History of sport aviation in Leszno and Leszno Region

1952 – establishment of the central gliding center in Leszno
The Gliding School from Rzadków near Chodzież moves to Strzyżewice near Leszno. Rubber ropes replaced towing aircraft. We flew more and more, farther and farther, faster and faster. The whole country quickly learned about Leszno, such celebrities of those times as Ewa Nehay, Adam Witek, Jerzy Popiel, Ryszard Bittner, Jerzy Wojnar, Pelagia Majewska and Edward Makula appeared here. In 1953, the Polish Gliding Championships were held in Leszno for the first time, the whole country quickly learned about the Central Glider School.

PKF Archive (1948) – Glider School in Rzadków – Take-offs from rubber ropes PKF Archive (1952) – Leszno Glider Championships Polish 1952,

1957 – establishment and liquidation of the first Leszczyński Aero Club
Among the alumni of the Central Glider School, an increasing number were residents of Leszno and the surrounding area, who were “pinned with wings”, and whom the central center did not give the opportunity for further training and raising qualifications, reserved for regional aeroclubs.

It became necessary to establish his own aeroclub. Members of the new Aero Club joined the work of the gliding center with great commitment. However, it did not last long, because in Poland the political “thaw” has just ended and “out of concern” for the smooth course of the VII World Gliding Championships, the central authorities liquidated the Leszczynski Aero Club.

1957 – 1976
For the next 18 years, local pilots could fly in Leszno, but they had to sign up for other aeroclubs. And at that time, the Central Glider School continued to develop. In 1958 and 1968, the World Gliding Championships took place in Leszno, for this occasion the airport infrastructure was expanded to three hangars and an impressive administrative and hotel facility with a café and a characteristic flight control tower. Leszno became the capital of Polish gliding. It was here, in Leszno, that the Polish Gliding Championships took place every year, groupings of senior, women and junior teams, competitive camps for pilots from all over the Polish. It was here that Adela Dankowska and Pelagia Majewska beat their world records, and the legendary Sheriff – coach of the gliding national team – Józef Dankowski shaped entire generations of gliding champions.

PKF Archive (1961) – “Fly don’t land”

1976 – reactivation of the Leszczyński Aeroclub
When in 1975 Leszno became the capital of the Leszno Voivodeship, the initiative to reactivate the Aero Club met with the kindness of the then authorities. In 1976, the Leszczyński Aero Club again formally appeared in the world of sports aviation in Poland. However, having neither equipment nor real estate, we were actually “clients” of the Central Glider School, but bringing the commitment and work of dozens of pilots and volunteers to its activities. Surrounded by the care of highly qualified instructors and having the opportunity to use many of the best gliders at that time, our pilots had good conditions for the development of sports careers. Aeroclub Leszczyński quickly began to stand out in sports competition from other aeroclubs.

1989 – the end of the Polish People’s Republic and new orders
After the democratic removal of the PUWP from power, significant changes took place in sports aviation: the former central system headed by the Aeroclub of the People’s Republic of Poland was replaced by independent regional Aeroclubs associated in the Polish Aero Club. The changes took place slowly and the free market interfered more and more in the activities of aeroclubs, which had to say goodbye to central financing and go on their own. In Leszno, such a transitional state lasted 10 years. At that time, the number of instructors who left to work in aviation companies decreased, equipment was decreasing and the technical infrastructure was degrading… Still, we flew and trained new pilots.

2000 – Aeroklub Leszczyński – independent and dynamic
Along with the following changes in the Polish legal system, the Leszno Aero Club adapted its statute to current requirements and systematically updated in the National Register of Associations. As part of the talks undertaken in 2000 with the Management Board of the Polish Aero Club, the Aero Club received formal rights to use the “tin” hangar and the administrative and technical part of the “brick” hangar. In a short time, by the resolution of the Board of the Polish Aero Club, the first gliders were handed over to the Leszczyński Aeroclub. Since then, the Leszczyński Aero Club has been independently and based on its own property conducting its statutory activities.

2018 – The end of real estate disputes.
Under the agreement concluded between the Polish Aero Club and the City of Leszno, the Leszczyński Aeroclub obtained the right to use the entire building of the “brick” hangar. Finally, we are “on our own”. The airport was managed by the municipal company Leszno Airport. Together with other users of our airport, we cooperate with the manager with a view to the development of our airport and aviation in our city and region.