Letter to the Editor – Flies on the Grosse Scheidegg

Flying at the Grosse Scheidegg

Your report in Modellflugsport No. 5/2020

Dear fellow model aviators

For over 30 years, I have been flying my glider models on the Grosse Scheidegg time and again, and I am aware that a wildlife protection zone has existed on the eastern side of the pass for many years. Since 2018, the legal framework and its provisions have been tightened, clarified, and redefined. Among other things, flying remote-controlled drones and glider models is now prohibited in this zone. A large colorful poster on the wall of the mountain lodge serves as a reminder. The regulations leave no room for doubt—flying is no longer permitted on the eastern side of the pass, under penalty of hefty fines. Apparently,

Once again, model airplane enthusiasts—who are unfamiliar with the scene—are being lumped together with drones.

But… it really is astonishing! The mountain pass road is used by bicycles, motorcycles, and cars, and there are hikers everywhere, with and without dogs. Snowshoeing and ski touring are also permitted there in the winter. You can see paragliders, private and military airplanes, and helicopters frequently flying back and forth over the pass, and even an Air Force F/A-18 fighter-bomber flew over the pass three times at extremely low altitude. The military firing range for fighter jets on the Axalp is also located in this zone. All of this is apparently

What is allowed in this so-called wildlife protection zone? Only flying silent glider model airplanes is prohibited.

I’m speechless… and I wonder: What about proportionality? They’re using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. This borders on schizophrenia, and nobody understands it anymore!

The Grosse Scheidegg is a unique and beautiful flying area for gliders. The mighty Wetterhorn and the other three- and four-thousand-meter peaks form a stunning backdrop. When there’s an easterly wind, you simply have to fly on the east side—and that’s often the case. But now that’s prohibited. The model-aircraft flying area lies exactly on the border between the protected zone and the open zone. The wind direction alone determines

“Flying allowed” or “Flying prohibited.”

It looks like yet another beautiful Alpine flying site is about to be lost to model aviators. What a shame! On top of that, every year a significant number of model aviators stay at the mountain lodge as guests and dine at the restaurant. The family that runs the lodge will not be happy to see the model aviators go.

Perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope if the Swiss Model Aviation Association and the Aeroclub were to advocate for the model aviators in this matter and might still be able to salvage the situation. As the saying goes, hope dies last.

Sincerely,
Walter Henseler