With patience and hard work: The Rapperswil-Jona Model Aircraft Club celebrates its new airfield.

At least six to seven years have passed since the MG Rapperswil-Jona fully committed to the “Ennet A53” project. On June 16, 2024, the big day finally arrived, and President Martin Lüthi was able to officially open the beautifully completed project in front of his members and a large number of guests. This is further proof that airfield permits must be processed through municipalities and cantons, and that model aviation regions play an important role in coordination and support. National bodies

such as SMV and AeCS can, at most, play a supplementary role. Apparently, some groups and regions have not yet understood this, and their calls to “higher authorities” are reminiscent of helpless cantons crying out to the federal government. Building permit applications outside of designated building zones are always approved by the cantons—the municipalities serve as the point of contact. In this case as well, a wide variety of agencies and individuals were involved in the individual project phases: Evaluation: The Institute for Spatial Development at the University of Applied Sciences East in Rapperswil.

Office for Spatial Development and Geoinformation of the Canton of St. Gallen.
Lease Agreement: Real Estate

The MG was responsible for conducting discussions with adjacent property owners and neighbors. This is very important!

Canton of St. Gallen, Jucker Agricultural Consulting, Pfäffikon.
Contact: Discussions with adjacent property owners and neighbors had to be conducted by the MG. Very important!

By the way: This is the second approved model airfield in the NOS region after the Dietikon-Spreitenbach MG. Here, too, the implementation phases were handled by the canton—in this case, Aargau—while the group carried out the extensive preparations in collaboration with the NOS. ■

GZ