75 years of the Celle Aviation Association: glider pilots' festival is exciting!

75 years of the Celle Aviation Association: glider pilots' festival is exciting!

On August 24, 2025, the Celle Aviation Association (FVC) celebrated its proud 75th anniversary with an open day at the glider airfield in Scheuen. The event attracted numerous visitors who were curious about the fascinating world of aviation. Christian Hörnicke, a member for 15 years and chairman of the association since 2019, led the celebrations. The club currently has around 350 members, of which around 145 are in the gliding group, 55 of whom are active, and every single member contributes to the vibrant community that is dedicated to gliding.

The event offered a welcome opportunity to view the club's own chronicle, which was written by Hans-Peter Rasch and covers the years 1952 to 2002. Visitors could also look forward to an exciting journey through time through the history of the club. A particularly moving chapter is the hurricane in the summer of 1997, which caused considerable damage but only interrupted flight operations for three weeks. This resilience shapes the history of the FVC and shows the enthusiasm with which the members fight for their common dream.

A rich program for visitors

Overall, the day was a feast for aviation enthusiasts and families alike. On the anniversary day, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., guests had the opportunity to marvel at various aircraft and were entertained with pictures and films from the past. Visitor flights were offered at a price of 30 euros, with part of the proceeds being raffled off. In our fast-paced everyday lives, it is important to allow ourselves such moments of joy and wonder.

But how do you actually become a glider pilot? It's not that complicated, but it does take a little time and dedication. To acquire the license, eight theoretical and four practical exams are required. The FVC flying season extends from mid-March to the end of October, giving members plenty of time to improve and perfect their gliding skills. Some of them have already invested this in persistence and skill in order to master the updraft thermals.

Commitment to the future

Speaking of commitment: The FVC has highly trained flight instructors who mostly work on a voluntary basis and support those who want to get into aviation sports. Aviation clubs, also known as flying clubs or flying clubs, offer training and courses at cost-effective prices, unlike commercial flight schools. These training courses usually take longer, around 1 to 2 years for gliding, but are very valuable for the community and the future of aviation.

An important aspect of club life is not only the training, but also the camaraderie atmosphere. In addition to the flying challenges, cooperation plays a central role, and the members are actively involved in keeping the community strong. The aim is to awaken and promote the fascination for air sports for future generations, so that air sports in Celle will continue to be popular for many years to come.

For those interested, the FVC is an excellent opportunity to get to know the world of aviation better. All information about the gliding group of the Celle Aviation Association can be found at dein-celle.de. And for a deeper insight into the history and structures of air sports clubs in general, the Wikipedia page is a good starting point.

The Celle Aviation Association is looking positively into the future and is doing everything it can to continue to revive air sports and open the eyes of new members to this wonderful passion.