Mystery flight
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Rätselflug - The hunt by helicopter |
| Country of production |
 Germany Switzerland France 
|
| original language | German |
| Year (s) | 1982-1983 |
| length | 58 minutes |
| Episodes | 13 in 1 season |
| genre | Game show |
| Moderation | Rudolf Rohlinger |
| First broadcast | July 22, 1982 on ARD |
Rätselflug was the German version of the French TV show La Chasse aux trésors of the former broadcaster Antenne 2 , which was about solving three encrypted puzzles within a certain time, each of which led to one of three "treasures", which an outside reporter via Helicopters could be found. The program was invented by the French television and radio journalist Jacques Antoine .
content
A pair of candidates, each a man and a woman (mostly a couple), had to decipher three puzzles within 45 minutes. To do this, they directed an external team consisting of a reporter , cameraman (mostly: Jean-Yves) , camera assistant (mostly: Bruno; occasionally: Francis or Serge) and a pilot who was traveling in a helicopter to which they had no visual connection, only had (more or less good) radio contact.
The riddle texts were handed over to the moderator Rudolf Rohlinger in a sealed envelope by the expert Elsa Manet - who also contributed to the French version La chasse aux trésors - in the antenna 2 broadcast studio . As soon as he opened the envelope, time was running out. Only specially compiled maps, books, travel guides and brochures were available to the candidates to solve the tasks. As a reward they received 1,000 DM for the first, 2,000 DM for the second and 3,000 DM for the third puzzle, so a maximum of 6,000 German marks in total.
production
The broadcast was responsibly produced by Süddeutscher Rundfunk (SDR) and Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) . The Swiss television (SF DRS) acted as co-producer, while Télé Union Paris (TUP) had the license rights to the series and has. Initially, 13 episodes were planned, with the tasks, locations, cameramen and pilots being largely taken over from the French original by Antenne 2 .
For technical reasons, the show was produced under “live conditions”, but it was completely recorded because the realization was anything but uncomplicated. For this reason, the format was adopted inexpensively by the Parisian colleagues from "Antenne 2" and all 13 episodes were produced in parallel in German and French. This also included the opening credits, the closing credits and the studio furnishings of the French original. The studio recordings and the pictures of the field team were then subsequently assembled into the finished broadcast.
The cameraman of the field team or their camera assistant carried a portable video recorder with them, on which the images were recorded that were never transmitted live to the studio. In addition, a telephone connection was set up in each region, with the signal from the studio in Paris to the reporter on site and vice versa being transmitted mostly via a portable duplex VHF radio system . But the speech connections were broken off again and again, especially to the non-European destinations, so that the recordings were interrupted and in some cases only resumed the next day.
The respective outside reporter and his team generally covered the great distances by helicopter. However, since it was not always possible to land directly at the destination, several hundred meters often had to be covered on foot. Therefore, the away team required physical fitness and the reporter always dressed in red overalls . In most cases, the cameraman and his assistant got out of the car and covered the necessary distances on foot. However, depending on the difficulty of the terrain, they occasionally stayed in the helicopter with their heavy equipment and filmed the scenes with the actions of the outside reporter from the air.
The “treasures” themselves were objects placed by the editorial team or commissioned work on site before the game was recorded. The consequences were significantly influenced by the fact that at that time there was no satellite technology that could have simplified the whole gameplay, which on the other hand would also have made the show less attractive. Therefore, a large part of the individual programs consisted of asking the external reporters Günther Jauch and Bernhard Russi , who were alternately deployed, where they are and what they are seeing or doing.
criticism
In Germany , the format was so badly received that it was the subject of open mockery - "fear of flying riddles" - and was discontinued after the 13 planned and produced programs. The proponents of the format were enthusiastic about an action-packed entertainment show at the time, while the opponents demanded that the helicopter pilots' license be withdrawn because they had in part violated the applicable aviation security regulations.
