Club history
Founding of the aeroclub (1947–1952)
In 1947, a group of aviation enthusiasts decided to found the Aeroclub. Among them were Messrs. Hubert, Líkař, Ferra, Flíček, Mlčoch, Štefan and Kubizňák. The first winch was built, replacing the rubber bungee cord, and soon after a new "Ztratílek" winch was assigned to the club. In 1950, a wooden hangar was built by members' own efforts and it still serves its purpose today. A year later, the office building was constructed.
The first glider flown was the ŠK-38 OK-5195 Komár, later joined by the Z-23 OK-5186 Honza. Training started with taxi runs, low launches and eventually high launches on these gliders.
The Aeroclub was a member of the Czech National Aeroclub (ČNA), later DOSLET, and in 1953 it became an Aeroclub of Svazarm (Union for Cooperation with the Army). It remained so until the dissolution of Svazarm in 1990.
Growth in the 1950s
In 1952, a runway for glider and powered aircraft operations was established. Over time, additional gliders arrived including the Bejbina, Krajánek, Šohaj LG-25 and LG-125, and Galánka. In 1952, the club received its first two-seat glider VT-130 Kmotr OK-1266, along with a Herkules II winch and a Zetor-25 tractor.
In 1953, the first aerotow launches took place using C-104, C-106 and K-65 Čáp aircraft. With the transition to Svazarm, regional aeroclub centres were created and Soběslav became a regional airfield. A training centre for military conscripts was established, flying C-5 and C-105 aircraft. Some graduates later joined the military air force and flew MiG-15 jets.
The entire 1950s brought great development to aviation at the club. New aircraft types arrived including the Z-22 Junák, M-1C and M1D Sokol, Aero 45 and Z-226. From 1953, the two-seat VT-109 Pionýr became the main training glider. The single-seat VT-107 Luňák was used for aerobatic flying, and the VT-425 Šohaj for cross-country soaring. Many people contributed to the club's development during this period, with instructors including Bína, Soukup, Flíček, Ferra, Ferrová, Topka, and later Král, Černý, Šmíd, Mára, Pazdera and Vaška.
In the late 1950s, the regional aeroclub headquarters moved to the newly built facilities at Hosín airfield, along with the conscript training programme.
1960s and 1970s – changes and competitions
The 1960s brought changes. Funding was reduced and paid airfield commander positions were abolished. Despite this, the club continued to develop. In 1961, the club received a new L-13 Blaník two-seat glider (OK-1826), followed by a second Blaník (OK-3828) in 1962, which served until 2010. In the same year, a new high-performance VT-16 Orlík glider arrived. Tragically, in 1962, Václav Pazdera lost his life in a Z-226 accident.
In 1964, a replacement Blaník (OK-4807) arrived along with a new Herkules III winch. As subsidies kept decreasing, club members began earning money through commercial activities such as welding and assembly work.
In 1965, a nationwide reorganization threatened to close the airfield. Thanks to the determined efforts of club chairman Hanzal and local council secretary Kratochvíl, Soběslav airfield was saved. A new VT-116 Orlík glider (OK-8427) arrived in 1968.
The 1970s saw renewed pilot training and growing cross-country soaring performance. Club members regularly participated in regional and national competitions. In 1972, the crew of Černý and Kubát placed 12th at the national navigation championship.
1980s – new equipment and safety
In the early 1980s, the club received new VSO-10 gliders replacing the aging wooden Orlíks, enabling cross-country flights of up to 500 km. A national safety competition from 1984 to 1990 rewarded the safest aeroclubs with new VSO-10 gliders each year. Thanks to exceptional discipline, Soběslav consistently placed in the top three.
In the 1980s, the club also received a new Avia 30 truck, a Z-7211 tractor, a Herkules IV winch and a Patran transport vehicle.
From the 1990s to the present
At the turn of the 1990s, the club received a new L-23 Super Blaník and a motorized L-13SE Vivat glider. Unfortunately, the Vivat was severely damaged during training in 1994.
With the dissolution of Svazarm, all financial support ceased. Since then, all costs have been covered by members and commercial activities. After years of delays, a new operations building was finally constructed from modular units.
Today, Aeroclub Soběslav operates the Super Blaník L-23 (OK-0229), VSO-10 (OK-6530), ASW-15 (OK-3141), ASW-19 (OK-4474), tow plane Z-226MS (OK-MQH), ultralight P-92 Super Echo (OK-RUU 21), Cessna C-172SP (OK-TAB, since 2018) and Robin DR-400 (OK-SOB, since 2022). Several private ultralight pilots and glider owners also use the airfield. New young members continue to join, ensuring that aviation in Soběslav lives on despite the challenges and tragic events, including the fatal accident of ASW-19 (OK-4481) on 3 November 2019, in which long-time member and Chief of Flight Operations Ing. Karel Knotek lost his life.
Original text: Jiří ČernýUpdated by: Ing. Radim Vadász