With her little nose pointing upward...

The celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the Lugano Model Aircraft Group, held on Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18, 2006, along the Paradiso lakefront, was a huge success with the public. To celebrate the anniversary, GAL members organized an international model boat competition, which drew some thirty pilots from Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.

Thanks to the extraordinary cooperation of the municipal authorities in Paradiso, who made available to the Group both the beautiful setting of the public park and numerous amenities such as tables and grills, the event was able to get off to a smooth start on Saturday morning. After a brief briefing, the pilots—all accomplished and experienced radio-controlled model boat enthusiasts—demonstrated the technical and manual skills required to operate their radio-controlled seaplanes in an urban setting, densely populated both on land and in the water: thanks to their discipline, the event was able to proceed without incident and with full respect for the environment.

The side events were also a great success, especially the construction of mini balsa gliders—kindly provided by the Swiss Model Aircraft Federation (FSAM)—which was dedicated to the youngest participants: thanks to the dedication of numerous members, it was possible to build as many as 200 gliders, bringing a sparkle to the eyes of many children (and not only them...).

A special thank you is also due to all the volunteers whose dedication made the entire event possible. Since the 1930s, Lake Ceresio has served as a natural testing ground for the pioneers of model aircraft flying in Ticino: the vast expanse of water lent itself well to experimentation, and Lugano soon became the venue for numerous events and competitions at the regional, national, and international levels. Today, seventy years later, the members of GAL continue to nurture the same passion for hydro-model racing, having organized an international competition without interruption for over 40 years—held annually on the second weekend of September—and participating in gatherings and competitions in Switzerland and abroad.

The Lugano Model Aircraft Group can look back on a history rich in activities and successes, not only in the competitive arena. Looking to the present and the future, the group, chaired by Daniele Daldini, hopes to find a lasting solution to the problem of the flying field: in fact, since 2004, the GAL has no longer had its own land, which has hindered the activities of its members and, in particular, its growing number of young members.

*Fabrizio Albonico, http://www.gal.ch*