RC SOARING
USA PILOTS
AT THE F5J
SAMBA CUP
By Gordon Buckland | gordon@gatorf3b.com
SAMBA MODEL IS a famous RC Soaring manufacturer in Europe that has, for decades, manufactured many well-known and successful competition models, such as the Pike series and, more recently, the Prestige.
For 14 years, the company has conducted a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) F5J contest in the European summer that has grown so much in popularity that it must be limited in the number of entries. This year, a group of US pilots decided to make the journey to experience what has become the largest F5J Soaring contest in the world.
Many thanks to Dr. Peter Fish for writing a great account of the US pilots’ visit to the 2025 Samba Cup. This is an event for the bucket list, so let’s all enjoy their experience with Peter’s story.
Six pilots from the US took part in the 14th F5J Samba Cup that was held between May 30 and June 1 near Litomyšl in Eastern Bohemia in the Czech Republic. This was the first time that so many Americans had participated with 137 other pilots from 17 countries in the annual Soaring competition, including participants from China, Turkey, and Australia, while Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia were also well represented. World champions from the FAI F5J World Championship for Electric Powered Thermal Duration Gliders were also present.
A diverse array of models was flown, featuring familiar names such as the Prestige 2PK and 3PK, Sensor, and Explorer, alongside lesser-known models such as the Metris, Challenger, Free Willy 4.0 Vertigo, and Eternity.
The Czech Republic hosts made every effort to make sure that the competitors were well fed with goulash and sauerkraut and well-lubricated with Czech drinks. The six Americans—Ali Khani (the US Samba Model representative), Carlos Acosta, John Kennedy, Tim Harmon, Jeff DuVal, and Dave Malkin—took full advantage of this. The flying field was well prepared with tents and chairs for us.
The preliminary competition for all pilots consisted of six rounds in nine groups of 16 pilots each. This made for an extremely long flightline, where pilots on one end were 150 meters from pilots at the other end, meaning that they were launching in an entirely different lift cycle to each other.
The weather presented significant challenges, ranging from gale-force wind that damaged some tents to periods of drizzle and a cloudless sky with no wind. This all led to multiple mid-air collisions and repeated flights—the competition to fly in the thermals was intense.
The US team had its fair share of accidents, but all managed to survive to the end. They did not disgrace themselves while flying in unfamiliar surroundings against probably some of the most skilled Soaring pilots globally. Indeed, Jeff DuVal managed to get a place in the flyoff competition that consisted of three 15-minute-duration flights.
PositionFlyoff
PositionJeff DuVal1113Dave Malkin51—Ali Khan64—Carlos Acosta90—John Kennedy110—Tim Harmon114—
Ultimately, the winner was Jo Grini from Norway, with Dominik Prestle and Ryan Höllein, both from Germany, as the runners up.
All of the Americans returned home after a thoroughly enjoyable competition, with some well-learned lessons—not the least
of which was to be very careful not to drink too much slivovitz.
With F5J models now being designed with a four-piece wing, they can be packed into as small of a space as a golf case, making travel with your models so much easier. If you have aspirations of attending this event in the future, please visit the Samba Model website listed in “Sources,” and take note of the details regarding registration requirements to enter the event. I certainly think I would like to do this event in 2026!
Go downwind and soar!
SOURCES:
League of Silent Flight (LSF)
www.silentflight.org
Samba Model
samba@f3j.com
www.facebook.com/profile.
php?id=100057627812434#
www.f3j.com
