More about F5J...

In the F5J competition class, the aim is to fly a remote-controlled glider with an electric motor for 10 minutes from as low a take-off altitude as possible and then aim for a spot landing.

The running time of the motor is limited to a maximum of 30 seconds. The take-off altitude is measured by a technical device in the glider and sanctioned with a point deduction.

The combination of the flight time, the accuracy of the landing and the deduction for the take-off altitude achieved results in the score for the respective flight.

Depending on the weather conditions and the skill of the pilot, this task is sometimes mastered from a starting altitude of less than 10 metres and sometimes more than 200 m are not enough

The pilots‘ goal is to find and use even the smallest updrafts (thermals), otherwise the specified flight duration of 10 minutes cannot be achieved.

F5J planes usually have a wingspan between 3.5 and 4 metres. They are mostly made of carbon fibre, which allows a flying weight of starting at 1,000 grams (12 g/dm² is the FAI limit). However, wooden planes are also sometimes used.

Within a few years, F5J has become one of the most popular competition classes. In 2019, over 500 pilots took part in 26 competitions of CONTEST Eurotour F5J in many European countries.