2021 Swiss Acrobatics Cup in Oberriet

After the 2020 flying season was largely cut short by the coronavirus, more than twenty glider aerobatic pilots from the three countries gathered once again for the 20th edition of the Swiss Aerobatic Cup at the beautiful MFG Oberriet SG airfield. Seven acrobatic pilots traveled from Austria and six from Germany. Nine Swiss pilots were registered to compete.

Most participants arrived as early as Thursday, and they trained diligently that afternoon. On Friday and Saturday mornings, the competition began as scheduled at 9:00 a.m. In both categories, pilots alternated between flying familiar and unfamiliar routines. Saturday afternoon was reserved for the freestyle flights. During these aesthetic highlights, each pilot performed their own sequence of maneuvers, accompanied by smoke and music. The weather was at its best throughout both days of flying; although it was very hot, it remained dry for the entire competition. It wasn’t until just before the festive cocktail reception that a violent thunderstorm swept over the airfield. The two rounds scheduled for Sunday morning could not take place due to fog. With an outstanding performance, our youngest participant, Gregor Nagel (10), placed fourth in the Advanced class.

It has been 20 years since the Swiss Acro Cup (SAP) was founded by two dedicated glider aerobatics pilots, Adi Eggenberger and Andreas Schärer, with the help of Thomas Hoffmann. The very first SAP was not held at a regular airfield, but on a natural meadow near Schöfflisdorf, which was prepared specifically for this purpose with the help of many volunteers. Even at the first event, over 30 pilots from three countries—Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—were in attendance.

This encouragingly large turnout marked the start of many more successful events, which are being held for the twentieth time this year. This anniversary had to be celebrated in style. The SAC crew had planned quite a few activities for the occasion. During a festive reception, everyone who contributed to the success of the events was honored. René Koblet mentioned them by name, and they each received a small memento. The speeches were interspersed with various spectacular flight demonstrations.

A big thank you goes to MFG Oberriet, which played a major role in helping to organize the entire event. They made their beautiful and ideal airfield available to us for four days, set up a festival tent specifically for the occasion, provided catering on site, and supported us in every way possible in an extremely friendly and welcoming manner. *ha/am*