Glider Aerobatics 2024

At the end of July, 10 pilots and a judge traveled from Switzerland to Gerolzhofen, Bavaria, in Germany. We were greeted by a beautiful model airfield where pilots always had the sun at their backs, featuring a spacious flying area and a large spectator area with plenty of trees providing pleasant shade. The members of the MSG Gerolzhofen treated all participants and visitors to excellent catering on-site from Thursday evening through Sunday noon. The 53 registered pilots flew seven rounds in the “Advanced” and “Unlimited” classes from Friday through Sunday morning under perfect weather conditions. The seven tow planes, six Puris, and two competition directors ensured that the competition ran smoothly. It’s always a pleasure to be able to practice our hobby of “acrobatic model gliding” at such a superbly organized event—a big thank you to MSG Gerolzhofen.

From August 22 to 25, Austria welcomed the European elite of glider aerobatics to the magnificent grounds of MFG Feistritz, which provided a stunning backdrop with its majestic mountains in the background. The competition also served as the third and final stage of the Eurocontest Tour Glider Acro 2024. Ten Swiss pilots and judges had traveled to the event, further enhancing the international character of this final.

The first pilots arrived as early as Thursday and could hardly wait to take advantage of the ideal conditions and practice before the competitions. A total of 32 pilots were registered, 20 of them in the “Advanced” category and 12 in the “Unlimited” class.

The weekend was marked by perfect weather, which provided excellent flying conditions on all three days. With the sun shining, the pilots were able to concentrate fully on their maneuvers and complete both the familiar and unfamiliar programs—and finally the freestyle routine—with impressive precision. Between flights, the Gail River, which runs alongside the venue, offered participants a refreshing break.

An unfortunate—but fortunately rare—incident during this competition was the loss of two gliders and one tow plane due to technical failure and pilot error. A big thank you goes to MFG Feistritz and Martin Knasmillner, the coordinator of glider aerobatics in Austria, for the warm welcome and the perfect organization.

This event will be remembered not only as a challenging competition but also as a wonderful sporting gathering in a beautiful setting.