On this day, the Luftsportring Aalen celebrated its 75th anniversary.
The celebration was held together with aviation enthusiasts from Ellwangen, Heidenheim, Gerstetten, Giengen, Donzdorf, and Neresheim, as well as local residents and participants in the Junior World Championships.
While the world’s top young pilots received their daily assignments at 10:00 am during a briefing led by sports director Bernd Schmid, the first guests were already arriving. The first spectators from across the region came to experience a very special day. One that had never been held before in this form. The organizers of the Luftsportring had set their sights high: To combine top-level international sports with an aviation event. Everyone was given a very special opportunity to immerse themselves into the world of air sports and gliding. Thomas Mannal was the program director for the air show.
The Luftsportring had invited the local council members and mayors of all surrounding cities and municipalities. Thomas Dambacher representing the city of Aalen presented Wilhelm Weiser, chairman of the Luftsportring’s board of directors, a anniversary gift from the city of Aalen. There was plenty to experience and discover for the guests on site. Alread the World Championships including the public briefing and the lineup of the 80 participating gliders were a visual treat.
Before the gliders took off, Steffen Keppler from Donzdorf put on a breathtaking aerobatic display in his Pitts biplane. The German Armed Forces’ SAR helicopter landed from Niederstetten. Visitors were able to tour the helicopter later on. Insights into the work of air rescue was given. The takeoff of the participating gliders was a sight to behold for many guests. At 45-second intervals, the gliders were towed into the sky. Bernd Schmid and the World Championship crew had once again done a magnificent job of preparing for the event. All glider pilots were able to complete the day’s task. After flying over the finish line and logging over 3 hours of flight time, they landed once again in full sight of the guests and spectators.
Visitors were treated to a colorful and varied supporting program that combined technology, fun and wonder besides the competition. The highlight was the ceremonial christening of two gliders including the symbolic first flights. During the event, the Luftspring’s new two-seater was christened in honor of the Aalen glider pilot and honorary member “Alfred Rainer.” It is the first two-seater glider equipped with a state-of-the-art electric propulsion system as an auxiliary engine. With this system, the pilot can avoid an off-field landing and safely return to an airfield with a range of over 120 kilometers. The L-Spatz 55, exactly 70 years old is the oldest aircraft ever to have been stationed continuously at the Elchingen airfield. It has received again its original name from 1956: “Schwabenliesel.” A true “renovatio baptismi.” To mark the L-Spatz’s christening, Michael Kost published a book documenting the unique history and story of this glider with numerous illustrations. Many former pilots who had completed their first cross-country flights in the 1960s with this L-Spatz made a special trip to Elchingen for the occasion.
A drawing contest and supervised paper airplane-making was provided for the youngest visitors. Adults and older kids had the chance to fly in a glider simulator.
An Evening Full of Highlights
At dusk the Elchingen airfield was transformed into a stage for an unforgettable spectacle of light and fire. Oliver Patek from Donzdorf flew his B-4 glider at dusk creating figures that lit up the night sky with pyrotechnics. The highlight of the evening, however, was the balloon glow featuring two balloons from the BSC-Hellenstein club in Heidenheim. The balloon glow accompanied by atmospheric music was the highlight of the Luftsportring’s 75th-anniversary celebration. Spontaneous applause broke out time and again. A conclusion worthy to the Day of Air Sports in Elchingen. The Luftsportring Aalen was founded on January 6th, 1951, originally as the Aalen-Unterkochen Flying Club. On March 7th, 1954, the first glider took off in Elchingen. It wasn’t until 1956 that the club was renamed Luftsportring Aalen. In the 1960s, the Königsbronn-Oberkochen Flying Group joined the Luftsportring. From the very beginning, they also flew out of Elchingen. Today the Luftsportring has nearly 600 members and is the largest flying and air sports club in southern Germany.
The Luftsportring is a club serving the entire Ostalb region.
Michael Kost
