Helmut Reichmann (1941 – March 10, 1992) was a German

glider pilot Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...

, thrice World Gliding Champion, and co-founder, along with millionaire

Barron Hilton William Barron Hilton (October 23, 1927 – September 19, 2019) was an American business magnate, philanthropist and sportsman. The second son and successor of hotelier Conrad Hilton, he was the chairman, president and chief executive officer of ...

, of the

Barron Hilton Cup The Barron Hilton Cup (BHC) was a worldwide soaring contest, founded by the late ex-chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation, Barron Hilton, and the late Prof. Dr. Helmut Reichmann. The European Aeronautic Defen ...

. He was an arts teacher and a professor of industrial design in his native

Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...

, in Germany. Born in

Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...

, Reichmann was raised in

, where he eventually taught at the Institute for Sport Science. Reichmann earned his PhD at the

University of Karlsruhe The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; german: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie) is a public research university in Karlsruhe, Germany. The institute is a national research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT was created in 2009 w ...

, with a thesis "On the Problem of Airspeed Optimization in Cross-Country Soaring Flight." Reichmann started soaring in 1958 and soon achieved prominence as one of the most successful and influential people in the history of

gliding Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...

: *1965 German Junior Champion *1968, 1971 and 1973 German National Champion *1970 and 1974 World Champion in the Standard Class *1978 World Champion in the 15-Metre Class *1978 FAI

Lilienthal Gliding Medal Lilienthal Gliding Medal – the highest soaring award in the world, established by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in 1938 in honour of Otto Lilienthal, a German pioneer of human aviation. It aims "to reward a particularly rema ...

, the highest honor in

soaring Soaring may refer to: * Gliding, in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes * Lift (soaring), a meteorological phenomenon used as an energy source by some aircraft and birds * ''Soaring'' (magazine), a magazine produced ...

*1973 to 1992, German National Team Coach. Reichmann retired from competitive flying after his third world championship, wishing to dedicate more time to

flight instruction Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

in cross-country and

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indivi ...

soaring. He taught gliding at the Sports Studies Institute at the University of Saarbrücken, but he eventually moved to the university's Faculty of Fine Arts, where he taught experimental sculpture and design. Reichmann was the author of two books on soaring: * ''Streckensegelflug''. Also available in English as ''Cross-Country Soaring'', in French as ''La Course en planeur'' (Seidec edition, 1985), and in Spanish as ''Vuelo Sin Motor – Técnicas Avanzadas''. It is still a primary reference on soaring. * ''Segelfliegen – Die praktische Ausbildung''. Also available in English as ''Flying sailplanes – A Practical Training Manual'', and in Spanish as ''Vuelo Sin Motor – Enseñanza Practica''. This has become a standard reference for pilots. Reichmann died in the

French Alps The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as ...

in 1992 when his Discus collided with an LS4 flown by Lars Gölz, who was also killed. Reichmann had been leading four members of a German squad at the time.

References

Additional reading

* Reichmann, H. ''Streckensegelflug''. Motorbuch Vlg., Stuttgart, 1975. English translation as ''Cross-Country Soaring'' published in 1978 by the

Soaring Society of America The Soaring Society of America (SSA) was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of soaring in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw–Hill Building on February 20, 1932. ...

, . * Reichmann, H. ''Segelfliegen – Die praktische Ausbildung''. Motorbuch Vlg., Stuttgart. English translation as ''Flying sailplanes – A Practical Training Manual'' Thompson Publications 1980, ASIN B0006E1VSK. Aviation writers Glider pilots 1941 births People from Wilhelmshaven 1992 deaths Lilienthal Gliding Medal recipients Recipients of the Saarland Order of Merit German flight instructors German aviators {{Germany-bio-stub