Some candidates also expressed criticism of the program because they considered some tasks to find the three searched "treasures" within the given 45 minutes in the sometimes very large search area to be almost impossible. In fact, some “treasure sites” were so far away from a possible helicopter landing site that the external reporters and cameramen had to cover very long distances on foot or even on horseback, for example, in order to reach them in a reasonable time.
consequences
The descriptions of the content of individual programs contain the names of the candidates and their origins at the time of production. Likewise, the riddle texts and where the treasures were to be found and what they were about. The stopwatch times are also mentioned and accordingly whether the candidate couple was able to solve all the puzzles. The order of the individual episodes is based on that of the ARD first broadcast, although some programs are not necessarily taken into account because they are apparently lost in the respective ARD archives. (The spelling of the puzzle texts is based on the way it was used in the individual programs at the time!)
Episode 01: Füssen
The search area was around Füssen in Bavaria . The pilot of the Agusta-Bell AB-206B JetRanger III helicopter was Günther Braun († 1993), the reporter on board was Günther Jauch. The candidates were Monika and Franz Meier from Dornach near Basel . All three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | “Cross the grotto, which is not a grotto, then you will find the symbol of my family in the place where the seat of my power should be.” - Signature: Ludwig | We were looking for King Ludwig II , who had an artificial grotto built in his Neuschwanstein Castle through which one could get to the throne room. A small porcelain swan was placed there as a family symbol, representing the treasure they were looking for. (The remaining time was stopped at 29:28.) |
| # 2 | "Where I only lived in summer, I dropped my ring right under the highest balcony, on which one cannot stand." - Signature: Bishop of Augsburg | The summer residence of the prince-bishops of Augsburg in the high castle of Füssen was wanted . Under the painted bay window of the local “stork tower”, a ring was hidden in the embankment on the foundation, which was the treasure sought. (The remaining time stopped at 10:29 am.) |
| # 3 | “My cartridge case hangs on the white antlers of a deer near my hunting lodge.” - Signature: Ludwig | We were looking again for Ludwig II, who as an enthusiastic hunter had several hunting lodges . The hut we were looking for was near Bleckenau in the district of Schwangau , where a deer antler was attached to the outer facade of the top floor , from which the cartridge pouch we were looking for as a treasure hung. (The remaining playing time was stopped at 00:11.) |
Episode 02: Dubrovnik
The search area was around Dubrovnik in what was then Yugoslavia , now Croatia . Günther Jauch was the reporter on board the helicopter. (This episode of mystery flight is no longer available as video material in the archives of the ARD broadcasters.)
Episode 03: Loreley
The search area was around the Loreley in Rhineland-Palatinate . The pilot of the Agusta-Bell AB-206B JetRanger III helicopter was again Günther Braun († 1993), the reporter on board was Günther Jauch. The candidates were Liliana Palazzi and Willi Schmidt from Zurich . All three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | “You will find my gold in the terrible dungeon into which the count and customs officer of the Rhine let me down.” - Signature: A skipper | We were looking for Pfalzgrafenstein Castle near Kaub , which was once built as a customs station on the Rhine island of Falkenau . There was a nine meter deep dungeon , into which Günther Jauch was lowered by rope. On the floor there was a small leather pouch that contained some gold and copper coins that represented the treasure we were looking for. (The remaining time was stopped at 33:44.) |
| # 2 | “Cat and Mouse saw them resist the white flag, but surrender to the tricolor . You will find my pistol in the “watch”. ”- Signature: A gunner | We were looking for Rheinfels Castle above Sankt Goar , which could be seen from the two castles Katz and Maus . At the so-called U (h) r tower , a gate tower of the castle , there was a dilapidated corridor to an interior. There, under a window niche, an old two-barrel flintlock pistol was hidden, which was the treasure we were looking for. (The remaining time was stopped at 16:11.) |
| # 3 | "On the building that separates two close relatives, you will find their arches." | We were looking for the so-called " enemy brothers ", the castles of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein near Kamp-Bornhofen . Between the two fortifications there were two " war walls ", where two arrows were placed on the battlements of the wall crown of one of the two structures , which represented the treasure sought. Günther Jauch achieved this by itself to a runner hung the helicopter. (The remaining time was stopped at 01:21.) |
Episode 04: Djibouti
The search area was around Djibouti . The reporter on board the helicopter was Bernhard Russi. (This episode of mystery flight is no longer available as video material in the archives of the ARD broadcasters.)
