-meter
maximum wingspan.
Below: Saturday
was a free day for
the pilots, but the
judges were back
in the classroom
for a refresher
course on the F-11
sequence.
Twenty judges assembled from around the world and worked
tirelessly to ensure judging was consistent.
Eighty-one pilots from 31 countries have
invested years of preparation in anticipation
of the 2011 F3A World Championship.
Beyond the pilots, there were 20 judges
from around the world.
Judges do not take their eyes off the
airplane during a competition flight; writing
scores down becomes the responsibility of
judges’ assistants. To help with language
clarity, many judges brought assistants with
them.
There were three jury members: Michael
Ramel from Germany, Bob Skinner from
South Africa, and Jim Eichenberg from
Canada. Jury members prepare the judges,
answer all technical questions, and resolve
all protests.
Dave Guerin, event director for the
previous seven US National Championships,
was the choice as event director for the F3A
World Championship. Dave selected Tom
Miller as assistant event director and
secured the assistance of more than 20
highly qualified individuals to do every
thing from processing contestants and
airplanes, to sound checks, random technical
inspections, tabulating scores, keeping the
flightlines running smoothly on two separate
sites, and much more.
Many teams arrived early so they could
familiarize themselves with the runways at
AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center
(IAC). Some of the teams that arrived early
chose to practice at other RC sites before the
contest began.
Countless factors warrant an early
arrival. The atmosphere might be different
here than in a competitor’s home country
and the glow fuel secured here in the US
might burn differently than what the pilots
are accustomed to.
By Saturday, July 23, most teams had
arrived and some had their airplanes
processed early. Each aircraft had to be
weighed, measured, and checked for failsafe
operations before it would be allowed
to fly in the F3A World Championship.
After an airplane passed all the tests,
stickers were applied to each removable part
of each airplane. Only stickered parts could
be used during the competition, and only
airplanes registered to that individual pilot
could be flown. There was no swapping of
parts or airplanes between pilots.
Along with pilot and airplane processing,
there was much activity for the judges.
Michael Ramel was president of the jury. It
was his responsibility to properly prepare
the 20 judges.
Each judge needed to be knowledgeable
about the sequences to be flown and had to
be consistent with the other judges in
scoring maneuvers. The 20 judges spent
countless hours of classroom preparation, as
well as actually judging flights flown by
demonstration pilots.
After each flight, judges gave their
opinion on a maneuver and a score was
given. By the end of Monday’s flight
training, the judges were well-prepared for
competition flights.
Photos by the author
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:22 PM Page 4344 MODEL AVIATION
SPONSORS
Right: Congratulations go to
Christophe Paysant-LeRoux
(center), from France, in first
place; Tetsuo Onda (left), from
Japan, in second place; and
Andrew Jesky (right), from the
US, in third place.
Below: At the end of the
Opening Ceremonies, Michael
Ramel officially opened the
2011 F3A World Championship.
Although Ron Morgan and
Al Williamson were seldom
seen, their management
and assistance was vital to
the success of the World
Championship.
Greg Hahn, AMA’s Technical Director,
was the Master of Ceremonies for the
opening ceremony. On Monday afternoon at
5 p.m., Greg announced each country by
name. As they were announced, teams
proudly carried their country’s flag onto the
parade grounds while their national anthems
played. It was moving to see the 31 teams in
a semicircle.
Words of welcome were delivered by the
AMA Executive Vice President Mark Smith
and Muncie, Indiana’s, mayor, Sharon
McShurley, and Michael Ramel officially
opened the 2011 F3A World Championship.
The opening ceremonies ended with a
delightful all-American country barbecue.
On Tuesday morning, July 26, the first
round of competition flying began. For the
next four days, each pilot flew one round
per day of the preliminary sequence (P-11).
During these four days, airplanes were given
a sound test before each flight.
After each flight the pilot drew a marble
from a bucket. The bucket had five marbles;
four white and one black marble. If the
Atlantic County Skyblazers
Futaba
F3A Unlimited
Hacker Brushless Motors
Hobbico
Horizon Hobby
Jerry Stebbins
Morgan Fuel
JTEC Radiowave
Jim Quinn
National Society of Radio Control
Aerobatics (NSRCA)
Plettenberg
Techstyles Sportswear
TruTurn
CA Model
Thunder Power RC
AVSAT, Inc.
SENIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, France
2. Tetsuo Onda, Japan
3. Andrew Jesky, United States
JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
1. Marco Mazzucchelli, Italy
2. Robin Trumpp, Germany
3. Philip Rannetshauser, Germany
TEAM CHAMPIONS
1. United States
2. Japan
3. France
black marble was drawn, a full technical
inspection would be conducted on that
pilot’s airplane. If a white marble was
drawn, the pilot was free to leave the
flightline and prepare for his next flight. All
of the electric-powered airplanes, however,
were weighed after each flight.
There were highs and lows at the World
Championship. The team from Norway was
no exception. On Sunday, July 24,
Alexander Heindel and his wife, Jeanette,
celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
Congratulations! Team Norway’s low came
on Tuesday, the first day of flying.
Alex’s teammate, Henning Jurkjend’s
motor didn’t sound exactly right during the
sound check before his flight. When
Henning throttled up for his first flight, his
speed control failed, shorting out the motor
and battery pack.
Henning’s airplane was damaged
beyond repair, and sadly, it was his only
processed airplane for the contest. Henning
had traveled from the artic circle to fly in
the World Championship and he was
grounded because of an electrical problem.
