push the button .. it’s that easy!
These kind of RC-model has done a remarkable development during the last three years. Then I bought a Blade mQX to see how a quadrocopter compares to an e-heli. I have even made a video - or at least tried to.

But today you can buy drones or quadrocopters, as I prefer to say, that are build for the special purpose of aerial photography (and videos). One of these kind is the Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon that I have now in my hangar. More photos and videos will follow soon.

Alain is still training with the club Karate-Do Winterthur. And on that Friday evening he successfully mastered the 3. Kyu (brown).

I have visited his exam and took a few photos and also a short video.

we had to wait quite a long time (about 3 years) to get faster Internet connections here in Veltheim. But finally it is here; fibre-optic connections are now offered by various ISPs to us. On Friday, 6. November the technician set up the junction box in our flat.

From now on we have a fast Internet connection. All of us: Alain, Nadine and me are very happy about that.

It has been Alains wish to go for a bike ride in the Randen area as five years ago. This time we visited the two remaining observation towers the Beringer and the Sieblinger tower.

The Siblinger tower was unsafe last time and we couldn’t go upstairs. In the meantime there has been a new tower built and we could enjoy a beautiful view from there.
As usual while on a bike trip in the Randen we made a break at the Randenhaus restaurant . You may view a few photos from the trip on the Flickr album.
There

the Zcech company Eduard is well known for its accessories for the advanced modelers. But they are doing complete kits also. I gave it chance and have built the MiG-15.
I have to say that Eduard did not disappoint me; their kit is as perfect as are their PE accessory parts. You may find more photos on my flickr album.

everything has changed this year. Even our plans for vacations. We had cancelled our trip to Scotland already in January when the disease was diagnosed at Marianne. So I decided to travel to Copenhagen for one week and visiting the Danish capital.

Together with Alain, I visited some of the many attractions. You may view the photos on my flickr album or see the video clip on Vimeo (changing of the guard).

on Sunday morning a part of our ceiling in kitchen was falling down with a loud bang. No idea why but it was big luck that none of us was in the kitchen when this happened.

Sure our flat needs a renovation. For more than one week Alain and me were living in this state: quite uncomfortable! At least during the weekend the side covers were removed.

Luckily this work is now finished and we can have back our flat.

finally I have finished this model. I got one of the first kits in 2013 from Attack Squadron but since I planned to build it in the colors of the Swiss operator Rotex Helicopter AG there was a little more work to do, e.g. drawing custom decals.

This is a resin kit which is somewhat difficult to handle compared to the ‚standard‘ plastic kits. And of course there are a few things that have to be changed to build exactly this model. More pictures of the model are on my flickr album.

it is the third time in a row that a team of SiroSport wins the marathon relay of the Winterthurer Marathon.

This year SiroSport takes also the second place. Nadine could finish the last leg for the team „Tödi“.

after these demanding last weeks I enjoyed flying the Blade 120SR again. I haven’t used it much during the last months but the accus are still ok.
On the following sunday I took the heli with me to Nussbaumen. It was a quite windy day but I decided to fly regardless. Sam has an even more demanding task: taking photos of the little heli.

this weekend I accompanied Nadine to the Swiss Championship in sprint orienteering (SPM). This event has been organised together with the Austrian O-team in the small city of Dornbirn not far from the Swiss border.
Since I don’t do sprints in urban surroundings I used the opportunity to visit the competition area and take some photos as a spectactor.

what a surprise, Nadine and Alain gave me a model kit for my birthday. It is a kit from Trumpeter of the F-107A Ultra Sabre built by North American. Only three airplanes of this type were built. The Ultra Sabre was planned as the successor of the famous F-100 Super Sabre.

It was a good idea by them because this gives me some variety to my particular situation.

It has been two weeks since Marianne has passed away. The sympathy from relatives and friends, the comforting words and the many thoughtful discussions, have been overwhelming.
Thanks to everybody who mourns with us for Marianne.

We have lost you but we’ll never forget you.
I have started a documentary about Marianne’s life in an Album on flickr. I will add more photos in the next weeks and months. If you are interested in her curriculum vitae it is available here as a PDF file.
Marianne has lived for the sport. It’s not surprising that the album contains a lot of sport highlights.
However she was a dear mother and a lovely partner. You’ll also find photos about that topic.

suddenly our life has changed. “Unbelievable“ and „sad”, that’s maybe how to describe the feelings and moods we’re in right now.

Marianne, our children’s Mom and my sweetheart is no longer with us.

another old Airfix kit, this one has the year 1974 scratched in the fuselage mold! With a few add on parts like a photo etched cockpit and resin wings this a makes nice model for me.

The photo reconnaissance (PR) versions didn’t carry any amor with them but have as much fuel on board as possible. The PR Spitfires could fly from England to the Gdansk Bay and back.

on 27. October last year Alain starts his duty in the Swiss Army. After twelve weeks of training there was a public day on last Saturday, 24. January. Alain (front right) was showing their „Zugschule“ together with his comrads (Fotos).

They have trained hard to show even extraordinary exercises (see the video on Vimeo).

at the local modeling exhibition in Andelfingen I bought this old Airfix kit last year. I saw this airplane at the RAF Hendon museum three years ago. That’s why I built that model.

The Supermarine Walrus serves as a rescue aircraft during World War II.