Ke Huan-chun (柯奐辰), 20, on Monday returned home following his victory in the FAI F3N model helicopter free-style flying world championship, in Wloclawek, Poland.
Ke’s victory caused a stir among model plane hobbyists on Facebook, as the top three prizes for the competition had always been won by European or US competitors.
Ke was welcomed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
The competition was close, as Ke lost several points to control issues caused by bad weather and mechanical problems, which saw him stuck with zero points on the first day, Ke said.
However, he prevailed after seven days of intense competition with world-class flyers by keeping a cool head and entered the final round with a perfect score, he said.
Experiencing no issues controlling his model aircraft in the final round, he managed to claim the top prize and become the first Asian champion of model flying in that category, Ke said.
Ke said he started flying model helicopters at with his father, who is a model helicopter enthusiast; he began competing at the age of nine.
High-speed rolls, flying close to the ground upside down and performing aerial acrobatics on music are his specialty, and his performances are theatrical, hobbyists said.
Ke’s performances have won him the moniker of “Little Prodigy” and adoration from fans after each event, they said.
Ke thanked his family, Align Corp, which is his sponsor, and Chiang, and called on the government to provide better venues for competitive model flyers to practice.
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