Franz Keller Steps Down as President of the Linth Model Aircraft Club After 45 Years!

One year after the Lachen Model Aircraft Club (now Linth) was founded in 1964, Franz became a member of our club. Franz often rode his bike with a trailer from Schmerikon to Lachen to build models with his colleagues in the secondary school’s workshop and then fly them. With that 26-kilometer round trip, he was truly practicing model aviation as a sport. In 1979, Franz took on the role of president in our club. Together with his fellow board members, he guided the MGL’s fortunes for 45 years with great tact and assertiveness, always voicing his opinions. The name change from MG Lachen to MG Linth to better reflect the region’s identity, the construction of the runway with a launch pad in Tuggen, the hosting of regional competitions in free flight and scale flying, withdrawal from the Aero Club in 2006 and re-entry in 2022 following positive changes within the Aero Club and the SMV, as well as the organization of several model aircraft exhibitions, etc.—these are milestones in which Franz played a key role. Of course, during his time as president, Franz was also an active model aviator and always sought out challenges in takeoff, landing, and at high altitudes.

After 45 years, Franz handed over the presidency to Christoph Mächler at the 2025 General Meeting. Christoph is not only a popular figure in our club but also a

He is not only a helpful person, but also enjoys a good reputation in wide gliding circles as a well-known designer and excellent pilot. Franz, now free from the pressure of competition, is (hopefully) devoting more time to model flying. With his friendly and humorous manner, he always brings great joy to us colleagues, and we enjoy flying with him at our airfield.