Seven years after he broke the sound barrier in 1947, retired Air Force Gen. Chuck Yeager became involved with the German-American Soaring Club of Traben-Trarbach while stationed at the former Hahn Air Base in Germany.
Yeager, who served as squadron commander at the base from 1954-55, will be present to commemorate the flying club’s 50th anniversary at its air show June 12-13 at Mont Royal Airfield.
The airfield is between Spangdahlem Air Base and the former Hahn Air Base, now called Frankfurt-Hahn Airport.
“They had just opened up Hahn Air Base and his was the first squadron in,” said Dr. Roger Dunn, club president.
“During his one year here, he got involved in our soaring club [and] being a famous person, he christened our very first soaring airplane back in 1954.”
The club currently has 100 members and owns five gliders and four motorized planes. This weekend’s air show is the largest event the club has staged in 25 years, Dunn said.
In addition to Yeager’s appearance, aircraft representing nearly every area of private aviation will be on display. Parachute jumps, model airplane displays, formation flying and aero-acrobatic demonstrations are also planned.
“We expect about 20 high-performance airplanes and probably another 20 to 30 various private aircraft that people will just fly in with,” Dunn said.
The air show is 3 euros on Saturday and 4 euros on Sunday. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.
Visit www.moselflugplatz.de for more information on the event.
The schedule ...
Saturday
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
Ultra-Lite Fly-In at Mont Royal Airfield. More than 30 ultralite airplanes from all over northern Europe are expected.Arrival of special aircraft for demonstrations and display. These include: a T-6, YAK 52, a Boeing Stearman biplane, a Pitts Special aerobatic biplane, a CAP 321 high-performance single wing aerobatic plane, rare sailplanes and a rare SAAB Saphire, a gyrocopter and numerous helicopters from the Rhineland-Palatinate police and the German army.Retired Air Force Gen. Chuck Yeager will be available for autographs.Noon to 6 p.m.:
Aerial demonstrations, parachute jumps and model airplane demonstrations.Three sightseeing flights in Lufthansa’s Juenkers 52 (“Tante Ju” 52) from the Hahn airport. The Tante Ju, a corrugated aluminium plane built in 1936, is one of only six still flying.Sunday
10 a.m.:
Opening ceremony with local German officials and Air Force Col. Stephan Mueller, commander of Spangdahlem Air Base and Yeager, special guest, at Mont Royal.10 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
“Tante Ju” 52 will make five sightseeing flights from Hahn airport over the Mosel River and Mont Royal Airfield.11 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