As is true for all contests, some
adjustments were made on the fly. When the
early morning sun was an issue for Benoit
Paysant-LeRoux, his father, Jacques, was
quick to come to his aid. Using some duct
tape, a tent pole, and the top from a
Styrofoam ice chest, Jacques constructed a
shade to block the sun from Benoit’s eyes.
The weather is always a concern during
contests. Although there were threats of
major storms throughout the week, none
actually materialized during flying hours.
On the other hand, the heat was intense.
One of the jury members, Jim
Eichenberg, had a thermometer and
recorded the asphalt temperature under the
judges’ feet at a high of 151° F! One of the
judges had blisters on his feet; another’s
footwear stuck to the pavement. The only
thing hotter than the asphalt at AMA’s IAC
was the flying.
Unlike other contests, a World
Championship is the only place you can
meet and converse with previous World
Champions. Wolfgang Matt of Lichtenstein,
Gilichi Naruke of Japan, Chip Hyde of the
2011 FAI F3A
World Championship
RESULTS
02sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/16/11 12:24 PM Page 44US, and France’s Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, the current reigning World
Champion, were all in attendance.
World Championship contests bring
people together from around the world.
Teams bring souvenirs of their country to
share with new-found friends in the host
country. The team from Columbia brought
friendship bracelets in the colors of their
national flag to share.
A World Championship also brings out
the best in national pride. Some members of
the Canadian team stayed in AMA’s
campground and proudly displayed
Canada’s flag at their campsite—as well as
on the bottom of their airplanes.
Saturday, July 30, was reserved as a rain
date if needed. Because the weather had
cooperated, Saturday turned out to be a free
day of practice for the semifinal pilots. The
judges, on the other hand, were back in the
classroom to review the finals sequence (F-
11). Michael Ramel again led the classroom
discussion, and the judges went outside for
more demonstration flights, discussions of
each maneuver, and an analysis of scores.
After a morning of instruction, the judges
were treated to an afternoon tour of the
National Museum of the US Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located in
Dayton, Ohio. They also took some time to
enjoy the Jet World Masters, being
conducted at Wright-Patterson.
After four rounds, the number of pilots
was reduced to 30 for the semifinals. These
30 pilots would fly two flights on Sunday.
The sequence changed as well. For the
semifinals, the 30 remaining pilots will fly
F-11, the finals sequence. The best F-11
sequence and the average of the three best
P-11 sequences would give us the 10
finalists for the last day of flying on
Monday, August 1.
On Sunday evening, the 10 finalist pilots
met to select two Unknown sequences.
These sequences have never been seen
before. Pilots go around the room taking
turns to select maneuver after maneuver.
The F3A Sporting Code dictates rules for
selecting maneuvers.
Only stick airplane practice flights are
permitted; the pilots are not allowed to
practice these two Unknown sequences in
any other manner—even on a simulator.
Monday morning would have 40 more
flights. These flights would be flown in
front of all 20 judges. The 10 judges in the
middle would judge centered maneuvers.
The five on each end would judge turnaround
maneuvers only.
Monday morning, August 1, was a perfect
day for flying. After two rounds of F-11 and
two rounds of Unknowns, a new World
Champion would be named. The best F-11
and the best Unknown flight for each pilot
would determine the winner. After 40
flights, scores were normalized to a
maximum of 1,000 per roundAndrew Jesky, of Team USA, was in
third place. Out of a possible 2,000 points,
Andrew was less than 49 points behind first
place. Christophe Paysant-LeRoux, from
France, won round one of F-11 for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda, from Japan, won round
two, the first Unknown round, for 1,000
points. Tetsuo Onda also won round three,
the second round of F-11, for another 1,000
points. Round four, the second Unknown
round, was won by Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, giving him an additional 1,000
points. Both pilots scored the maximum
2,000 points, resulting in a tie for first place.
The jury had to go to the FAI Sporting
Code, Section 5.1.9, which states, “In the
case of a tie, the semifinal score will be used
to determine the classification.” The
semifinal results showed Tetsuo Onda with
a score of 1,964.34. Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux had a score of 2,000, making him
the reigning World Champion for an
unprecedented sixth time.
Greg Hahn emceed the closing
ceremonies. Michael Ramel crowned the
new World Champion, Christophe Paysant-
LeRoux, as well as the Junior World
Champion, Marco Mazzucchelli. Michael
Ramel also named Team USA as the firstplace
team. Led by team manager Albert
Glenn, pilots Andrew Jesky, Chip Hyde, and
Brett Wickizer comprised Team USA.
Dave Guerin and his entire crew put
forth a superior effort and it was a job well
done. Ron Morgan, competition director,
and Al Williamson, RC manager, can look
back on an event that many international
competitors described as “like coming to
heaven.” Many commented that “this is an
incredible flying site.”
Greg Hahn had one final duty to fulfill in
his capacity as AMA’s Technical Director.
He emceed the Monday evening banquet at
the Horizon Convention Center. Dinner was
served, speeches were made, more awards
were made, and farewells were exchanged.
Many of these pilots will see each other
from time to time throughout the next two
years, but it won’t be until 2013, in South
Africa, when such incredible talent will
assemble once again for another World
Championship.
Every competitor, support crew, staff
member, and fan should be proud of himself
or herself. All were part of an incredible
piece of RC history. MA
