Salzburg is a very special place for culture lovers, and also for paragliders. Right on the outskirts of Salzburg, above the Gaisberg, you can admire the city panorama from the air. It usually has to be enjoyed from a certain distance, however, because flying over Salzburg old town is not normally permitted. “Not normally”, however, does not mean it is impossible ...
It’s going to be a spectacular flight: acro pro Roland Brunnbauer is sure of it. He would like to dedicate his next flying adventure to his adopted hometown, Salzburg. Leopoldskron Palace is undoubtedly one of the historic jewels of Salzburg, so an unusual landing site has been found. You can see the Gaisberg from the Leopoldskron pond, which sits directly in front of the palace, and nothing interrupts the course of a flight – except for the Salzburg CTR above the old town
A mountain with special rules
Leopoldskron Palace and the Gaisberg are both situated in the middle of the Salzburg Airport Control Zone. Any flying in this restricted area has to be approved by the control tower. To the west, the restriction is permanent – flying over the city of Salzburg is not possible without a special permit. After much negotiation, the tower agrees to open the CTR for this unusual event and the city council agrees a time window.
The palace garden
The first on-site inspection with the photo team raises an important problem. The pond in front of the splendid palace is surrounded by trees, which makes landing next to it impossible. “If I don't want to land in a tree, then I guess I have to land in the water,” Roland realises, adding: “Preferably with a ground spiral and wingtip water touch!” In acro competitions, a ground spiral is the ultimate manoeuvre as it requires many different skills. “The difficulty with it is that I have to pay attention to many things: initiating the spiral with enough height and potential energy, calculating the rotations precisely and releasing at just the right moment. Only with a perfect end to the spiral will I touch the water with the stabilo.”
Let the water games begin
The day has come. When Roland arrives at the launch site, he gets a few surprised looks. He waits for the right moment for his take-off. He is not dressed in the usual warm clothes that would be appropriate for the cool weather, but instead is barefoot and wearing swimming trunks. A canoeist is waiting on the large pond below, ready for some Air Sea Rescue action. The paraglider water games can begin!
With the photographers in position, Roland appears in the sky. He does not have much height as he flies over the pond and gets ready for the spiral, but there's still enough to enter it and pick up some downward speed. Happiness reigns when his wingtip elegantly brushes the water. Wet but happy, he and the canoeist return to the shore.
The equipment
The team
Roland Brunnbauer
Roland is anything but an unknown in the ACRO scene. He continues to prove his talent since his second place at the 2021 Synchro World Championships.
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