The Joy of Fun

The 4th Seaplane Event saw a veritable invasion of large seaplanes. On the right is E. Giezendanner’s Canadair with a wingspan of just over 2 m; next to it is Urs Stahel’s Catalina seaplane with a wingspan of 2.3 m; and in the background is Arnim Selinka’s Do 18 F with a wingspan of 2.92 m.

The Türlersee Seaplane Days have seen remarkable growth: While the first, very family-friendly gathering featured mostly smaller models with maximum wingspans under 2 meters, a year later pilots arrived with models boasting wingspans about one meter longer. At the 4th Türlersee event, even the seaplane elite turned out with gigantic seaplanes, and the number of participants approached the maximum capacity. But it wasn’t just the larger models that wowed the spectators—smaller models also drew crowds, such as

the fun “Verbrenner-Topsy” and the Micro Stinson Reliant. In addition, deltas, biplanes, legendary racing planes, a beautiful Icon A5 amphibious model aircraft, and—last but not least—the demonstrations by the Dornier Do-24 duo, pilots Hans-Jürgen and Tobias Moser, provided variety and a lively atmosphere.

A pilot’s suggestion to display the foam models separately from the wood and fiberglass models was rejected. After all, the gathering wasn’t meant to degenerate into a two-tiered society of the elite and the outcasts. The primary focus

of the Türlersee gatherings, the primary focus should continue to be on the sheer joy of flying, rather than the pursuit of prestige. It was also gratifying to see how young pilots executed skillful takeoffs, flights, and landings. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, not all of the interesting models could be included in this report.

Thanks go to the catering team—Ruth, Lilo, and Juano—who went above and beyond to ensure the pilots and guests were well fed and contributed greatly to the excellent atmosphere.