On July 3rd, Maeve Daw who is currently studying at the United States Air Force Academy came to Bruchsal to visit our manufactory. Although she is still quite young, Maeve is already a flight instructor and flies gliders with the US Air Force Academy’s aerobatic team. While traveling in Germany together with her family she decided to have a close look at DG Flugzeugbau’s up to date sailplane manufactory.

 

 

A little more than 6 years ago the US Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, had purchased 19 DG-1001 Club, which have since then been in use for instruction and aerobatic flight training. Those gliders have replaced the former fleet of Blaniks, which until then had been used for the cadets’ basic training. Thanks to a special instruction program, cadets at the USAFA can already solo after 8 to 10 flights! If you compare their training methods to the instruction we know in our clubs, you’ll find it very different. Several hundred cadets per year may thus finish the Air Force glider training. During one year, the entire DG-1001 Club fleet accomplishes more than 17,000 launches! In order to guarantee a flawless training program all its steps are well synchronized. A big maintenance team is always on standby to maintain or repair the gliders.

 

During our tour through the production line Maeve and her family were truly impressed by our state-of-the-art manufacturing process. After looking at the composite parts manufactory we visited the structural assembly and our paint shop, and then completed the journey in the final assembly. Our visitors could thus follow the DG-1001’s complete fabrication process. Last but not least we opened the hangar where the Volocopter VC-200 and its new series model called Volocopter 2X are stored. A great highlight!

 

 

 

Thank you very much Maeve and family for your visit! We whish you all the best and good luck for your soaring buddies at the US Air Force Academy!

Many Happy Landings!