The
original air show was held in July 1946 – 60 years ago.
Västerdalarnas Flygklubb was found in
1936, so it was their 10th year anniversary. The intention of
organizing the festival was for the club to get money to buy en
aricraft. The festival became a success and the club could also buy a
Taylor Cub. The photos on this web site are from this time. If
you´re interested you will find more photos in our albums at
the club house. In time for the Air Show Festival you will be
able to buy videos/DVD´s that show our club acivities and other
air show festivals.
The air show festivals in 50´s and 60´s had almost as many
visitors as we have now. In the shows the Swedish Ariforce and
their best display pilots always performed. During these years the
air shows was always held on Sundays, while Saturday and Sunday
nights were aimed at entertainment, such as fun-fair and dancing.
During a tenth year period you can also find an exhibition named
Västerdalsmässan.
Among the many world famous display pilots was Albert Falderbaum and
Herbert Thieling from Germany.
Commander Hans Hjelte was also a very
famous Swedish pilot who flew the Klemm 35 B. The Swedish
Airforce´s groups of four J 35 Draken and two J
29 Tunnan were also some of the highlights.
Falderbaum was a former fighter pilot of Luftwaffe, who flew both Bücker
Jungmeister and glider LO 100. He was famous for gliding
upside down just a few meters above the airfield to wind up his show.
Thieling was a gliding pilot of the same class as Falderbaum.
Commander Hans Hjelte waved with his both hands to the crowd when he
flew upside down above the airfield.
One of the French parachute
jumpers who performed in the end of the 50´s was Christian
Ladouet. He jumped from 3000 m above the ground but didn´t pull
the release line until the crowd screamed.
Another year a parachute
club from Brausweig, Germanny, performed. Some of them jumped right
after the plane had passed the crowd after take off.
There were
mavericks even in the 50´s.
Albin Ahrenberg, who was one of Sweden´s first real pioneers of
aviation, participated in the show a couple of times and passenger
flew with a Junkers JU 52.
The festival also included the best
music artists and dancebands at that time as Emile Ford, Hotenanny
Singers, Charlie Norman, Lill-Babs, Otto Brandenburg and Tore
Callmarks Orchestra to name some of them.
The festival was an annual recurrent event from 1946 to 1973 when the
festival was mothballed until 1986 when it was time to arrange a
festival again when the club had it´s 50th
anniversary. After that the festival has been arranged every third
year, apart from the years 1989 – 1993 and 1996 – 2000.
|
 |
