{"id":7641,"date":"2013-04-15T09:25:19","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T16:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=7641"},"modified":"2013-04-15T09:28:42","modified_gmt":"2013-04-15T16:28:42","slug":"floating-over-the-danube-the-vision-of-the-little-tailor-of-ulm-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/floating-over-the-danube-the-vision-of-the-little-tailor-of-ulm-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Floating Over the Danube: The Vision of the Little Tailor of Ulm Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

The beautiful blue Danube River of Strauss waltz fame, \u201c\u2026Rises in the\u00a0Black Forest\u00a0mountains of western\u00a0Germany\u00a0and flows for some 1,770 miles (2,850 kilometers) to its mouth on the\u00a0Black Sea. Along its course, it passes through nine countries: Germany,\u00a0Austria,\u00a0Slovakia, Hungary,\u00a0Croatia,\u00a0Serbia,\u00a0Bulgaria,\u00a0Romania, and\u00a0Ukraine,” according to the\u00a0Encyclopedia\u00a0Britannica.<\/p>\n

In 1811, Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger, a tailor in the city of Ulm near the headwaters of the second longest river in Europe, tried a novel idea \u2013 flying across the river on a nicely sewn-together hang glider.\u00a0 His splashdown marked the end of his aeronautical career, but made him famous and an unlikely harbinger of things to come.<\/p>\n

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Artist’s depiction of Berblinger’s wings<\/p><\/div>\n

City fathers have announced, \u201cIn the spirit of Berblinger, and continuing his vision, the City of Ulm aims to promote innovative developments in general aviation that makes it possible to perform an environmentally sustainable long-distance flight. \u00a0The long-distance objective is a competition flight following the course of the Danube along its whole length from source to mouth, as free of noise and emissions as possible. \u00a0Therefore, the motto of this year’s competition: \u201cVision of a Danube Flight\u201d [is] completely in the spirit of the legendary Tailor of Ulm.<\/p>\n

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Berblinger Prize could see Stuttgart’s solar airplane competing against electric, solar, hydrogen-powered competitors<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

Prize money of 25,000 euros should encourage entrants, who will be expected to demonstrate, \u201cThe aspects of environmental sustainability such as energy consumption, exhaust and noise emissions,\u201d in the attempt to fly the length of the river in as resource respectful a manner as possible.\u00a0 The route can be flown in stages, allowing current technologies a fighting chance of success.<\/p>\n

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Gerard Thevenot with hydrogen tank for his La Moutte hang glider, which has already crossed the English Channel. At least one hydrogen-powered airplane will compete this year<\/p><\/div>\n

According to organizers, \u201cThe Berblinger Competition 2013<\/a> will have its own stand at the AERO aviation show in Friedrichshafen from 24th \u2013 27th April. Visitors will be able to find out all about the current competition and pick up the entry packs. The latest information on the 2006 and 2011 competitions is being prepared in time for the AERO and will be available at the show. The book also contains a media CD, which is an impressive record of the 2011 Berblinger Flight Competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

This blog reported on the 2011 winners,<\/a> with the Antares 20e, Erik Raymond’s Sunseeker II, and the ultralight Swift Light electric hang glider taking top honors that year.<\/p>\n

Besides engaging in a far-reaching contest, 2013 participants will also enjoy a far-reaching tour of Europe, certainly an adventure worthy of the entrance fee.<\/p>\n