AMA AND TEAM USA SHINE AT THE 2024 FAI F2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
By Rich Hanson, AMA President | richh@modelaircraft.org
THIS PAST SUMMER, AMA and the US aeromodeling community rolled out the red carpet to welcome attendees of the 2024 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) F2 World Championships for Control Line Model Aircraft. Thirty countries and nearly 500 model aviation enthusiasts from around the globe converged at AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center (IAC) in Muncie, Indiana, to share their passion for Control Line (CL) flight. Hundreds of staff, volunteers, and contract vendors spent months preparing for the competition, grooming the facilities and making sure that the venues were in top-notch condition for this landmark event. Even the weatherman cooperated with nearly perfect weather.
Results: 2024 FAI F2 World Championships
As reported by Faustine Carrera, FAI communication manager (email: communication@fai.org):
Muncie, Indiana, USA, August 21, 2024
The 2024 F2 World Championships for CL Model Aircraft attracted a remarkable turnout, featuring 199 pilots from 30 countries vying for podium positions amidst challenging wind. Held from August 12-17, 2024, in Muncie, Indiana, USA, the event highlighted the local knowledge of American pilots, who secured team medals in all four classes.
The prestigious championship displayed a great diversity of talent, featuring 19 Junior competitors and eight female athletes among the participants.
Antonis Papadopoulos, president of the FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM), stated: “Congratulations to all of the pilots and a heartfelt thank-you to the organizers for hosting such a fantastic competition! It has been inspiring to witness so many talented modelers showcasing their skills in this event.
“I am especially delighted to see women achieving impressive rankings. We hope that outstanding performances, like Natalia Dementieva’s silver medal in the highly competitive F2D Combat class, will encourage even more women to join us in the future.”
Conditions for flying were perfect for the qualifying rounds, with “Stunt heaven” weather, giving the pilots the opportunity to show off their skills.
The weather took a turn for the worse for the finals, with gusts causing some wild takeoffs and pushing up maneuver speeds, which ensured a thrilling show for spectators but a challenge for the pilots who were unaccustomed to windy weather.
F2A Speed Model Aircraft
F2A legends, father and son Alex and Ivan Valishev, successfully defended their titles against France’s speed demon, Matthieu Perret, which contributed to the team champion medal.
F2A Speed Model Aircraft
- Alexander Valishev (USA)
- Ivan Valishev (USA)
- Matthieu Perret (FRA)
F2A Speed Model Aircraft, Team
- USA
- France
- Germany
F2C Team Racing
- Mariusz Fedan/Wojciech Lesiuk (POL)
- Pascal Surugue/Georges Surugue (FRA)
- Alexandre Gauthier/Thomas Villeboeuf (FRA)
F2B Aerobatics
Wild wind caused a leaderboard shuffle, but experienced pilots Marco Valliera and Orestes Hernandez gained advantage over the two outstanding Chinese pilots. Xu Letong beat teammate Yang Jun onto the podium.
F2C Team Racing, Team
- France
- Poland
- USA
F2B Aerobatics
- Marco Valliera (ITA)
- Orestes Hernandez (USA)
- Xu Letong (CHN)
F2D Combat
Defending champion Jussi Forss reigned supreme, but with an excellent opponent in Natalia Dementieva. USA’s overall performance rewarded them as the overall team champions.
F2B Aerobatics, Junior
- Xu Letong (CHN)
- Gabriel Alimov (USA)
- Buyandorj Dashdori (MGL)
F2D Combat
- Jussi Forss (FIN)
- Natalia Dementieva (DEN)
- Austin Minor (USA)
F2B Aerobatics, Team
- China
- USA
- Japan
F2D Combat, Junior
- Austin Minor (USA)
- Sofija Rastenis (LTU)
- Sergey Vardanyan (ARM)
F2C Team Racing
The lead was snatched from the Surugues team by the Polish team by just 0.7 seconds after an engine problem, but with two teams on the podium, France managed to gain the overall team medal ahead of their Polish opponents.
F2D Combat, Team
- USA
- Finland
- Denmark
Keep ’em safe, keep ’em flying, and continue to enjoy this great hobby!
