Bid Proposal for the

2018 FAI F1D World Championships for

Indoor Model Aircraft

March 18-23, 2018 in the

Atrium of the West Baden Springs Hotel,

West Baden Springs, Indiana, USA

Gene Simpers photo

West Baden Springs Hotel Atrium at night (above) and during contest (below)

Phil Kibbe photo

The Contest

Since 1998, all of the Indoor World Championships Contests have been held in Eastern Europe at the

mine in Slanic, Romania, or in Belgrade Fair Hall, Belgrade, Serbia. The 1996 Indoor World

Championships, at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, USA, were the last held outside Europe.

The USA Organizing Committee in conjugation with the Academy of Model Aeronautics bid to hold the

2018 Indoor World Championships for Model Aircraft in the Atrium of the West Baden Springs Hotel in

West Baden Springs, Indiana, USA. The proposed dates are March 18-23, 2018. The hotel will also be

used to provide the room accommodations and meals for the competitors, officials, and contest workers.

Proposed Schedule:

• March 19, 2018: Practice Day

Opening Ceremony

• March 20, 2018: Rounds 1 and 2

• March 21, 2018: Rounds 3 and 4

• March 22, 2018: Rounds 5 and 6

Award Ceremony

Closing Banquet

• March 23, 2018: Departure Day

Flying in the Atrium

The Atrium of the West Baden

Springs Hotel has been the site

of numerous national and

international indoor duration

contests. The site hosted the

1980 F1D Indoor World

Championships won by Erv

Rodemsky and Team USA.

The Hotel site was renovated

and reopened as a full service

luxury hotel in 2006. For the

past four years, a two-day

indoor contest has been held in

the early Spring. This contest

continues to attract fliers from

all over the United States. The

fliers have usually included the

top US F1D fliers including

most, if not all, of the US F1D

team.

The Atrium is a Category III site with a height of just over 29m to the central ceiling structure. The dome

girders are an additional 2m above the central structure (referred to as the “pancake” by the fliers). The

dome is supported by the surrounding walls and columns which are 20m high. The atrium is a superb

indoor flying site. Many national and World Records have been set there including the still standing Cat

III F1 open record by eight-time World Champion Jim Richmond. Just this last March, Bill Gowen’s

F1M exceeded the current F1M Cat III world record time.

The Atrium area is surrounded by

six floors of shops, restaurants,

and hotel rooms. These provide

an insulating blanket around the

Atrium which allows for the very

constant and comfortable

temperature of about 22C and

comfortable humidity (about 40%

or less relative humidity in

March). This is in contrast to

recent World Championship sites

with either cool (8C-10C) or warm

(32C-34C) temperatures and

higher humidity. The heating,

cooling, and ventilation for the

Atrium area is turned off during

contest times and windows and

other openings to the atrium can

be closed off, if needed, making

for good flying conditions.

For the 2018 Indoor World Championships, all of the Atrium floor will be cleared as much as possible

and we plan for the whole floor to be reserved exclusively for the use of the contest during all practice

time and competition rounds. As in previous contests, the heating, cooling and ventilation for the Atrium

area will be turned off. All windows, entrances and other openings will be closed or partitioned as needed

to provide the best flying conditions possible. The domes natural lighting makes it easy to spot and steer

the planes as well as providing excellent lighting for the competitors’ staging and preparation areas.

The West Baden Hotel

West Baden Springs is located in the State of Indiana, USA, about 160 km south of Indianapolis, Indiana,

and about 100 km northwest of Louisville, Kentucky, the two closest airports. The West Baden Springs

Hotel is a luxury resort destination adjacent to French Lick, Indiana. West Baden is less than a half-day’s

journey from most Midwestern cities by car. International contestants can arrive from these airports:

Chicago (5 hours by car),

St. Louis (4),

Cincinnati (3),

Indianapolis (2.5),

Louisville (1.5).

Nearby Amenities and Attractions

include:

• French Lick Casino

• Indoor Water Park

• French Lick Scenic Railway

• Indoor Go Kart Track

• French Lick Winery

• West Baden Springs Hotel Spa

• Indoor Miniature Golf, Lazer Tag,

and Climbing Wall

• Hiking, Horseback Riding

The West Baden Springs and French Lick area also has tournament quality golf courses and is host to

professional golf tournaments. The mid-March weather is usually pleasant with average high

temperatures of 14 C.

Accommodations and Fees

The proposed entry fee for the contest is €300 and includes lunch each day and the banquet. A Banquet

fee of $35 is proposed for non-competitors. A subsidized accommodation fee of €300 for five nights,

double occupancy lodging and meals is also proposed. The total of all competitor fees is €600. The meal

plan is:

- Lunch Buffet (served on site) on practice and competition days (days 2-5), included with entry

- Breakfast on practice and competition days (days 2-5)

- Dinner on arrival, practice, and round 1-4 competition days (days 1-4)

- Banquet dinner on round 5-6 competition day (day 5), included with entry

- A daily credit, using a prepaid debit card, will be provided for breakfast

and dinner in the hotel restaurants

Half of the hotel rooms face the Atrium. Officials will be provided single occupancy rooms and meals as

listed above.

Helium will be provided on site and one balloon fill and top offs are proposed to be included in the entry

fee.

Organizing Committee

for the proposed

2018 FAI F1D World Championships

for Indoor Model Aircraft at West Baden

•James “Bud” Layne

CEO, SpanTech LLC

Financial Sponsor

NFFS Indoor Committee Chair

Organizer USA Indoor National Championship, 2016

•Yuan “Kang” Lee,

2014 F1D Reigning World Champion

Organizer and CD, USA F1D team trials

•Steve Brown,

‘94, ‘96, ‘98 World Champion

Contest Director

•John Kagan,

2000 World Champion

Organizer USA Indoor National Championship, 2007-2015

USA F1D team trails organizer, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013

•Leo Pilachowski,

Local Committee Member, Bloomington, Indiana

•John Lorbiecki,

President NFFS (USA National Free Flight Society)

The above committee has vast

experience in organizing and directing

local contests, national contests, and

USA team selection trial contests in the

USA. Yuan Kang Lee, Steve Brown,

John Kagan, and Leo Pilachowski are

accomplished indoor fliers including

the F1D class. The Academy of Model

Aeronautics has available the necessary

equipment, including the measuring

facilities, to support a World

Championship level contest.

In addition, the West Baden Springs

Hotel staff has a great deal of

experience in supporting major indoor

duration contests in the Atrium as well

as supporting other large events at the hotel. The staff has experience preparing the site for the contest

including, but not limited to, placing plastic film to help prevent hang ups on the central Atrium structure

and using a local sited high lift to retrieve hung planes during off-contest times. All infrastructure needed

to support an Indoor World Championship contest is in place at the hotel. The Organizing Committee has

a signed contract with the Hotel for use of the Atrium and for the necessary accommodations for the

proposed 2018 Indoor World Championships.