Episode 05: North Sea
The search area was on the Frigg gas field of the mineral oil company Elf Aquitaine in the North Sea between the Shetland Islands and Norway . Bernhard Russi was the reporter on board the Bell 214B Big Lifter helicopter . The candidates were Inge Windfelder and Egon Griesser from Munich . All three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | “Jim Spencer always works under pressure. When you have found him, ask him to write down the name of Odin's wife. " | We were looking for a diver named Jim Spencer, who worked on the ship "Stena Protector". He wrote the name of the Nordic goddess Frigg on a piece of paper, whereby this note was about the treasure he was looking for. (The remaining time was stopped at 26:33.) |
| # 2 | "Bernhard Russi has to close Christmas tree No. 1 on a platform without a breakwater." | The technical term "Christmas tree" was looking for the valve system through which the pressure of the gas source could be throttled. This was located on the "DP 2 Drilling Platform" oil rig , which was not equipped with breakwaters . Number one of a total of 24 control valves had to be turned off by handwheel, which was considered a treasure. (The remaining playing time was stopped at 14:36.) |
| # 3 | "The man who sometimes works with" Mother Hubbard "will give Bernhard Russi one of his kernels." | We were looking for a drill bit on the “North East” platform, where a technician handed Bernhard Russi a drill core as treasure. (The remaining playing time was stopped at 02:20.) |
Episode 06: India
The search area was around Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan . Günther Jauch was the reporter on board the helicopter. The candidates were Elke Büschel and Günther Braun († 1993), who previously worked as a helicopter pilot for the Füssen and Loreley Rätselflug episodes . (This episode of mystery flight is no longer available as video material in the archives of the ARD broadcasters.)
Episode 07: Rock City Petra
The search area was in the region around the abandoned rock city of Petra in Jordan . The pilot of the Aérospatiale SA.316B Alouette III helicopter was Captain Sani of the Jordanian Army , the reporter on board was Bernhard Russi. The candidates were Andrea Klein and Klaus-Dieter Rebscher from Darmstadt . Two of the three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | "An old Bedouin says: you will find my dagger between the two pillars that appear to you at the same moment as El-Jarah as soon as you go down the gorge." | The treasure house Khazne al-Firaun was sought , which contains an urn (El-Jarah) in the upper area of the facade and which is opposite the Siq gorge , which is considered the entrance to the rock city. A dagger was hidden between the two right pillars of the rock tomb , which represented the treasure that was being sought. (The remaining playing time was stopped at 23:28.) |
| # 2 | “While climbing up, I discovered two Nabataeans with their camels in the rock 200 meters to the left of the monastery, which was previously consecrated to OBODAS. I made a drawing of this relief there that you have to find. " | They were looking for Ad Deir , a rogue Monastery , which is the more likely Mausoleum of the Nabataean king Obodas I was. In the rock massif to the left of it was the relief sought , with a small drawing of the representation hidden in the rubble underneath and the treasure sought. (The remaining playing time stopped at 10:28.) |
| # 3 | “In the land of promise you will find the place where Moses' brother died. You can find his dress in a corner of the tomb mosque. ”- See Numbers 20:22 ff | We were looking for the mountain "Hor", which is known today as Jabal Hārūn in the south of the rock city, the Arabic spelling of Aaron , the name of the older brother of Moses . There was a keffiyeh , which was the treasure, in a niche of the mosque on top . (The remaining playing time was up, although you happened to be in the right place. The treasure you were looking for was discovered afterwards.) |
Episode 08: Sri Lanka
