Radio-controlled planes were flying in the sky above Moskovets airport near the city of Sopot airplanes, helicopters and paragliders. Engine hums and the gentle hum of electric gliders woke people and creatures early Saturday morning.
The reason for this aerial acrobatics was a flying show organized by the Sports Club "Modelizmi" General Vladimir Zaimov" in the city of Sopot. The occasion was the birthday of his coach Ivan Minkov, a long-time competitor and national champion in this highly technical sport.
Actually, model car and model aircraft is not new to the region. The club was established at the beginning of the 70s of the last century under the Defense Cooperation Organization and develops very active activities. Since two years ago, the chairman, Marin Uzunov, has been newly registered. It bears the name of the vocational high school in the town of Sopot, where it is housed. Actively continues to develop car, aircraft and ship modelling.
The club directs its efforts to ignite the interest of young people in this hobby. Sport develops their technical abilities, their sportsmanship, makes them ambitious in their pursuit of the first places, but also teaches them how to lose with dignity. Here are also some of the strongest competitors in the national championship of on-road and off-road radio controlled models. Worthy heirs of the coach of the club, not only in life, but also on the track, are his sons Georgi and Hristo Minkovi, who have been multiple republican champions in auto modeling in the last few years. Club kids are first, second and third place winners in the 2022 Republican Championship.
To my question about what a child needs to have in order to enter the club, Minkov answers: "Good will and a smile. The rest is up to us. We teach children from the age of five upwards everything. We start with how they put the planes together. They get their first knowledge of take-off and landing through simulators. Hands-on training takes place here at the airport with a training aircraft. We are currently on the runway near the village of Moskovets, which will most likely be turned into a solar park in the fall, and we will be left without an airport base. With the help of sponsors and voluntary work from the members of the club, a track for off-road radio-controlled models is being built in the yard of PG "Gen. Vladimir Zaimov". We hope it will be completed by the end of the year."
What ignites the passion for car and airplane modeling is the freedom of flight, the pleasure of flying, the high speeds and the competitive spirit, adds engineer Minkov.
In the photo: The winners of the republican championship in car modeling in 2022 are from the club in the city of Sopot: 1st place: Mihaela Staneva, 2nd place: Bozhidar Uzunov, 3rd place: Stanislav Uzunov.
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