By Roston Dugmore

The South African team, consisting of Andre Stockwell, Roston Dugmore, Clinton Carter-Brown, and team manager Grant Brook, departed for Argentina on 30th October, traveling through Sao Paulo to reach Buenos Aires. Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, we faced an unpleasant surprise when we went to retrieve our planes—they were not there! They had been left behind in Johannesburg, which was a complete nightmare. After being on the move for 24 hours, we were exhausted. Thankfully, the South African Model Aircraft Association managed to expedite the process at OR Tambo, and the planes arrived in Buenos Aires the following day, albeit 24 hours late, costing us a valuable practice day.

The conditions at this competition were extremely challenging, with winds nearing the maximum limit of 43.2 kph and often gusting up to 60 kph, accompanied by low clouds, rain, and cold temperatures. The strong wind presented an unexpected issue for me, as my model's contra-rotating propeller system consumed more battery power at sea level than I had planned for, making my 4500mAh batteries inadequate. Thankfully, an American team member lent me a 5000mAh battery, which was just enough. I still had to manage power carefully to avoid running out during the final maneuver or on the final approach, while many pilots were using 6000mAh batteries.

The issue occurred because LiPo batteries present an unacceptable fire hazard for airliners, and competitors were unable to bring their own. As a result, the organizers had to import batteries for us to collect upon arrival. Unfortunately, I ordered the same size I had always used, which proved too small for the conditions. Luckily, what I borrowed helped me get through.

Returning to the weather... There were low clouds, rain, and cold temperatures. On the fourth day, the clouds were particularly low, causing a couple of pilots to fly into them and lose sight of their planes. Naturally, without visibility, they couldn't control the aircraft. However, they had the foresight to immediately throttle back while they still had a general sense of the plane's attitude and location, and they blindly adjusted the elevator, hoping the plane would emerge from the clouds in time to regain control. Unfortunately, one pilot wasn't successful in this, and his crashed plane was later discovered a few kilometers away. These challenging flying conditions were the same for everyone, but they were new to us. We were very pleased that Clinton and I qualified for the semi-finals scheduled for the next day, with Andre narrowly missing out—primarily because he encountered the worst conditions and lost sight of his plane during parts of three maneuvers, but he was only granted a re-flight for one.

The semi-finals present a distinct and more intricate series of maneuvers, and reaching them was a "mission accomplished" for us. Team SA fulfilled their objective.

The following day, Clinton and I flew consistently strong flights during the two semi-final rounds despite facing challenging conditions with crosswinds exceeding twenty knots. Numerous pilots struggled to maintain their line in the wind, and the energy demands were taxing on battery packs. However, both Clinton and I improved our standings, with Clinton finishing in 23rd place, myself in 25th, and Andre in 33rd. South Africa secured 6th place out of 27 countries and 64 competitors, outperforming Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Russia, Switzerland, Brazil, Canada, and many others.

I am truly passionate about this sport and feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to fly at this world championship, competing with and learning from the top pilots globally. Despite the stress, the trip was extremely successful, and on behalf of the team, I extend our gratitude to all our supporters for their financial and moral backing.

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