SES Soaring Stories
Erika celebrates 50 years of soaring

        

It's May 1, 1955. World War II is over, and once again recreational flying has returned to the citizens of Germany. A teen age girl rides out to the airfield with her uncle. He started flying gliders in the 1930's. During the war, he flew Stuka dive bombers. Today is different. He's a glider instructor, taking his niece out for her first glider flight. No introductory ride in the seat of a sleek fiberglass ship, with an instructor at the controls! We're in the era of the primary glider. Think of strapping a lawn chair under a wing, and add a tail. Now load the contraption onto a slingshot, have a seat in the chair, hold on (no seat belts here), and fire the slingshot. Oh, by the way, did I mention there is only one seat. Where's the instructor? He's standing along side the glider, shouting instructions to the student.


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Last modified 17-Dec-2006 by CR