Flying Indoor in Prangins

Video games were the theme of this 6th edition of “Flying Indoor” in Prangins, organized by GAM La Côte.

The Morettes community center in Prangins provided excellent facilities to host an event open to the general public: a gym for indoor flight demonstrations, a room reserved for drones, an exhibition area showcasing beautiful models, and a well-attended cafeteria—not to mention a merchandise stand where everyone could pick up a souvenir of the event.

The morning program was reserved exclusively for pilots as a free-flight area, while the program for the public took place in the afternoon. It alternated between fast-paced pylon races, demonstrations of various models such as vertical takeoff aircraft, 3D helicopters, aerobatic models, and an F3P demonstration with Sylvain Pasini and the latest version of his “Wash” (http://sylvain.famillepasini.ch). This model, specifically designed for slow and aerobatic flight, now weighs less than 45 g with its two counter-rotating propellers. It is built by Sylvain, who molds the carbon fiber structure himself. Thus, the fuselage’s slender shape is created using a mold!

The video game theme featured Super Mario as a guest star. Turtle shells were also made available to the public—especially children—so they could throw them at the models during the races (if you don’t understand why, it’s because you’ve never played the game or you don’t have kids). It has been confirmed that no turtles were injured, had limbs amputated, or were killed to satisfy the frenzied spectators. Thank goodness the organizer didn’t think of using banana peels!

A lot of publicity was generated for the event. It’s worth noting that an event like this requires a great deal of work in advance to secure the necessary funding and attract a family-friendly audience, but it’s great publicity for model building. Modelers were treated to a raclette dinner featuring a comedy show and night flights. Let’s not forget to thank Gam La Côte and all the volunteers for organizing these events. See you next year.