Dynamism Instead of Low-Key Operation

Our varied and interesting involvement with model airplanes allowed us to find positive aspects time and again, even during the difficult year of 2020 marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s certainly encouraging. For many of our club members, the importance of friendship and cooperation has also grown.

Last winter, the planned indoor flying sessions were still able to take place freely and without interference. But then the lockdown began in mid-March. As a result, most well-known model airfields remained closed. Many model aviation enthusiasts used this time to carry out long-overdue repairs. Others turned their attention to new projects with great enthusiasm. Designing and building helped them get through those trying times—and how! Suppliers, specialty retailers, and service providers of all kinds often reached the limits of their capacity. Let’s not forget that some of our friends were affected by reduced work hours, had to work from home, or even feared for their jobs.

In April, the Federal Council gradually lifted the “lockdown.” Model airfields were allowed to resume operations on a limited basis. Many groups organized themselves exceptionally well. Tools like WhatsApp, Doodle, and others were used to limit the maximum number of participants. I’d like to thank everyone for their great discipline. Despite numerous relaxations of restrictions, a large number of wonderful and interesting events in our region were canceled or postponed. Let’s hope that these can be rescheduled or held for the first time next year. In the NOS region, we tried to salvage what we could: In electric flight, the International F5B at MG Flaachthal, the Sportflyers competition at MG Uster, and the Regional F5J at MG Illnau-Effretikon were successfully held. Canceling our traditional symposium at the Technorama in Winterthur was by no means an easy decision for me—especially since we already had several interesting topics lined up, along with speakers. The alternative scale model exhibition and the COVID-19 exhibition at the Dübendorf Aviation Museum helped us get through it all, with over 30 models on display and a large turnout of industry professionals and families. The beautiful videos by Markus Nussbaumer were a wonderful addition to the event.