The search area was in the central province of Sri Lanka between Dambulla and Sigiriya around Lake Kandalama . The pilot of the helicopter of the type Bell 206 was officer Roger from the Sri Lankan army, the reporter on board was Günther Jauch. The candidates were Sigrun Mantay and Eberhard Gunsölt from Munich. All three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | “Valagam Bahu was able to flee from the Tamils. In gratitude he left his refuge to the monks. They worshiped their deity there. But in the largest of the caves there are also Vichnou and Saman, and between these two you will find the imprint of his seal. " | What was wanted was the largest of around 80 cave temples in the Dambulla area, where King Valagamba found refuge from the Tamils . In it was between the statues of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Saman under the depiction of a cobra the sought-after seal , which was the sought-after treasure. (The remaining time was stopped at 26:42.) |
| # 2 | "Before the fight with Mogalana, I rose from my throne and, in anger, threw my crown into the middle of a place that may keep it hidden forever." - Signature: Kassapa | We were looking for the ruins of a former fortress on the magma block of an eroded volcano near Sigiriya, which Kassapa I had built for fear of his half-brother Moggallana . In a cistern filled with water that was preserved, Günther Jauch had to dive for the crown hidden in it , which represented the treasure. (The remaining time was stopped at 06:03.) |
| # 3 | “Only my paws remain. On the right you will find a lotus flower. " | Wanted were the remains of a carved out of the rock lion statue at the foot of the northern slopes of the Lion Rock known monolith was from the previous puzzle. The way there led over steep stairs and ladders. The treasure was a lotus flower placed on the right paw . (The remaining playing time was stopped at 00:12.) |
Episode 09: St. Moritz
The search area was around St. Moritz in the Engadin in Graubünden . Pilot of the helicopter type Aerospatiale Lama SA.315B the Helibernina AG was Ueli Bärfuss, reporters on board was Bernhard Russi. The candidates were Martina Schröer and Bernd Horné from Munich. As a special feature of the episode, the puzzles were each accompanied by a film or picture on video cassette . Two of three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | “This film hero fell into a crevasse while filming near St. Moritz. In this scene, the mountain guide who was in charge of the film team lost his ice ax. " | Roger Moore was on videotape as James Bond in the 007 film The Spy Who Loved Me . We were looking for the Morteratsch Glacier , where an ice ax was placed in one of the crevasses of the time , which represented the treasure we were looking for . (The remaining time was stopped at 16:34.) |
| # 2 | “Excerpt from a made-up interview that Henri Oreiller could have given a sports newspaper:“ To win the gold medal in a ski race, every detail is important, the steep slope begins 500 meters after the start. I marked this point with a stick in front of a rock. ”“ | The videotape showed black-and-white footage of Henri Oreiller, a 1948 Winter Olympics winner . What was wanted was the downhill skiing slope at the time in the Corviglia ski area . A ski pole was deposited there on a rock on the edge of the steep slope, which Bernhard Russi reached on skis and which was the treasure he was looking for. (The remaining playing time was stopped at 04:22.) |
| # 3 | "Excerpt from the television series" Heidi ". The grandfather went through his village to visit his sick grandchild. But what happened to his pipe? " | The videotape showed scenes from the 1978 television series Heidi . We were looking for the Heidi hut in St. Moritz, where a tobacco pipe was hidden under a bench that would have been the treasure we were looking for. (The remaining playing time was up, and the away team was in the wrong place. In retrospect, the treasure was discovered.) |
Episode 10: Nepal
The search area was around Kathmandu in Nepal . Günther Jauch was the reporter on board the helicopter. (This episode of mystery flight is no longer available as video material in the archives of the ARD broadcasters.)
