Jury Report on 2004 Free Flight European Championships F1E Seniors and Juniors
FAI Jury
Ian Kaynes (President) | GBR | FF S/C Chairman |
George Arghir | ROM | FF S/C member |
Ivan Horejsi | CZE | FF S/C member |
Dates
Location
The Championship were organised at Rana by the Modellclub Plasy on behalf of Aero-Club of Czech Republic and Association of Modellers of Czech Republic
Information
3 bulletins were issued in advance of the event which together gave full details of the event.
Participation
9 countries participated in the Championship, with 28 flying in the senior class and 16 junior, including the defending champions flying independently in both categories.
Accommodation
Accommodation options were hotels in Louny booked through the organisers or camping at the flying site.
Snacks and drinks could be purchased during the competition, otherwise arrangements for meals were made by competitors.
Model processing
There was no checking of models or certificates within the registration process. Stickers were issued for competitors to apply to their models for formal recognition.
Flying site
The championships were flown on the Rana hill, 6km north of the town of Louny. The hill is suitable for winds from almost all directions but has some areas of woods and maize fields which affected model recovery in some cases.
Weather
The weather was pleasant for F1E flying, with a light easterly wind. During the morning there was a little rain, and after it stopped round 3 had the most challenging conditions. In the afternoon there were sunny periods with some strong thermals, making it easier to score maximum in rounds 4 and 5.
Competition
The flying timetable had rounds of 70 minutes with 5 minutes break between rounds. The Championships were flown on September 11, preceded by a World Cup competition on September 9.
The contest ran smoothly with rounds flown according to the planned schedule.
There was flyoff involving 4 juniors and 9 seniors. This was flown from a position part of the way down the hill with the maximum set at 7 minutes, a time not achieved by any of the competitors. It was notable how well the top juniors flew: the junior champion had a flyoff time which would have placed him second in the senior category.
Timekeeping
Timekeeping was conducted efficiently without any significant problem reported.
Opening and Closing Ceremony
The opening ceremony was held in a square in Louny outside the registration office.
The prize-giving was held at the Hotel Graf in Louny and was followed by the closing banquet.
Protests
There were no official protests.
Conclusions
The jury wish to thank the organisers for running a very successful European championships.