60 Years of the Breitenbach Model Aircraft Club

It was on January 22, 1959, when eight young men gathered with their future president, Walter Felix, in the smoke-filled back room of the “Fuchs” inn in Breitenbach to found the Breitenbach Model Aircraft Club. Just one week later, the AeCS was notified of the founding of a new model aircraft club with 13 members. It was the beginning of a success story.

Back then, model flying was called “free flight.” The eight young model flyers from Breitenbach had learned this sport as members of the MG Laufen club before founding their own club.

Sundays were always training days at Wahlenfeld. Naturally, everyone showed up dressed in their Sunday best. They rode their bikes to smaller regional competitions and soon also to major events in Pruntrut and at Birrfeld.

In 1965, the first model-building workshop was held with high school students. It was an instant success. Countless more model-building workshops with students of all grades would follow in the decades to come.

The energy within the new model aircraft club was tremendous.

Consequently, progress came in rapid succession: In 1966, the first Swiss team cup in free flight was organized. Twenty-seven club teams, each with three participants,

made for a spectacular debut. This competition was subsequently held 34 times before it was discontinued in 1999 due to a lack of sufficient participants.

Remote controls were still a long way off in the early days of model aviation. But soon the first internal-combustion engines appeared, and tethered-flight model kits became available on the market. This inspired young model aviators to build tethered-flight models and begin test flights. Most of the time, it was limited to a few laps on the playground of the Breitenbach school. Afterward, it was back to repairs. During these Sunday test flights in the middle of the residential area, interested spectators would always be on hand and thoroughly enjoyed the rattling engines. Absolutely unthinkable today.

“Hooked” on tethered flight, three Breitenbach residents traveled to Salzburg in 1967 to watch an international competition there. And that’s when the spark really ignited. However, something on the scale of the magnificent RC and tethered-flight facility at Kraiwiesen/Salzburg was beyond the young club’s means. But a simpler tethered-flight strip should still be possible to set up. A beautiful spot in the “Schwalben-nest” in Büsserach was found—and with a great deal of tact, the property owner was convinced that a

A tethered flight strip was of great importance for the future of the local youth. In the spring of 1968, the construction project was submitted to the municipality of Büsserach, which forwarded it to the canton of Solothurn—the “Schwalbennest” is located

in the Jura protected area—and shortly thereafter, the canton granted the building permit. Those were the days...!

Construction began immediately. Although the Breitenbach Model Aircraft Club had no money, it did have good connections to wealthy patrons. The Swiss Isola-Werke in Breitenbach covered a large portion of the costs, and a local construction company paved the runway for half price. In the end, the club was left with a remaining debt of 5,000 Swiss francs. The facility was completed in the fall of 1970, and in the early

It was inaugurated in 1971. A friendly competition drew numerous participants from all over Europe, and well over 1,000 spectators lined the runway. Admission: 5 Swiss francs. This paid off the remaining debt!

Buoyed by the euphoria of this success, it was decided to organize an international tethered flight competition and to hold it as an FAI World Cup. The event took place on September 1–2, 1973. In beautiful weather, over 80 participants from 12 nations competed for medals and trophies. The Jura Cup was launched. However, since the effort required of the club was considerable, it was decided to hold this event only every two years. And so, from 1973 to the present day, this international competition has taken place every two years. It is one of the most prestigious tethered flight competitions in Europe.

Gradually, the tethered flight field was expanded and a clubhouse was built. After a few years,

the “Schwalbennest” property (70 aren) was purchased from the Breitenbach Model Flying Group.

As early as the beginning of the 1970s, members of the Breitenbach Model Aircraft Club were experimenting with the newly emerging remote-controlled models. These were flown in a field between Wahlen and Laufen. Gradually, however, the desire for the club’s own RC airfield began to take hold. The search began. Projects in the municipalities of Brislach and Breitenbach failed to pass votes in their respective municipal assemblies. In 1981, the club finally found what it was looking for. The farmer who owned the “Erlen” farm leased us a suitable piece of land within the municipal boundaries

Zwingen. The model flying club was later able to purchase this land. The runway was quickly covered with a paper screen, and RC flying on their own runway could begin.

In the years that followed, repeated attempts were made to obtain a building permit for a paved runway. Access to the airfield also posed problems, as there was a general driving ban in that area. After three years of negotiations, an agreement was reached with the municipality of Laufen regarding access—

was finalized. However, it required the mediation of the Federal Office of Transportation as the final appeals authority. We took the bold step of appealing to the Federal Council at the time—and it paid off. Cost: 50 rappen for a stamp.

In 1991, we tried again regarding the paved runway by submitting a “minor building permit application” to the Laufen municipal office. What a surprise: the building permit arrived in no time! Since the early 1990s, various RC competitions have been held annually at our beautiful “Erlen” airfield. Of particular note is the F3A Challenge Cup, which has been organized for decades by our member, Felix Andres.

The rezoning of the airfield from an agricultural zone to a special zone for model aircraft has still not been finalized. But there is reason for hope. The matter has so far passed all lower-level authorities successfully and is now awaiting a final decision from the Canton of Baselland.

The two airfields, “Schwalbennest” and “Erlen,” have cost the club a lot of money to date

. However, most of this was recouped through the club’s own events. Since 1979, four major model aircraft exhibitions have been held in

Breitenbach and four model aircraft shows were held at the Dittingen Gliding Club’s airfield. The tireless efforts of our members have paid off. Today, the Breitenbach Model Aircraft Club has a first-rate infrastructure and not a single franc of debt.

When the club was founded, the municipality of Breitenbach provided the fledgling club with a large basement room in the school building free of charge. For the next 50 years, this space served as a well-equipped workshop for the Breitenbach model aircraft enthusiasts. When the school later announced that it needed the space for its own use, the municipality generously helped in the search for a new location. An ideal spot was found in the former Breitenbach hospital. With some effort, the new workshop was set up there.

The Breitenbach model airplane club has not only organized countless competitions over the decades, but has also participated in countless competitions and championships both at home and abroad. In doing so, they have consistently achieved top results in various categories. Over the years, the club has celebrated several Swiss champions and even two world champions.

One highlight in the history of the Breitenbach Model Aircraft Club must not go unmentioned here

remain. In 1994, the club received the FAI’s “Diplôme d’Honneur” for its overall contributions—a great honor for a model aircraft club! The certificate now hangs in the new clubhouse and

viewers to keep up their efforts in promoting model aviation. Now, the first 60 years of the Breitenbach Model Flying Club are history. What began with eight young men

has since grown into a proud club with over 100 members. In the meantime, new generations have taken the reins and are leading the club into the future. Let’s hope that the

club’s success story—even amid changing social norms—will continue in the spirit of its “founders”!

Heiner Borer