Großrückerswalde airfield

Großrückerswalde airfield
Characteristics
ICAO code	EDAG
Coordinates	50 ° 38 '38 "  N , 13 ° 7' 24"  E Coordinates: 50 ° 38 '38 "  N , 13 ° 7' 24"  E
Height above MSL	670 m (2198  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	2 km north of Großrückerswalde , 25 km south-east of Chemnitz
Street
Basic data
operator	Fliegerclub Großrückerswalde e. V.
Start-and runway
11/29	1000 m × 40 m grass

The airfield Großrückerswalde is a commercial airport in the Erzgebirge . It is approved for gliders , motor gliders , microlights and powered aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of up to 5.7 tons. In addition to the Fliegerclub Großrückerswalde eV, which operates the airfield, the parachute sports club Rüwalders eV and the Flugsportverein Erzgebirge eV also use the site.

history

The Großrückerswalde airfield dates back to 1928. At that time, a Klemm 13 powered airplane landed on a neighboring property as part of the 90th festival of the Marienberger Gewerbeverein . As a result, the first group of glider pilots was founded and a flight school was planned. This took place from 1935 in the community of Großrückerswalde and is about three kilometers from the current location. Due to the hillside location facing west, the rubber rope start that was widespread at the time could be used for basic training. Until 1990, the flight school also served aviation athletes as accommodation, teaching building and workshop. Since then, all aviation activities have taken place exclusively at the Großrückerswalde airfield, which was already used as a winch launch site after the flight school was founded.

Over the decades the NSFK , the Free German Youth , the Wismut AG and the Society for Sport and Technology have been users and in some cases also operating the flight school .

Shortly after the flight school was founded, a world record in gliding was set in 1939 . Otto Bräutigam, the head of the flight school at the time, flew with his companion in a two-seater crane type glider 362 kilometers to Vienna and landed there on an airfield that no longer exists today.

Today, cross-country flights of up to more than 800 kilometers in length are carried out from Großrückerswalde . Many of them can be found in the online contest route gliding portal.

Flight operations

The airfield is operated exclusively on a voluntary basis and is therefore not open all year round. The local clubs operate the aviation sports of gliding, parachuting, model flying and microlight flight mainly on weekends and public holidays in the period from April to October.

Surroundings

Due to its location in the central Ore Mountains , the airfield is well developed for hiking and cycling tours. But day trips to the major cities of Dresden , Prague or Chemnitz are also possible.

See also

• List of German airfields
• List of airports in the Czech Republic

Incidents

• On May 3, 1997, two parachutists performed a double formation jump from a height of 2500 meters. The first jumper opened his main parachute at a height of about 700 to 800 meters and landed safely. The second jumper did not open his main screen. The reserve parachute was activated at a height of about 230 meters , but did not open completely. The jumper was seriously injured by the hard impact.

• On August 16, 1997, a reported rapid succession Glider type PZL Bielsko SZD-30 at the winch launch and a glider-type PZL Bielsko SZD-50 to a towing aircraft of type PZL-104 Wilga 35 ready for takeoff. The start manager let the aircraft take off first in winch start. The tow plane also starts while the winch is taking off. At a height of 40 to 50 meters, the tow plane collided with the winch cable that had already been disengaged. The propeller and the right wing of the PZL-104 were hit. This resulted in severe engine shaking and a leak in the fuel system. The pilot of the SZD-50 noticed the drop in performance of the tow plane, disengaged the rope and landed safely. The pilot of the tow plane took off the gas, switched off the ignition and initiated an emergency landing . During the emergency landing, the aircraft overturned and caught fire. The 26-year-old pilot was seriously injured, but was able to save himself from the aircraft on his own. His passenger was fatally injured.

• On July 27, 1999, a roller shutter Schneider LS8 -A took off with a winch. At a height of about 30 meters, the plane got out of control and hit the ground. The aircraft was badly damaged and the pilot was seriously injured.

• On September 10, 2016 collided microlight type Flight Design CTSW with a glider-type Schleicher ASK 21 . The glider was slightly damaged in the process, but was able to land without any problems. The inmates were uninjured. The collision caused the ultralight aircraft to climb steeply and subsequently crash into a forest adjacent to the airfield. The 54-year-old pilot and his passenger were killed.

Web links

• Website of the Fliegerclub Großrückerswalde e. V.
• Website of the parachuting club Rüwalders e. V.
• Website of the flight club Erzgebirge e. V.
• Großrückerswalde flight school

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Christa Bräuer, Werner Schuffenhauer: "Chronicle of the Großrückerswalde airfield" . Ed .: loose-leaf collection. City Archives of the City of Marienberg January 1996.
2. ^ FAI: Record list glider flight. FAI, accessed June 20, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Investigation report 3X092-0 / 97. Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation , December 1999, accessed on April 5, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Investigation report 3X338-0 / 97. Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation , September 1999, accessed on April 5, 2018 . 
5. ↑ Bulletin - Accidents and Serious Disruptions in the Operation of Civil Aircraft. Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation , July 1999, accessed on April 5, 2018 . 
6. ^ Federal Office for Aircraft Accident Investigation: Investigation report. July 31, 2019, accessed March 7, 2020 .