10th Social Gathering for Electric Jets and Electric Model Airplanes in Huttwil

Despite countless competing events over the weekend of August 22–23, the 10th Electric Model Aircraft Meet in Huttwil drew a large crowd. Sixty-nine pilots with 159 models took part in the anniversary event.

Launched by Peter Kohler in 1999 and organized together with group members, the meet has since become a fixture on the calendar for electric model aircraft pilots. The weather gods were kind to the organizers. At this meet, the focus is on casual flying and talking shop among like-minded enthusiasts. The models displayed to the many spectators represented an excellent cross-section of the world of electric aviation. The increasingly popular electric jets were well represented on Saturday, while on Sunday the field of participants was a bit more diverse. Also striking were the many

Cars with foreign license plates. Word has apparently gotten around that it’s worth attending the event in Huttwil. All flight demonstrations were narrated by the field announcers. This provided the large crowd of visitors with valuable information about the pilots and their models. Since it was a 10th-anniversary celebration, a 30-minute nostalgia segment was included on both days. During this time, some pilots demonstrated their “oldies but goldies.” This was a great idea by the organizers, as it allowed visitors to get a sense of the rapid development in electric aviation over the past ten or more years. The traditional Fondeussen at Gruebli on Saturday evening drew a huge crowd, and the night flying, accompanied by fireworks, was a spectacular show. After 10 years as the lead organizer within MG Huttwil, Peter Kohler stepped down from his position. Under the two new CEOs, Peter Blank and Tom Wulf, the event will continue next year in the same format. We’re already looking forward to it again. *Beat Eichenberger*