Helma Sjuts

Helma Sjuts (born January 29, 1919 , † September 4, 2008 ) was a German balloonist and junior high school director.

Life

The former junior high school director of the Paul-Gerhardt - Realschule in Münster had already started gliding in 1939, but when she experienced a balloon flight in 1969, she lost her heart to this sport. More than 6,400 driving hours make her the most successful gas balloonist in the world and one of the three most successful balloonists ever. Their competition victories, their records and their awards are innumerable. At home and abroad she is known as the “grande dame of ballooning”.

In 1988 she played a guest role in the successful ZDF children's series Löwenzahn with Peter Lustig in the episode Peter goes in the air . She subsequently carried her real name Helma Sjuts (played herself) and was supposed to drive over the Münsterland with Peter Lustig . In reality, only some of the recordings were shot in Münsterland, the rest in Gatower Heide near Berlin , which at that time was still in the GDR .

In 2003 her first book A Life in a Balloon was published . In this book Helma Sjuts writes about the fascination of ballooning, about many of her most beautiful and adventurous trips, the technical aspects of ballooning, but also about her small role in the dandelion episode Peter goes in the air . Her memories are illustrated with numerous photos and documents that give an insight into the exciting world of ballooning.

Helma Sjuts lived in Münster-Hiltrup , was single and childless.

Honors

In Münster-Hiltrup a path is named after Helma Sjuts (51.901141 ° N 7.622402 ° E).

literature

• Helma Sjuts: A life in a balloon Aschendorff (2002), ISBN 978-3402054611 .