... Team No Limit ... at the Mega Air Show in Göttingen

Anyone who has been to Hausen am Albis or another air show in recent years is surely familiar with … Team No Limit … For 11 years now, the two pilots, Hans Sommer and Markus Meier, have been demonstrating that synchronized aerobatics are possible even with model airplanes. This year, too, they have once again flown at various events both in Germany and abroad, and have once again won a trophy.

As early as the 2010 Christmas season, we received an invitation from Andreas Engel (Engel-Modelltechnik) to participate in the 2011 Megaflugshow in Göttingen.

The airfield is beautifully situated above the university town of Göttingen. Right after we arrived, we were able to complete a practice flight. The sound system was already set up, so we were even able to fly to our own music, which is an integral part of the flight program. The next day, we headed to the airfield at 9:30 a.m. Just over 100 aerobatic pilots were present at the briefing. The flight director had put together an interesting program showcasing what’s possible in model aviation today. Each pilot—or each group—was assigned a slot of four to a maximum of six minutes. So we soon knew that we would be performing our routine around 3:30 p.m.

What’s always interesting for us in Göttingen is that several synchronized flight teams participate in this air show. This year, there were four aerobatic teams and five warbird teams.

Right at registration at the airfield, every other pilot was given a rating sheet on which they could then submit a rating at their discretion. For example, they were asked to vote for the best show, the most beautiful warbird, or even the best synchronized flight.

On Saturday evening after the air show, the evening is celebrated in a festival tent for about 500 people with live music and a buffet. Fireworks and a night air show round out the festivities.

On Sunday, the flight program runs again with minor changes. It’s always impressive to see the Legendary Fighters or the three large Hawks from SkyGate flying in formation.

After the show, trophies were awarded based on the pilots’ rankings. This year, just as in 2007, we were awarded the trophy for “Best Synchronized Flight.” We were thrilled about this, especially since our title defense at the EXFC in Znojmo (CZ) couldn’t take place due to a lack of participants, and we were “only” able to present our program during the show segment.

In conclusion, we can say that we will most likely be heading back to Göttingen to see Andreas Engel in two years. The facilities for pilots at this event are almost unparalleled. This truly makes the gathering of “Europe’s best aerobatic pilots” a magnificent experience. Photos at www.msv-condor.de and at www.team-no-limit.ch

Markus Meier