BOW Region – Modellmarkt24 in the Bernese Oberland

The three full-time positions are needed to process the large volume of online orders from all over Switzerland on time. According to the business owner, Adrian Brügger,

This is home to one of Switzerland’s most diverse model-making spare parts inventories. Managing such an inventory today requires a robust IT infrastructure in the background, complete with the appropriate software. He explains that online and in-store customers are roughly evenly split. So there are still many customers who make the trip to the Kandertal valley to

Pick up some wheels. People clearly want to see and feel what comes out when the box is opened. The store is full of the usual ready-made models—which are in high demand these days—but it seems that construction sets are also becoming more popular again. Adrian thinks the COVID-19 crisis is contributing to a resurgence in building and repairing things.

He doesn’t want to know too much about drones anymore; the selection is kept intentionally small because the manufacturers’ customer service is poor and new models are constantly being rushed to market. The helicopter section isn’t huge either—after all, Baumann Helicopters isn’t too far away. Model shipbuilding isn’t forgotten either, and the—

There are various games on the shelves. Of course, we can also help with any questions about settings, airplanes, or RC systems.

There’s a wide selection of gliders available—this is where they really shine. That makes sense, since there are hills all around that are perfect for gliding, and the famous Hahnenmoos isn’t far away either. Large motorized models are also available, so the

The selection is constantly expanding. Model cars are also an important part of the business, mainly off-road vehicles. You can really feel the enthusiasm of the boys from the surrounding area.

Adrian is a little concerned about the next generation of model airplane enthusiasts. As in many model flying clubs, the members everywhere have gray hair. Young people hardly have any hands-on building classes in school anymore; the “Ferienpass” and “we.fly” programs offer some counterbalance—

The store also successfully carries model rockets. By the way, they’re very popular with the kids. According to Adrian, this was a huge undertaking, because a special room had to be built to store the small rocket engines (a few grams of black powder). Permits had to be obtained from various authorities; it was a real struggle. Yes, yes, our bureaucracy—that’s where—

I admire our entrepreneurs for their perseverance.

I was actually quite amazed by what I saw in Frutigen. Apparently, the soil there is good. The hangar stands on the site of a former military airfield—where Venoms, Vampires, and, before that, Mustangs used to fly.

*Ueli von Niederhäusern*