Twelve cheerful teens at the MG Wangen 2019 Vacation Pass event

The course filled up quickly, and we had to tell the students on the waiting list to come back next year. In the shop at the Wangen school building—which the municipality provided to us free of charge—we were able to build our airplane with twelve students. Unfortunately, very few girls are interested in this course; this year, all the participants were boys.

We once again purchased the tried-and-true “Aero-Falke” model kit. On the first day, we cut, sanded, and glued. For most students, this was their first time working with a blueprint or a parts list, and their first time working with balsa wood and a utility knife. A wide range of skills was required for the assembly.

Using a small Depron model provided by the SMV, everyone was able to discover how important it is to adjust the center of gravity. Of course, the various parts of an airplane, the different control surfaces, and their functions were also covered. By the afternoon, the glider had already been painted and adjusted, the decorations applied, and it was coated with pore filler.

On the second day, the entire group was at the airfield. There, the airplanes were first flown cautiously, and final adjustments were made. The students gained their first experience with properly launching into the wind and already carried out their first minor repairs.

Soon after, the first attempts at high-launch using a rubber cord followed. The gliders flew so beautifully that some realized that free flight does, after all, have something to do with sports. The highlight was a small competition in which flight times were timed. Not just the top three—all participants received a medal as a reward.

After a barbecue lunch, everyone got to fly a remote-controlled glider for a few minutes in a teacher-student pairing. Everyone participated with enthusiasm, since many of them are already familiar with operating a remote-controlled car or a quadcopter.

The beautiful weather and light breeze, a great team, and twelve interested and enthusiastic boys all contributed to the success of the two days. ■

*MG Wangen
Youth Program: Toni Käser, text;
Jürg Beyeler, photos*