NZ Model Fliers score Gold at World Championships in France

The NZ team of Joe Wurts, Les Stockley, Scott Chisholm and Manager, David James, scored a first for New Zealand when they took the Team Gold Medal at the Model Glider World Championships. Whilst NZ model fliers score well at World Championships each year, the elusive Gold Team Medal has never been won by New Zealand.

The Gliding World Championship were held in Ruce, France from 29 July to 8 August.

For Team Manager David James, from Palmerston North, the tension grew each day as it became clear that the team was building a winning score as each pilot made one of their twelve competition flights. The maximum possible score a team can make is 33,000 points, and the Kiwi team took first place only 130 points short of a perfect score.

The World Championships was for F3J Gliders which are Radio and launched with a 150 metre line and use air currents to remain aloft for 10 minutes and aim to land on a designated spot. The pilots are scored on how close to 10 minutes they fly and how close to the designated spot they land.

The fifteen fliers with the highest scores then went into a second competition for individual honours where Joe Wurts (Hawkes Bay) came 4th, Les Stockley (Whenuapai) was 11th and Scott Chisholm (Christchurch) was 12th -.

The 2008 World Champs Team won the Bronze medal, so to go back and take the Team Gold and high individual positions reflects a lot of work in the intervening two years to raise their performance and consistency.

The gliders are developed for this class of competition and use advanced designs and composite materials and are made in NZ.

The Glider Championships attracted 84 competitors from 29 nations, including most European countries, USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, and Australia. The Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) which is the world body responsible for aviation sports, stages World Championships, in every class of competition model aircraft, every two years.

Competition within New Zealand in this class is keen and competitions are held regularly through MODEL FLYING NEW ZEALAND, the national body responsible for Model Flying.

Additional Information

Joe Wurts is a member of the Hawkes Bay Radio Fliers

Les Stockley is a member of Auckland Soar

Scott Chisholm is a member of Christchurch Model Aircraft Club

David James is a member of Central Districts Silent Flight