Historical Flying Club

Dear friends of historical aviation,

the Historical Flying Club in Mladá Boleslav is finally taking off! We are pleased to inform you that this club of friends of historical aviation has now been officially incorporated.

Aviation has a long tradition in the Czech Republic and in Mladá Boleslav. As early as at the beginning of the 20th century, Ing. Otto Hieronymus, then chief designer of Laurin & Klement Company, later taken over by ŠKODA, carried out initial test flights in Mladá Boleslav. This involved assembling the Austro-Hungarian monarchy's first aircraft engine and installing it into a French-made Blériot plane.

Other personalities of Czech aviation, such as Ing. Jan Kašpar and Eugen Čihák, also took off and landed in our city. As the world watched in fascination, the pioneers of aviation vied with each other to build ever faster motorised aeroplanes. Exactly 100 years ago - in 1912 - Metoděj Vlach won the prize of excellence at the Central Bohemian regional fair in Mladá Boleslav for flying Bohemia's first functional airplane. It was powered by a 28-kilowatt automobile engine from Laurin & Klement.

Another aeronautics milestone in our city was the establishment in 1924 of the Industry School, which also taught aircraft design. The famous aerobatics team with their daring performance on a Russian-built Yakovlev Yak C11 ranks among local aviation's highlights.

A foundation fund has been active at Hejtmánka airfield since 2002, building replicas of Metoděj Vlach's famous airplane and organising historical aviation exhibitions to keep alive the memory of European aeronautics' exciting founding years. Activities have been very successful. So far, nine replicas have been built including one of a 1917 French-built Nieuport 12. Two other planes are currently under construction. One gem of aviation history would certainly be a 1931 German-built Klemm 25, a cantilevered low-wing monoplane that required only about half the engine power of comparable biplanes.

Today, the airfield is very active, with Aeroclub Mladá Boleslav's planes, the foundation's replicas of Metoděj Vlach's planes as well as private owners' planes and helicopters taking off and landing regularly. In addition, tandem parachute jumps are also available.

The Historical Flying Club's activities include the following:

• organisation of exhibitions and information sessions on aviation subjects
• organisation of historic flight days in cooperation with Aeroclub Mladá Boleslav and the Metoděj Vlach Airplane Foundation
• financial assistance for construction, operation and exhibition of replicas of historic airplanes.

Besides members' meetings, information sessions are to take place at regular intervals. Topics might include aeronautics technology workshops or a look behind the scenes at the restoration shop.

The 9th historical air show is planned as a highlight for mid-2012. Visitors can look forward to the Flying Bulls, a Junkers Ju 52 and historic originals supplied by the German Historic Flight Association.

MEMBERSHIP

Yearly membership fee: gold (12,500 CZK), silver (6,500 CZK), bronze (2,500 CZK), corporate membership (from 25,000 CZK)

• Promotion of historical aviation in Mladá Boleslav
• Support for reconstructing, repairing and exhibiting historic airplanes
• Free admission to the aviation museum
• Free sightseeing flights depending on membership status
• Behind-the-scenes admission in restoration
• Invitation to lectures and talks on aviation