Slopesoaring

Deep Roots

Among aeromodellers of a certain level, Leonardo Da Vinci must certainly be mentioned. His projects are displayed everywhere, and we are sure he created something in wood; perhaps he even made it fly. If he had given the French an aeromodel instead of the Mona Lisa, there would be a queue at the Louvre to admire it—unfortunately. Other illustrious modellers include Ayrton Senna, who was really involved with combustion-powered aeromodels, David Bowie, and many others.

Returning to us, on the Alpe Cimbra, aeromodelling has deep roots. In the 1950s, free flight championships were held, as documented by the Istituto Luce video present here. "Free flight" means that the aircraft were not radio-controlled and flew freely using thermal currents. The models were handcrafted, and once made to soar, their goal was to glide as slowly as possible. The aeromodel that achieved the longest flight won. To avoid losing them, they were equipped with a timer that, when activated, positioned the control surfaces to make them descend after a predetermined time. A buzzer facilitated the recovery of the aircraft if the currents had carried it far away or into an area with dense vegetation.

High-level competitions have always been held in Folgaria, first at Stella d'Italia and later at Passo Coe. The change of location was due to the constant growth of vegetation. Participants coming from afar often stayed in our hotel during these competitions. Notable among them is the multiple-time Italian champion Mauro Agosti, who donated the model he used to win the Italian F1E championship, which today is on display, along with other models, in our restaurant. We also remember Mr. Cosma, who designed ties for Bill Clinton. The competitions were organized by the Aeromodelling Group of Rovereto, which is still active today.

The famous Battistella, mentioned in this video, unfortunately left us a short time ago.

The Remote Control

In the early '70s, Professor Rolando Gardumi, a technical application teacher at the Pia Rella middle school in Folgaria, attempted improbable take-offs on the new road variant under construction, to the astonished looks of the workers on their lunch break. It was something pioneering at the time, a radio-controlled airplane. Rolando had the students witness the magic, performing everything during class hours.

Willi was among the first to try radio-controlled aircraft in these areas, assisted by Ilario Boaretto, a glider pilot and aeromodeller, who helped him learn the art of radio-controlled flight. Gradually, in turn, Willi taught those with whom, in the early '90s, he would create the aeromodelling group of Folgaria.

The Rai 3 Report on William Rech

In this video, Willi tells how he became a modeller over half a century ago and how modelling then developed, a passion passed down to his son Andrea.

Custom Hotel

With this past, being aeromodellers for generations, we know how to offer our clients with this passion a perfectly tailored service.
Everything you need to spend a wonderful vacation practicing our favorite hobby. No one like us provides advice on which slope to reach, transportation with suitable means for carrying the models, explanations on flight dynamics, the Model Lab, a fully equipped laboratory of over 100 square meters, and the permit to fly in our flying fields, necessary if you are not registered with local aeromodelling groups (Trento - Rovereto - Folgaria).

Every morning, based on the weather conditions, we advise on which slope is best to go to. Once we have decided, we load the aircraft onto the defender and set off. For new guests, we usually do a demonstration flight to show the take-off (with or without a catapult), the areas where thermals are most easily found based on the day, and we show the approach path to the landing.
We also provide useful information on the pitfalls that can challenge pilots, such as crosswind landings, rotors, and more, also providing solutions to overcome the problem. In this way, the chances of causing damage are minimized and, if it happens, it is possible to make all necessary repairs in our laboratory.