Vintage Day in Vullierens

Following the success of the 2019 event in Yverdon-les-Bains, it was decided to rotate the event among clubs. Thus, the second edition of Vintage Day took place on August 29 in Vullierens on the CAM des Frelons track.

Despite dire weather forecasts and a persistent virus, the event managed to avoid the worst of the weather. The infrastructure required for such an event is no small feat, and one might have feared the worst. The organizers remained optimistic, while some potential modelers and spectators were clearly a bit less so; but under overcast skies, the rain and wind stayed away, and the loyal fans turned out in force. A concerted effort was also made to comply with current social distancing guidelines. A Vintage Day is seen as a gathering of model-making enthusiasts with a strong sense of nostalgia. But the real reason for such a day is, above all, to (re)create a friendly atmosphere where people can fly without stressing out and without necessarily showing off the entire arsenal of sophisticated technology featured at other events: just good times among old friends!

Unlike “foam” models, wood and balsa are characteristic of models considered vintage, even though molded models had already appeared in the 1980s. A symbol of the past was our famous “frequency tweezers,” which had fallen into obscurity and were handed out to everyone as a memento.

Many of the models on display sparked reactions and comments that brought to mind the models many of us built when we first started out. We can also confirm that the smell of methanol is enough to bring back memories!

Thank you to Alain Fontana and Richard Velen, as well as their team, for organizing this event. The next edition will take place in the Geneva area. We’re already looking forward to it.

More photos: <https://lesfrelons.ch/><https://lesfrelons.ch/manifestations>

Thierry Ruef

We’re ready to get started. We can also confirm that the smell of methanol can really bring back memories!

Thank you to Alain Fontana and Richard Velen, as well as their team, for organizing this event. The next edition will take place in the Geneva area. We’re already looking forward to it.

More photos: <https://lesfrelons.ch/><https://lesfrelons.ch/manifestations>

Thierry Ruef