MG Buttikon Summer Activity Pass

As their first activity, the children built their own small gliders under supervision, which they then used to compete in a contest. Bruno Haas gave the models a new look by laser-engraving the logos of MG Buttikon and the March Vacation Pass onto the wings.

The flight simulator is always a hit, since the kids usually get to “let off some steam”—it’s rarely the goal to fly a model calmly or even land it, and crashes are often deliberately accepted. But there are also some talented kids there who already have some experience and take the whole thing a bit more seriously.

Using three teacher-student systems, the children were able to fly real model airplanes with the help of members of the MG Buttikon club. While a few talented kids stood out, it was still a bit too challenging for most of them.

After lunch, courtesy of MG Buttikon, we continued with our program.

In between, members of the MG Buttikon club demonstrated several model airplanes. Among others, world champion Thomas Wäckerlin flew his F5B high-speed glider and an L39 Albatros jet with an impeller-driven motor.

After a few test flights, the competition began: Which model would fly the farthest? The winner’s model glided over 25 meters. All the children received prizes donated by HEBU GmbH and private individuals. We ended the day with a group photo of all the children and volunteers.

We wrapped up the wonderful day. When the children were picked up by their parents, we saw their enthusiastic reactions—they had so much to share—and that’s the reward for all of us. Some parents then asked what it takes to join the club. The 18 copies of *Modellflugsport* we brought along were quickly snapped up.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the ten colleagues from MG Buttikon who took the day off to help out.

Our time spent on the “Ferienpass” program is time well spent.

We’re looking for good ideas. Maybe we could put our logo or a QR code on our gliders that links to our club’s website, or hand out a small flyer about our club. The important thing is that we can attract parents and children back to the model airplane field.