FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM)

Aeromodellers have to look on the large variety in aeromodelling as both a risk and an opportunity. The many highly specialised competition classes make it a real challenge to communicate the sport to the general public.

Six Categories

* F1 Freeflight

* F2 Control Line

* F3 Radio Controlled Flight

* F4 Scale Model Aircraft

* F5 Radio Control Electric Powered Aircraft

Thomas Grout, 16, came third in last year’s FAI Drone Racing World Cup: a fantastic achievement for such a young pilot. The talented young racer only started flying drones about two years ago after discovering FPV (first person view) racing online.

With FPV racing, pilots use headsets that are linked to cameras in the drones, giving the impression they are inside the drone, piloting it from there.

Swiss drone racing pilot Dario Neuenschwander beat off fierce competition from more than 400 rivals to win the FAI Drone Racing World Cup 2017 with an overall score of 142 points. But while reaching the top level in most air sports takes years, if not decades, of dedication, Neuenschwander scored his historic victory after drone racing for just two short years.

How did he do it? Let’s find out…

Hi Dario, tell us a bit more about yourself.

Model helicopter pilot Ennio Graber won the FAI F3C World Championships for the second time last year.

The 37-year-old physical education teacher, who lives in Vira Gambarogno in Switzerland, has enjoyed an illustrious aeromodelling career – as well as being crowned World Champion on two occasions, he has been European Champion three times.

He credits his father’s passion for the sport of aeromodelling for making him such a successful competitor.
We caught up with him to find out what it takes to become an aeromodelling champion.