fwd: Chuck Yeager to help flying club in Germany celebrate its 50th

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?...&article=22674
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Chuck Yeager to help flying club in Germany celebrate its 50th


By Lisa Horn, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Seven years after he broke the sound barrier in 1947, retired Air Force Gen.
Chuck Yeager became involved with the German-American Soaring Club of
Traben-Trarbach while stationed at the former Hahn Air Base in Germany.

Yeager, who served as squadron commander at the base from 1954-55, will be
present to commemorate the flying club’s 50th anniversary at its air show June
12-13 at Mont Royal Airfield.

The airfield is between Spangdahlem Air Base and the former Hahn Air Base, now
called Frankfurt-Hahn Airport.

“They had just opened up Hahn Air Base and his was the first squadron in,” said
Dr. Roger Dunn, club president.

“During his one year here, he got involved in our soaring club [and] being a
famous person, he christened our very first soaring airplane back in 1954.”

The club currently has 100 members and owns five gliders and four motorized
planes. This weekend’s air show is the largest event the club has staged in 25
years, Dunn said.

In addition to Yeager’s appearance, aircraft representing nearly every area of
private aviation will be on display. Parachute jumps, model airplane displays,
formation flying and aero-acrobatic demonstrations are also planned.

“We expect about 20 high-performance airplanes and probably another 20 to 30
various private aircraft that people will just fly in with,” Dunn said.

The air show is 3 euros on Saturday and 4 euros on Sunday. Children under the
age of 12 are admitted free.

Visit www.moselflugplatz.de for more information on the event.