- Initial water tower contest utilizing airborne propulsion systems
At the centennial festivities of the soaring academy on Wasserkuppe, there's a unique spectacle lined up at its highest peak in the Rhön region. For the very first time, international squads will square off against each other in aerial acrobatics displays on both Friday and Saturday, as Markus Kurz, Vice President of the Gliding Promotion Society on Wasserkuppe (GFS), announced.
The show kick-starts on Friday with a heart-thumping freestyle contest. As per Kurz, the sky over Rhön will light up with airplanes releasing rainbow-colored streaks from smoke bombs strapped to the wings and the undercarriage of the aircraft.
"The contestant closest to the target wins"
On the following day, the competitors will engage in a nail-biting precision landing challenge, where the pilot who lands the closest to a target on the runway claims the title. Kurz clarified, "The contestant closest to the target wins." The contests, including participants from the UK and Switzerland, will proceed only if the weather conditions remain favorable.
Having a history spanning a century, the soaring academy on Wasserkuppe claims to be the oldest worldwide. The 950-meter-tall Wasserkuppe, nestled in the borderland of Hesse, Bavaria, and Thuringia, goes by the nickname "Pilot's Mountain" due to its long-standing flying culture. Close to the mountaintop lies the German Gliding Museum.
The centennial celebrations in Rhön's Pilot's Mountain will host international teams for aerial acrobatics. Witnessing the event at the soaring academy on Wasserkuppe in the Rhön region will be an unforgettable experience.
