SMV Annual Report 2023

In terms of flying, 2023 was a very rewarding year. On countless beautiful days, we were all able to pursue our passion for model flying and share the joy with one another. Thanks to favorable conditions, virtually all internal and external events, public gatherings, and competitions organized by our clubs and the association were able to take place. We live and breathe model flying and actively showcase our activities to the outside world.

From the federation’s perspective, too, we can look back on the past year with pride. In addition to its statutory activities—including the Delegates’ Assembly at the Eastern Switzerland Regional Association in Gossau, SG, and the Presidents’ Conference in Olten—the entire federation organized many successful events and training programs. In the spring, for example, the two major training events in Olten and Mézières attracted a record turnout of well over 100 participants.

The SMV Board functions well and fosters a spirit of camaraderie. At the heart of our volunteer work is the desire to promote model flying in Switzerland, both at the grassroots level and in elite sports. In doing so, we face a wide range of challenges. These are often exacerbated by increasingly dense population, a growing number of regulations regarding nature, land-use planning, and safety, and more. In addition, we are constantly committed to maintaining our membership base. It’s not always easy to set the right priorities here. The good relationships we have with one another, with the AeCS, with our regional associations, and with the clubs help a great deal.

A great result of this collaboration and the impact of our communication efforts is the new Safety Compendium. It has been revised and updated to reflect the latest legal requirements. The Code of Good Practice contained within has served as the foundation for safe flight operations for many years and, since early 2023, has also been the standard accepted by the FOCA. The new Safety Compendium was sent to all club presidents in December, and it will also be used and made available at the SMV training event on February 3, 2024, in Olten.

The SMV website is popular and important. While its primary purpose is internal, it also serves to show the outside world who we are and what we do. It contains important regulations, minutes, checklists, and much more. Our technical committees, clubs, and departments regularly publish interesting news articles and maintain the calendar of events. As part of our focus on “Safety in Daily Flight Operations,” we have now published an article in every issue of our association journal, MFS, for the past two years and posted it on the website in French and Italian on the MFS publication date. To further improve the website’s clarity, our webmaster and our head of communications spent some time brainstorming and launched an update to the layout and navigation in early 2024.

My personal highlights as a board member were the two board meetings where we were guests at local clubs. Every year, we hold two of our five board meetings at local clubs, and before each meeting, we enjoy a few hours of flying together with the club members. This year, we were invited to the MFG Auenstein and the MG Fricktal—both clubs that were able to build their new model airfields with the help of the SMV. That makes flying twice as much fun.

In terms of sports, 2023 was an extremely successful year. Our national teams competed on four continents and secured nine podium finishes—including two world championship titles—at 12 World and European Championships. Heartfelt congratulations to everyone—we’re proud of you.

Last year, for the first time, we made a concerted effort to incorporate mental training at the association level. In model flying, the mind is the decisive factor. The feedback from pilots who participated in the mental training sessions was very positive. We will pursue this topic more intensively in the future.

Our technical committees form the organizational backbone of the sport within the SMV. They do a great job and represent the sport excellently in both national and international classes (FAI/CIAM). The F9 Drones Technical Committee has recently been added. It emerged from the long-standing SMV Drones Working Group, which coordinated FAI drone sports in Switzerland for many years.

Even though model aircraft flying is popular and all of us in the association are doing our very best, we’re barely managing to maintain our membership at around 8,000. Our potential here lies in the estimated 7,000 model aviators who are not yet affiliated with the SMV, as well as all young model aviators. More members would strengthen our activities and improve our visibility. They would also ease our financial burden, as the range of services offered by the entire association isn’t getting any cheaper. More members can also help alleviate the shortage of new talent in our various volunteer positions as well as in the sport itself. We all have a role to play here: our clubs in recruiting new members in their local areas, regional associations, and the SMV board in admitting non-SMV clubs. Let’s be active and open-minded.

We have reached a turning point regarding our association’s finances. During the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to build up our reserves. In 2022, association and sports operations resumed, and by 2023, they had returned to normal levels. As a result, during the reporting year—for the second time since 2019—we had to draw on our reserves to finance our expanding range of services. Our treasurer already explained the situation at the 2023 Delegates’ Assembly. Subsequently, several scenarios were developed. We still have sufficient reserves, but it’s just like at home: if there isn’t enough, you either spend less or bring in more. Our plan is, as a first step, to stabilize the reserves by raising membership dues, and as a second step, to secure our finances in the long term through a wide range of cost-saving measures and new sources of funding (sponsorships/subsidies). The discussion regarding a membership fee increase of CHF 10.00 starting in 2025 continued at the Presidents’ Conference; delegates will vote on the matter at the Delegates’ Assembly in March.

On behalf of the Model Aviation Association, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who is committed to model aviation in Switzerland. We need everyone—both in front of and behind the scenes—as well as strong partners. Together, we can achieve almost anything, while ensuring and enhancing our enjoyment of model aviation. With this annual report and the Delegates’ Assembly on March 9, 2024, in Payerne, VD, we are bringing the 2023 association year to a close. Everyone is already looking forward to the new flying season with many wonderful experiences.

Adrian Eggenberger