Moosburger Flugplatzfest canceled: "Tear a big hole in our club treasury"

It's going to be a tough year for the Moosburger Fliegerclub: after the airfield festival was canceled at Pentecost, further income will break away, the club boss reports in an interview.

Moosburg - The airfield festival of the Moosburg Aviation Club on the "Kipp" is an institution - and well known and popular far beyond the city limits. But now the club had to pull the emergency brake because of Corona and cancel the first of two festivals this year in June. We spoke to the club chairman Michael Nenninger (45) about the consequences.

Freisinger Tagblatt: Mr. Nenninger, how difficult was it for you to cancel the festival on Pentecost weekend?

Michael Nenninger: It was not an easy decision, we hesitated accordingly. We had hoped until the end - but ultimately, as an association in the current situation, we cannot be held responsible.

Not just parts of it? In addition to one of Bavaria's largest flea markets, the festival also consists of the beer garden and airplane (stuff) demonstrations.

No, according to the current legal situation it is not possible - and we would also need three to four weeks in advance.

The flying club misses even more important income

What are the consequences of the cancellation for the club?

Flying club chairman Michael Nenninger (right) and his deputy Peter Hagl in front of the club's husky tug.

© Nico Bauer (archive)

We have no preparatory stress now, but it tears a big hole in the club box office. Depending on the weather and the number of visitors, a four-digit profit is stuck. We lack that now - but the costs for the clubhouse, the infrastructure, annual aircraft maintenance and so on remain. We are currently missing income from the club restaurant and the flight fees. You can work with everything else to cover costs.

Does the association have reserves? Or does it threaten its existence?

There are no reserves in this sense. At the moment we can still manage it, we may have to stretch various loans that exist. How exactly we deal with it remains to be seen.

Airfield Festival in September? That's what the flying club boss says

How realistic is it to be able to host the second festival in September?

That would be reading glass balls. The Oktoberfest is canceled, our appointment would be earlier. It has to be seen whether large events with 6,000 people - so many come on a good flea market Sunday - are allowed until then. I don't think it will take place. But of course the hope remains.

Aviation is currently not allowed. Does your pilot's heart hurt?

Yes, yes. Currently only necessary workshop flights, for example for maintenance at other airports, are allowed. As a professional pilot at Condor, I am currently 100 percent short-time. This has been going on for quite a while now - we'd all like to get up in the air slowly.

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