Water skiing on the Grundsee in the Salzkammergut

But let’s take it one step at a time. I first came across this in a photo feature in a trade journal last year.

I then reached out to the Austrian seaplane pilots and got in touch with them. My seaplane colleague Gérard Kesselring from Zurich was also convinced by the idea that we could participate there. So we signed up. We found a beautiful guesthouse called Hofmann right there on the spot, directly on the shore of Lake Grundsee. It’s only a short walk from the guesthouse to the seaplane base.

minutes on foot. Of course, you can drive right up to the venue with your car and all your flying gear. If you prefer to tent or camp in some other way, you can do that on-site as well. There’s also a well-maintained campground with shopping options right there. Unfortunately, Grundsee isn’t exactly nearby. Our route took us via Zurich—Bregenz—Munich—Salzburg to Grundlsee. That’s roughly 700 km, give or take. But so what? You don’t treat yourself to much else in life. And once we model airplane enthusiasts get an idea in our heads, it’s rarely going to leave us. Our Austrian colleagues really spared no effort and set up a fantastic infrastructure right by the lake. The seaplane meet isn’t a competition, but rather free flying however you please. On display were models ranging from the simplest, small “WINGO” to various “foam waffles” and even beautiful scale models. And, of course, everything was powered exclusively by electricity. Well-known figures like Peter Adolfs (PAF) and Christian Ramoser, with his famous variable-pitch propellers, were there and willingly answered all our questions. →

It goes without saying that only electric models are flown at this beautiful tourist and vacation destination. Our Austrian colleagues also provided the 220-volt outlets for our chargers. Note: Our three-pin plugs do not fit at all in Austria. There are no problems with two-pin or Euro adapters. The cars are parked on-site, so a 12-volt car battery works as well. Of course, strict transmitter control was standard practice. We, with our 2.4-GHz systems, were exempt from this regulation and were able to fly whenever and however we wanted.

Both the Spectrum and FASST systems were in operation at the same time, and there were no issues whatsoever.

Flight operations as such were well-organized. At times, up to 10 models were in the air. The infrastructure also included two crewed boats that immediately retrieved models in “distress” and brought them back to shore. We were treated to a first highlight on Saturday afternoon. Red Bull’s Cessna Caravan, arriving from Salzburg, landed on the lake and provided a fantastic spectacle alongside our models. On Saturday evening, a great pilots’ party took place at the “Rostiger Anker” restaurant, featuring an extensive

buffet and lively live music. The singer’s politeness prevents him from revealing any specific details! On Sunday, flight operations continued more or less early (considering the previous evening) in the same vein.

As Sunday afternoon wore on, the crowd gradually thinned out. After all, most people had a journey home ahead of them, some longer than others. My colleague Gérard and I chose a different option. We stayed until the very end, enjoyed the flying, then had a good dinner and spent another night at the Gasthof Hofmann,

After breakfast, we set out on the roughly 700 km drive and headed back toward Switzerland. But the longer we drove back, the more the thought took hold in our minds that, despite the 700 km drive, we simply had to be back next year. The Grundsee bug has really taken hold of us.

In closing, I’d like to once again extend my heartfelt thanks to our model airplane friends from the Salzkammergut for their wonderful hospitality and the tremendous effort they put into the event.

Text: Peter Hofer Photos
: Gérard Kesselring