50 Years of Gliding in Eifel
Editors note: W&W is happy to share news of a Gliding Club milestone from our friends in Germany.
The Utscheider Gliding Club celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sunday, September 1, 2024, hosting a festival at their airfield home in the South Eifel region of Germany. Activities included sightseeing flights, balloon rides, and a potpourri of aircraft on exhibit for gander and gaze. The variety of airships on display included many motorless and motor-assisted gliders, also sharing the turf with remote-control aircraft. Rounding out festivities, participants enjoyed the traditional brats, beer, and other essentials for such German gatherings.
The event was held at Utscheid Segelflugplatz (translation: glider airport) in the Bitburg-Prüm district of western Germany. Utscheid is a small community of around 400 residents. Nearby to the east is the city of Bitburg, home to around 17,000 and the historic Bitburger Brewery. The region, known as the Eifel, comprises a low mountain range along the German-Belgium-Luxembourg borders. Hosting the celebration was the South Eifel glider flying club—Segelflugverein Südeifel. The club boasts 50 active members, among some 130 in all, according to staff.
“It is the fascination of gliding that inspires many people,” said Rudolph Höser, a journalist and attendee at the friendly Flugplatzfest (translation: airfield festival).
“Gliders do not need wind to fly. Most of the time they use thermals, i.e. air that rises in the atmosphere. At the start, the glider is brought to a certain height by a winch or a motor plane,” explains Jörg Eppers, board member of the Utscheider gliding club, Segelflugverein Südeifel. “Then it flies on a path that is slightly inclined downwards until it gains height again due to a so-called updraft.” These updrafts, or thermals, are created by a heating of the earth’s surface, usually from the sun. As the air just above the ground warms, it rises displacing colder, heavier air above. Thus, the normally lightweight glider ascend upwards for as long as the thermals can sustain them.
Gliding Facts
- Modern gliders easily reach speeds of up to 280 km/h, equivalent to 174 mph.
- The world record altitude in soaring stands at 23,203 meters (76,124 feet), set by Jim Payne in 2018.
- The longest known glider route is 3,055 kilometers (1,898 miles), achieved by Gordon Boettger and Bruce Campbell in June 2023.
Towing aircraft in the glider club, according to Fabry, include:
- D-KIKD Diamond HK36TC Super Dimona, manufactured in Austria, taildragger and towplane. (called the Katana Xtreme in Canada and the U.S.)
- D-KMUH Scheibe SF-25C-TL Rotax-Falke, manufactured in Heubach, Germany, motor glider and towplane.
- D-MLOB AeroSpool WT9 Dynamic, ultralight aircraft and towplane.
A unique winch launch glider nicknamed “Godzilla” is also used by the club, of which a demonstration was performed during the event.
An array of gliders are used by club members, including:
- Two 2-seaters: Schleicher ASK 21 and DG Flugzeugbau DG-1000S
- Four single-place sailplanes: Rolladen-Schneider LS3 and LS4, Grob G102 Astir, Schleicher ASK 18
Among the sailplane/gliders on display in the hanger and on the field were: D-4121 (Ka 6), D-7149 (Schleicher Ka 6E), D-9570 (LS 3), D-1510?, D-9055 (Scheibe L-Spatz 55), D-1818 (Schleicher ASK 18), D-5414 (Schleicher Ka-7 Rhonadler), D-6556 (Schleicher ASK 21), and D-9940 (DG 1000S 20m).
From my perspective, glider flying as a sport seems more prevalent in Germany when compared the U.S. However, at the airport near where I live in Texas (5C1, Boerne Stage) there exists a glider club. An abundance of motorized aircraft at the airport, used for both sport and business, far outnumber the gliders. The San Antonio Soaring Society operates two Grob G103C Twin III Acro aircraft and promotes the activities of the club where conditions are apparently favorable for the sport. In the U.S. gliding is often called “soaring.”
Back on the European continent, I highly recommend taking a look at Aero Friedrichshafen—the closest overseas alternative to AirVenture Oshkosh—if gliding, or flying for that matter, is of interest. Aero, as it’s simply called, devotes an entire hall to gliders, one at the front, and the largest of its twelve impressive exhibition spaces.
As with any means of people-moving, energy management, i.e. momentum, is key to balancing safety and speed. This is especially true in a sailplane, as there is no reserve thrust or acceleration should a situation may demand it. Pilots will agree that energy management is an art form in the sport of gliding; and that energy can only come from optimum planning, timing and instinct. The glider pilot can ultimately rely on air brakes for effectively dissipating excess lift energy on landing. Likewise, for any pilot a well-timed spot landing is an art, and brakes only make the difference between a safe landing and an incident.
50 Years of Gliding
“And so many visitors came to celebrate the anniversary with the club. With free admission, the grounds filled up quickly. Visitors took the opportunity to take sightseeing flights and balloon rides. The Bitburg parachutists showed their skills, members of the Adler Südeifel model aircraft club exhibited. And if a boy wanted to sit in the cockpit of a glider, that was possible too. So the airfield festival anniversary was a well-round affair,” summarized Rudolf Höser
If you get the chance, visit Utscheid where the setting is lovely, the folks are friendly, and you can be assured there are many english-speaking folks in the region who share your love of flight.
Courtesy of Mike Taylor
Mike Taylor is a veteran design engineer, mechanic, builder, and marketing consultant who occasionally writes about extraordinary airplanes. Mike has spent 30+ years visiting aircraft facilities worldwide, exploring the fascination of flight.
