History

On 7 March 1988 the founding of a new aviation club at Malmi was announced on notice boards and through direct marketing. The club's founding meeting was held on 1 February 1988 at the Finnish Aviation Federation's office building.

The association's chairman was Ensio Kalske and the secretary Kari Ollila. Other active members included Markku Hiedanpää, Tapio Hyödynmaa as treasurer, Keijo Tikkala as equipment manager, Aimo Päivöke as vice-chairman, Seppo Pätäri, Veikko Ålander, and Mauri Myrttinen responsible for training.

The club's purpose was to bring together aviation enthusiasts in the capital region. Registration was initiated and membership recruitment started aggressively – the joining fee (50 mk) was waived for those joining before 1 August 1988. The annual membership fee was set at 50 Finnish marks.

The first club benefit was a significant discount on renting Seventh Heaven Flights Oy's brand-new Cessna 152 Aerobat aircraft. The goal was to quickly acquire the club's own aircraft.

By 22 March, 114 members had joined. Members' flight experience ranged from zero to 9,800 hours. Among the members was the then Mayor of Helsinki, Raimo Ilaskivi.

The first member evening was held on 12 April 1988 at 18:00 at the Finnish Aviation Federation's premises at Malmi. Members learned about the board's composition and the upcoming flying season. The club's "own" flight instructors were introduced and the new club logo was presented by Chairman Ensio Kalske. The evening concluded with a video of the Farnborough Air Show.

On 5 May a flight safety evening was organised at the Aviation Administration training centre with inspector Esko Lähteenmäki as main presenter. The aircraft acquisition had progressed to the "calculation phase": the target price range was 150,000–250,000 mk, to be financed through member and/or bank loans. Membership had grown to approximately 190 people.

In June 1988 a club evening on flight regulations and Malmi procedures was held, with Ari Aho as lecturer. Sirpa Laakso started as membership secretary and reservations manager. The club began using C-172 OH-CAK (365 mk/h), arranged through Kari Ljungberg. As of 2006, OH-CAK was operated by Tunturi-Ilmailijat in Ivalo.

The club also hoped to obtain premises in FinnAviation's hangar at Malmi, part of which Finnair had donated for powered-flight enthusiasts. As of 2006, Copterline operated from this hangar, to the left of runway 36 threshold.

By August newsletter no. 5 was in circulation. The July flying rally had failed due to weather; a new attempt was planned on the route Malmi–Kiikala–Oripää–Eura–Piikajärvi–Jämijärvi–Hämeenkyrö–Teisko–Räyskälä–Malmi. On 24 September, members gathered at Räyskälä for the clock-change celebration.

Seventh Heaven Flights Oy's aircraft OH-NEU, OH-NEW and OH-CAQ were priced at 320 mk/h with a 10-hour block available at 294 mk/h.

The CVFR theory course began on Tuesday 18 October in the upper floor of the Finnaviation hangar. The course comprised 86 lessons held 2–3 weekday evenings per week, organised by the Finnish Aviation Federation at a cost of 1,900 mk.

By the autumn meeting, the aircraft acquisition had reached the member-loan survey stage. Loan amounts ranged from 1,000 to 7,000 marks. The club's rules were drafted, and flight and maintenance regulations took their current form.

The 1988 autumn meeting elected a new board: Ensio Kalske (chair), Alexander Ehrnrooth, Markku Hiedanpää, Tapio Hyödynmaa, Jouko Kuosmanen, Kari Ollila, Aimo Päivöke, Keijo Tikkala and Heikki Vihavainen. Member loans totalling 60,000 mk and a 50,000 mk bank loan were secured. The target aircraft was a Piper Cherokee 140/180 or Cessna 172.

1989: In late January, an extraordinary general meeting authorised the board to take additional loans and acquire a four-seat aircraft. On 6 February the club acquired Cessna 172 OH-CTL from Tervalentäjät ry in Oulu for 153,000 mk. The aircraft had logged approximately 6,000 hours with its previous owner.

Type training was organised in spring and OH-CTL was flown to Malmi on 24 March from Oulu. The club's own training licence was granted on 17 August 1989, with Ensio Kalske as chief instructor and Kalske, Lundgren and Päivöke as flight instructors. By autumn the aircraft had flown 90 hours.

In November 1989 the club had 214 members, with 76,000 mk of loans remaining and 40,000 mk in the bank account. New avionics including a radio, ADF, headsets and intercom were installed. The club's first full year ended with OH-CTL having flown 250 hours in 8 months. In summer 1989, MIK participated in powerboat race oversight flights with three aircraft and nine people.

1990: The new year started positively. A member survey explored ideas for developing club activities, and preparations were made for a second aircraft. Training continued with weight-and-balance refreshers under Malmi Airport Director Raimo Seppänen. Member loan repayments began by settling all guarantees for contributions over 5,000 marks, paid in flight hours.

In autumn 1990 OH-CTL was moved to the Finnaviation hangar, closer to the club room, and the reservation book was transferred there too. The club room was furnished with a TV, video player and refrigerator. The autumn meeting voted 11–6 to exempt board members from maintenance fees in 1991. Aimo Päivöke was elected chairman for 1991.

1991: Three club evenings and a flying rally to Stauning, Denmark, were organised – weather prevented reaching the destination, but "international experience" was gained. OH-CAW was available to members for part of the year.

1992: Board: Päivöke (chair), Huuskonen, Härkönen, Hyödynmaa, Mertala, Rantapää and Väisänen. OH-CTL received a new engine from Konekorhonen Oy at 13,950 USD plus 7,000 mk installation. The FA hangar was sold to Helikopteripalvelu and the airport, putting the club room's future in new hands. Membership stood at 191 in May.

1993: The club moved to a smaller space at Malmi's Hall 2.

1998: OH-COX acquired from Kuusamo as a training and aerobatic aircraft.

2002: A few active members started exploring the possibility of building a flight simulator for the club. The project was sparked by an old aircraft fuselage obtained in exchange for washing a few Cessnas. More about the simulator's construction and development can be found in the club's simulator history.

2004: OH-CAU – the club enters the diesel age. Another Cessna fuselage was found and restored as a flying machine with a diesel engine.

2007: OH-CAU makes a forced landing on the Porvoo motorway due to a failed high-pressure pump. The aircraft is written off.

2008: OH-SRH is purchased in Tampere. The original 180 hp petrol engine is replaced with a Thielert Centurion 2.0 diesel engine.

2013: OH-STL Diamond DA40 TDI G1000 acquired for the club from Austria. OH-CTL sold to a seaplane club. OH-COX's nose wheel fails on landing at Malmi – Joen Service purchases the aircraft from the club.

2014: OH-IHQ Diamond DV20 Rotax acquired for the club from France.

2015: OH-SRH's engine reaches its TBO – a new engine is installed in September.

2021: The club's home airfield, Malmi, was closed in March. Finding a new base was challenging, but in September the club gained a foothold at Kiikala.

2022: OH-SRH sold to Poland.

2023: The club gained the opportunity to begin operations at Nummela airfield, achieving flying volumes comparable to the Malmi era.