What is F3K?
F3K is an FAI class for Discus Launch Glider competitions—small, lightweight, hand-launched sailplanes about 1.5 meters in span.
The launch
Pilots launch their gliders by spinning like a discus thrower, reaching 150–250 feet in altitude. In e-F3K, a motor provides the launch to a set height.
A variety of flight tasks
Competition rounds contain one or more flight tasks within a limited working time—such as completing several 2-minute flights or progressively longer ladder flights within the round.
Quick turnarounds. Small thermals.
Success depends on precision, quick turnarounds—catching and re-launching—and the ability to find and center tiny, low-level thermals. It is an active form of soaring, with a variety of tasks in each event.