From 1959, 46 examples were built of the Pützer Elster (Magpie), a sport aircraft designed to a West German military requirement and used mainly in recreational flying groups of the air force and navy. This one carried the military serial 9719. Eight Elsters were airworthy in 2018.

This 1958 straight-finned Cessna 172 was rammed on the ground by Jodel DR1050 G-BYFM the next day here at Hahnweide.

A wonderful classic. called the Air Baby because the Praga Baby was a car. The type first flew in 1934. A few hundred examples were built before and after WWII, this rare survivor in 1947.

Just one of many fabulous old aicraft to be seen at this wonderful event.

Pictured showing off to the crowd as this beautiful 1937 plane starts its take-off run at this wonderful air show.

Pictured lifting off rw31 with a glider in tow to open the flying display at this wonderful air show.

This is how the Luftwaffe aces learnt to fly. In this case the Schulgleiter (training glider) was towed to 1500 ft by a plane, but in the old days, as the expert commentator at Hahnweide explained, it rarely flew over treetop height because it was usually launched by a bunch of boys pulling on a bungee cord. Apparently construction of this airframe was begun by a Hitler Youth group in Leverkusen in 1944, but not completed until 1953.

According to a preliminary police report, the Jodel swerved off the runway during take-off - coming from the right, presumably - and slammed into poor old Cessna 172 D-ELYS on the taxiway. I understand the four people on board the two aircraft were all only slightly injured.

former Portuguese AF 3723 an thereafter EC-JGL