An Idea Takes Off

Presumably influenced by the ’68 movement, we didn’t want to be dependent on the business sector to finance MFS without advertisements, nor did we want to ask the aviation “establishment”—AeCS or the Pro Aero Foundation—for support. Moreover, with its consistent focus as an “international trade journal for all branches of aviation,” AeroRevue had long since ceased to meet even the most basic information needs of us model aviators.

When I think of the tremendous dedication of our countless authors and contributors—and how I have to fight for enough space with every issue—I am convinced that many of our model aviators have remained true to that idealism.

Given the current quality and size of our publication, we, too, cannot do without advertisements, which cover a significant portion of our production costs. Good advertisements can also provide us with important information. If we relied solely on membership dues, we would have to scale back our operations—though that would still be preferable to being dictated to by insatiable commercial greed. Despite all the past adversities: the idea of having our own model aviation magazine has prevailed. The Swiss Model Aviation Association, founded much later, seized the opportunity early on to use *Modell Flugsport* as its official magazine, and the *Modell Flugsport* Foundation knows how to navigate the tension between economic viability and idealism on the one hand, and the association’s interests and freedom of expression on the other. The idea of a magazine by model aviators for model aviators lives on and—unlike short-term greed for profit—will continue to take flight time and again in the future. I thank all of you who contribute to this.

With best regards and best wishes for the New Year 2011.

Your Editor
, Emil Ch. Giezendanner