We have been on the three biggest European Seaplane festivals during the past year, a few thoughts and pictures from the past.
At Gelendzhik near the Black Sea and the Wolfgangsee in Austria the seaplane festivals have a long tradition, however in Germany on the River Mosel this has been the first time to organize such an event.
It happened, that Norbert Kippel who is a significant person in tourism and bus and car loan in the region, not to mention the fact that he is also the owner of a few airplanes organized The First German Seaplane Day.
With its wine yards and ship convoys, the River Mosel hosted the small seaplanes despite the bad weather. The pilots did not receive permission to take off and land on the water in the front of the hotel, therefore the spectators could only witness the speed up and preparations for the take off.
The Scalaria Air Challenge the club of elegance with great media coverage, where to lovers of water flying meets to fly with their seaplanes and to fraternize with the Red Bull airfleet.
In the mysterious night lights, girls were walking on the winds of the Dornier Do-24ATT within the frame of a fashion trade after the Red Bull world champion Hannes Arch’s stunt flight when he flew under a strip 10 meters above the water.
Scalaria is the name of the event organizer hotel in St. Wolfgang at the lake, and where a great multi functional hall was built and named after Mr. Dornier. Iren Dornier – he is sitting on the plane on the picture – persuaded them to host this festival, due to the reason that once his grandfather spent his holiday there. No wonder that he is the emblematic character of this event.
At the Black Sea in the test yard of the Beriev factory they host seaplane event in every two years where the spectators could enjoy the view and the flights of the planes. There were hardly a few foreigners and we will never forget the take off of the Be-103 and the taste of the local’s national drink the black kvast.
However the real experience was when two Beriev 200 fire plane practiced not far in the sea. Take offs and landings water take up and releasing with the roaring and fading sounds of the engines.
On these three festivals the public expressed its admiration with fascination, however we missed something. What if these festivals were the feast of those passengers of who would like to enjoy the pleasure of water flying?
Previous articles:
Click on the Gelendzhik, Wolfgangsee and Mosel links below to find our previous articles.