French pilots end up unexpectedly in Ellwangen: thunderstorms forces the break

French pilots end up unexpectedly in Ellwangen: thunderstorms forces the break

Flugplatz Erpfental, 73479 Ellwangen, Deutschland - On June 4, 2025, 37 French pilots surprisingly landed at the Erpfental airfield in Ellwangen. The group, which was traveling with 20 flight machines, got into difficulties due to a storm in airspace in airspace and the Nuremberg metropolitan region. The flight was part of their project, which they carried out under the motto "Flight of the Adler". The start took place from the home airfield of Amiens, north of Paris, with a planned route via Strasbourg, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.

The flight stopped in Ellwangen after the originally planned landing on the Greding airfield south of Nuremberg was impossible due to the weather. They landed on site with five motor dragons, eight gyrocopters, five ultra-light helicopters and two motor planes. They were accompanied by four supply vehicles that provided food and transport. The Ellwangen glider airfield is approved for gliders, motor gliders, ultra -light aircraft and motor planes to a maximum elevation weight of two tons, which made landing possible there.

hospitality in Ellwangen

The Ellwangen pilot group organized a warm hospitality for the French pilots. They supported the arrival of the guests and provided accommodations that were divided into two groups. Markus Beerhalter, the deputy chairman of the aviation group, welcomed the pilots, including the managing director of the “Air Flash” flight school, Éric Lefèvre. Despite linguistic barriers, those present created a friendly and comradely atmosphere, and the evening was completed in a convivial atmosphere.

The successful organization of the Ellwangen pilot group for the visit was very well received. A reunion of the French pilots is already planned for the 100th anniversary of the Ellwangen pilot group in 2028, which indicates the positive balance of this encounter. The following morning the group continued their flight and headed for a place near Passau.

The development of aviation

Aviation, a fascinating field, has developed dramatically since its beginning in the 18th century. The first motorized flight from Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903 is the birth of modern aviation. Today, technical progress in the areas of security, efficiency and environmental friendliness enable a wider range of travel options. Digitization could also produce new business models and services in aviation in the future.

While international aviation is characterized by main traffic nodes such as Frankfurt and London, the history of aviation remains a valuable source of insights into future developments. However, challenges such as environmental problems must continue to be addressed to ensure a sustainable future of aviation.

Overall, the event in Ellwangen shows how closely the community of flying is and how international relationships can be strengthened through such encounters. The 'flight of the eagles' will probably be remembered for a long time.

For further details about the incident in Ellwangen, take a look at the reporting of Schwäbische Post and Schwäbische.de . You can also find interesting information on the history of aviation on Stationlist .