Flying is not explicitly prohibited despite the corona restrictions, but Königsdorf's glider pilots remain on the ground out of solidarity with other athletes.
Königsdorf– “Freedom must be limitless above the clouds. All fears, all worries, it is said, remained hidden underneath and then ... ”When songwriter Reinhard Mey wrote these lines, in 1974 that was, he certainly had no nasty virus in mind. But what is it like now, almost 50 years later? Can the pilots of the Königsdorf Gliding Center (SFZ) escape the corona pandemic and its effects by climbing the clouds? We talked to SFZ spokesman Mathias Schunk about this.
Mr. Schunk, I can't infect anyone alone in a glider. Are the pilots allowed to take off at the SFZ?
A difficult question that cannot be answered simply with yes or no. From a purely legal perspective, you can fly. But now the question arises: is a gliding area a sports facility? Sports facilities such as soccer or golf courses have been blocked in the course of the exit restrictions. It is a gray area. Our umbrella organization, the German Aero Club, has currently generally recommended that flight operations be discontinued. However, we did that before at the SFZ. Because what would the father who sits in the home office and the mother, who has to keep their children happy all day at home, think when the glider pilots have fun high above them?
So you forego flights out of solidarity?
Exactly, because flying is not prohibited. Solo in a glider, the risk of infecting someone else or yourself is almost zero. On the other hand: Then you might end up in the glider on the outside of some field and then you can start again. Overall, sport is currently a difficult topic. Actually, there would be no reason not to play tennis. After all, you're 15 meters apart. Or why not go to the golf course - as long as you keep the minimum distance? But now the same applies to everyone, namely to stay at home. If the government relaxes the restrictions again, however, it should explicitly name the sports that can be practiced again. In contrast to Germany, Austria explicitly released some individual sports from May 1, including archery, golf, tennis and gliding. By the way, since you mentioned solidarity: AOPA Germany, the association of private pilots, has started an action in which some of us in Königsdorf also participate. In the Corona crisis, it is a matter of making flight capacities available to civil protection on a voluntary basis, for example to bring urgent small items such as masks or medication from A to B at short notice and without red tape.
Voluntary air observers also work at the SFZ to support the civil protection authorities, the police and the emergency services. What is the current status?
At the moment we have not yet reached the warning level required for the forest fire surveillance flights. But we live in Germany, so of course there is already an implementing regulation for this. A pilot and an observer are required for these flights, but they are not allowed to sit next to each other in two-seater machines, but have to sit in four-seaters one behind the other to keep the distance. I'm still a bit skeptical about the plane's center of gravity and trim. This is certainly not possible in the constellation of a 70 kg pilot in front and a 110 kg observer in the back. It wouldn't work that way.
Do you have four seats at the airport?
Yes, we have three towing machines in Königsdorf. Another possibility would be that the pilots undertake the observation flights alone. However, they are not trained to communicate directly with the fire department via radio, for example. As of this Friday, air rescue squadron training flights have been available in Königsdorf, in which the pilots sit alone in the aircraft, but try out the flying and sparks with a face mask. In addition, the legal requirements for flights with passengers must of course be observed in the event of any operations. This requires at least three landings within the past 90 days. Friday is also intended for this.
A personal question: you are also a commercial pilot at Lufthansa. Are you currently flying?
The fleet is almost completely shut down, we are on short-time work. But I just had a conference call with my fleet manager. What's new: We will fly passenger aircraft to Beijing and Shanghai to bring masks and protective suits here. For the cargo, the economy seats are removed from the capacity in the lower cargo area at the rear in order to have more storage space.
How long have you been out of the air?
At the end of March I had an evacuation flight from Cape Town.
As an avid aviator, you are already brutally withdrawn!
(laughs) More from gliding than from working.
peb
Read also: On wet meadows to the world club: 60 years of the Königsdorf gliding center
Against the forest fire: Königsdorf pilots train for emergencies