Episode 11: Appenzell
The search area was in the Appenzellerland in Switzerland , both in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden and in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden . The pilot of the helicopter of the type Bell 206B Jet Ranger from Rüdisühli Helitransport was Urs, the reporter on board was Günther Jauch. The candidates were Eva-Maria and Tarras Mašić from Munich. Two of the three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | Günther Jauch will find my "symbol of freedom", which I forgot with Mr. Böhm-Eugster, next to the place where I exercised my right to vote on the last Sunday in April 1980. " | We were looking for the Landsgemeindeplatz in Trogen , where cantonal elections were held in even years. There a sword was deposited with the local restaurateur Böhm-Eugster , which was the treasure he was looking for. (The remaining time was stopped at 32:32.) |
| # 2 | “A cheese maker says:“ My village used to be known for its whey cures. When I left it, I left my “harp” in place. ”“ | What they were looking for was a device called a “harp”, which was used to stir the whey when making cheese . That tool was given to Günther Jauch in a dairy in Gais and was the treasure he was looking for. (The remaining time was stopped at 17:17.) |
| # 3 | “During the descent, exactly at the moment when the chapel could be seen on my right side, I had to be taken out of the cable car because of a technical breakdown. When I touched the floor, I lost my Lindauerli. Everything has been prepared so that Günther Jauch can find it again. " | The cable car on the Ebenalp was wanted . On the route there was a Lindauerli , a typical Appenzeller tobacco pipe , near the Wildkirchli cave chapel , which represented the treasure. To do this, Günther Jauch was put into a prepared rescue bag that hung under the cable car's gondola to get to the destination. (The remaining playing time was up, although you were in the right place. However, due to the bad weather conditions, the treasure was not recovered afterwards.) |
Episode 12: Sanaa
The search area was around Sanaa in Yemen . The reporter on board the helicopter was Bernhard Russi. (This episode of mystery flight is no longer available as video material in the archives of the ARD broadcasters.)
Episode 13: Thatta
The search area was around Thatta in Sindh Province in Pakistan . The pilots of the helicopter of the type Bell UH-1 were three officers of the Pakistani army , the reporter on board was Günther Jauch. The candidates were Elsbeth Pfenninger and Hansruedi Rierger from Stäfa . All three puzzles were solved within the given time of 45 minutes.
| Puzzle text | Solution & treasure | |
| #1 | “93 domes make a voice audible. You will find a flag on the dome that is closest to Mecca. " | We were looking for the Shah Jahan Mosque in the east of Thatta, where a red flag with a white crescent moon was deposited on the westernmost dome , which was the treasure sought. (The remaining time was stopped at 29:34.) |
| # 2 | “If you look west from my grave you can see a dome supported by columns. There lies my sword in the 5th grave. ”- Signature: Prince Sultan Ibrahim | We were looking for the grave of Sultan Ibrahim from 1598/99 on Makli Hill , a huge necropolis in the west of Thatta. About 200 meters to the west of it was a burial site with five graves, where a scimitar was hidden on one , which was the treasure sought. (The remaining time was stopped at 14:19.) |
