Sinsheim

May 19, 2007

 

Auto and Technical Museum and Ballooning

 

and Balloon Event

 

Every year the balloon club "Badisch Sibirien e.V." invites me to be "Startleiter", a type of take-off coordinator, for their yearly competition. It's a fun event, not to be compared with the big championships. Eleven balloons showed, the weather forcast was not very promising but turned out to be perfect so the event could take place.... the last years it got rained out.

 

It's always nice to meet old friends and be a part of the balloon scene once again. I also met one of my former flight instructors from my balloon training back in 1991!

 

Before things got going, since I arrived early, I took advantage of the weather and re-visited the local museum. I'm not a museum freak, but this one, and the one in Speyer, are really interesting. Some of my pictures from my visit two years ago can be seen here.

 

The Museum

 

The Aircraft

 

Tupolev TU-144 and one of the last Air France Concordes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Turpolov cockpit

 

The Concorde cockpit

 

The Turpolove

 

The Concorde

 

 

Inside both planes it's very narrow. They are set up on supports at a steep angle, making climbing from the entrance to the cockpit feel like climbing a mountain! The picture here gives only a small impression of what it's like inside the Tupolov. In both planes the seats were nothing special, in fact they seemed less luxurious then any standard airline seats!

 

 

 

This plane, a JU 52, was left in it's distraught condition... no renovations done.

 

 

 

The Cars and such

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Ladies

 

 

 

 

 

ok, the white spot is my flash... sorry

 

and for some entertainment