Muammar al-Gaddafi and Us Model Aircraft Enthusiasts

Dear Reader

So here comes a guy from the desert who wants to tear Switzerland apart. That’s really well-intentioned of him. It seems Gaddafi’s wisdom of age is really coming through. His spoiled little son Hannibal, on the other hand, is a bit less diplomatic: “If I had a nuclear bomb, I’d wipe Switzerland off the map,” was one of his “remarkable” statements. For us model airplane enthusiasts, the idea of annexing individual parts of the country to Germany, France, and Italy is an interesting one. It’s a shame that the great camel driver forgot about Austria—the MMD effect. As a paying member of the Northeast Switzerland Regional Association, I would prefer annexation to that country. Things get a bit tricky for our Aero Club: Located centrally in Central Switzerland, it could shift a few kilometers and, so to speak, choose between the cultures. After all, splitting up the central secretariat wouldn’t be possible at all given the already almost microscopically small office space. The Air Force could choose between Payerne,

Magadino, or Meiringen. I would recommend Payerne because I support the Rafale—Sweden, unfortunately, is not a neighboring country—and oppose the far too expensive Eurofighter. But perhaps—if political trends continue as they are—they would be satisfied with just a few old Fiat G.91s. Magadino would be absolutely ideal for them. In Kloten, on the other hand, approach flights would in any case take place over Swiss territory, which should lead to a reduction in tension. Even our “Swiss marines”—trained in Hamburg, where else—would no longer have to expose themselves to ridicule.

Back to Lake Lucerne: We model aircraft enthusiasts would have to think very carefully about where we would affiliate our Aero Club. To do this, a rigorous benchmark is essential. What do the umbrella aviation organizations do for their model aviators? Does a substantial portion of the membership dues flow back to them, as is the case with the AeCS? What services could we expect?

What about the ability of model aviators to influence the federation’s policies? Number of votes, the ratio of model aviators to other aviators in the central governing bodies, legal advice on construction and planning issues, professional public relations, website management and support, and financial support for the sport—particularly for the national teams. Which Aero Clubs have a joint flight and training center for all disciplines, such as the Spitzerberg of the Austrian Aero Club? etc.

Even if the UN won’t approve Gaddafi’s agenda, a comparison of the services provided by aero clubs to their model aircraft pilots—even just in Western Europe—would be a wonderful task for the FAI. However, this organization isn’t exactly known for bold initiatives.

Sincerely,
Emil Ch. Giezendanner