Since the age of nine, Croatia's Marko Damjanović has been quietly working his way to the top in F3K Model Gliding competitions. Through his persistence, dedication, and attitude toward learning from his mistakes, he became Junior World Champion at the 2019 FAI F3K World Championship for Model Gliders in Hungary. Since then, he has been continuously training to sharpen his skills, and this summer he soared to the highest step of the podium at the 2025 FAI F3K World Championships for Model Gliders in Tarp, Germany.

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This humble but determined pilot kindly took some time to share an insight into his story in aeromodelling and the mindset that helped him accomplish the ultimate goal: World Champion.

Interview with Marko Damjanović 

What first inspired you to get into aeromodelling, and when did you realise it could become more than just a hobby?
Nothing exactly inspired me, just love. I live near a small sports airfield and I went there as a kid. I was always obsessed with radio control stuff, but there was always something special about “flying objects”. I started flying models when I was around nine years old. About five years later I tried flying a Discus Launch Glider (DLG) and two years later I was at a World Championships in Ukraine. I didn’t realise when it became more than a hobby, I was just enjoying it.

Winning a World Championship is a huge achievement — what does this title mean to you personally, and for your country as your team also won first place?
Yes, it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s over. There is still a lot of space for learning, gaining flying skills and getting results. The team is very happy and proud, we did a great job together. We are all close to each other in the team because we are all friends, that’s what makes this achievement so special for us.

F3K Team Croatia (centre) 2025 F3K Team World Champions in Tarp, Germany

You also won the F3K World Champion title as a Junior.  How do the two events compare?
That was five years ago. I was younger, less experienced and lot of things changed in five years so it is difficult to compare this to more recent events. I can only say that’s nice feeling having junior and senior World Champion title.

Damjanović (centre) as FAI Junior World Champion in F3K in Hungary, 2019

What does your typical training or preparation routine look like before a major competition?
Just going to the field and flying. The rest of preparation is secret!

F3K class demands both physical and piloting skills — how do you train for these two aspects?
Still a secret ;-)

What are the most common challenges or disappointments pilots face during competitions, and how do you overcome them?
I think that disappointments are temporary. Every pilot has bad days and gets disappointing results, but there is always something you can learn from that. 

What advice would you give to young enthusiasts who dream of competing at the highest level in aeromodelling?
Just don’t give up. Don’t let technology as phones and games separate you from aeromodelling. You can learn a lot of things doing this hobby and also meet people over all world. One day you will be grateful to this person who introduced you to this hobby.

How do you see the future of aeromodelling evolving — with technology, sustainability, or growing popularity — and where do you see yourself in it?
Not sure what’s going to happen, but I just hope that popularity will grow and also hope that aeromodelling competitions will stay the same as today to show raw pilots skills, not just the technology. This will ensure that the best pilot wins, not whoever has the best technology.

Damjanović (foreground) during the FAI F3K World Championship for Model Gliders in 2025. Credit: Antonis Papadopoulos

Image credit: Izabela Crawczyk unless otherwise stated