AéRo Presidents' Day at GAM La Côte

On May 5, about fifteen club presidents accepted the invitation to the GAM La Côte grounds. Everyone gathered around the table in the club’s charming little cabin to enjoy a delicious roast and piping-hot gratin dauphinois, momentarily forgetting the day’s exceptionally cold and windy weather.

Clubs in the French-speaking part of Switzerland certainly face the same challenges as their counterparts in German-speaking Switzerland or Ticino. Many clubs struggle with the difficulty of retaining their land. The siloed nature of municipal, cantonal, and federal administrative structures means that these authorities do not communicate with one another. This results in restrictions or bans imposed by one authority, even though all the others support the clubs and maintain very constructive relationships with them. What approach should be taken? The discussion was lively!

The survival of field sheds was another topic of discussion, as we’ve noticed that while municipalities tolerate our sheds, they’re increasingly asking us to bring them into compliance. This leads to misunderstandings, as these sheds are not new to the landscape, and this situation can put us through a grueling ordeal. It seems that a shed belonging to a hornuss club faces less opposition than one belonging to a model-building club.

I’ll naturally skip over the more varied—and, thankfully, uplifting—topics.

It is therefore very beneficial to be able to share our various experiences—both good and bad—so that we can avoid repeating mistakes and make the right choices. A strong and active region helps us rise to these challenges.

Although the wind and temperature weren’t ideal for flying, the die-hards took to the air anyway, and informal conversations continued throughout the day. Our thanks to the organizers of GAM La Côte for putting together this event, for their warm welcome, and for the excellent lunch.

Thierry Ruef