| # 3 | “Not far from my mausoleum is the grave of one of my generals. A turban adorns it and guards my Koran. ”- Signature: Sultan Nizamuddin | We were looking for the mausoleum of Sultan Nizamuddin Shah , which was located in the far north of the Makli necropolis, where the away team was currently staying. Only a few meters away was a single grave of a military chief, which was decorated with a turban . A Koran was placed there, which was the treasure we were looking for. (The remaining time was stopped at 02:12.) |
Transmission data
| ARD - first broadcast | broadcast | Einsfestival repetition | |||||
| date | Time | episode | Search area | production | Helicopter reporter | date | Time |
| THU, July 22, 1982 | 21:00 | Episode 01 | Füssen ( Bavaria ) and the surrounding area | SDR | Günther Jauch | 09/08/2012 09/09/2012 |
16:45 14:15 |
| THU 08/05/1982 | 21:00 | Episode 02 | Dubrovnik ( Yugoslavia ) | BR | Günther Jauch | - | - |
| THU 08/19/1982 | 21:00 | Episode 03 | Loreley and surroundings | SDR, BR | Günther Jauch | 03.11.2012 04.11.2012 |
16:20 14:00 |
| THU, 02.09.1982 | 21:00 | Episode 04 | Djibouti | BR | Bernhard Russi | - | - |
| THU, 16.09.1982 | 21:00 | Episode 05 | North Sea ( Elf Aquitaine's Frigg gas field ) | SDR | Bernhard Russi | 09/22/2012 09/23/2012 |
16:45 14:15 |
| DO, October 21, 1982 | 21:30 | Episode 06 | Jaipur ( Rajasthan , India ) | BR | Günther Jauch | - | - |
| THU, November 4th, 1982 | 21:30 | Episode 07 | Rock city Petra ( Jordan ) | SDR, BR | Bernhard Russi | 29.09.2012 30.09.2012 |
16:45 14:15 |
| DO, November 18, 1982 | 21:30 | Episode 08 | Sri Lanka ( Central Province ) | BR | Günther Jauch | 06.10.2012 07.10.2012 |
16:45 14:15 |
| DO, 02.12.1982 | 21:30 | Episode 09 | St. Moritz and the surrounding area | SDR | Bernhard Russi | 13.10.2012 14.10.2012 |
16:45 14:15 |
| DO, December 16, 1982 | 21:30 | Episode 10 | Kathmandu ( Nepal ) | BR | Günther Jauch | - | - |
| THU, January 13, 1983 | 21:30 | Episode 11 | Appenzell * | SDR, BR | Günther Jauch | 10/20/2012 10/21/2012 |
16:45 14:15 |
| THU, January 27, 1983 | 21:30 | Episode 12 | Sanaa ( Yemen ) | BR | Bernhard Russi | - | - |
| SO, 04/03/1983 | 17:45 | Episode 13 | Thatta ( Pakistan ) | SDR | Günther Jauch | 27.10.2012 28.10.2012 |
16:45 14:15 |
* At the Einsfestival repetition, the episode "Appenzell" was broadcast in black and white , which was due to the age of the archive material, which could no longer be reproduced in color in sufficient quality, and there were also clear signs of use towards the end of the tape were.
Other countries
Similar seasons were broadcast in the following countries:
- Belgium ( RTBF ), Canada ( SRC ), France ( A2 ), Luxembourg ( RTL ), Monaco ( TMC ) and Switzerland ( TSR / SSR ) moderated by Philippe de Dieuleveult under the name La chasse au trésor or La Chasse aux trésors .
- Denmark, Sweden and Norway moderated by Johan Torén.
- Great Britain ( Channel Four ), hosted by Kenneth Kendall and Dermot Murnaghan under the name Treasure Hunt .
- Israel.
- Italy ( RAI 1 ) moderated by Jocelyn Hattab under the name Caccia al tesoro .
- Japan moderated by Shinji Yamashita.
- Yugoslavia used the French version with Serbo-Croatian subtitles.
- Netherlands moderated by Leo van der Goot under the name Op jacht naar de schat .
- Portugal ( SIC and SIC-Gold), moderated by Catarina Furtado under the name Caça ao tesouro .
- Spain (NTVE) moderated by Miguel de la Quadra-Salcedo under the name A la caza del tesoro .
- South Africa.
Web links
- Mysterious flight in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Article about the broadcast on fernsehlexikon.de
- Article about the broadcast on fernsehserien.de
- Article about the broadcast on tv-kult.de
- Article about the broadcast on wunschliste.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ La Chasse aux trésors in the French Wikipedia
- ↑ Rotating reporter DER SPIEGEL 29/1982, July 19, 1982