A few weeks ago I happened to read a book by German aviator and researcher Günther Plüschow. It’s not a modern book, it was written by him in 1930 and it talks in detail about his flights above the Andes in South America. His plane was a 1926 Heinkel HD 24W on floats. Argentina and Chile had in those years very few landable places, but many small lakes.

 

He had his plane shipped to Punta Arenas in Chile in several crates and had to assemble it first before he could take off and photograph parts of the Andes

 

G. Plüschow is the one on the float. The name "Tsingtau" was used, because he flew before the South American adventure as mail pilot in China

 

Let the adventure begin

 

On January 28^th 1931 he took off from Lago Argentino in order to continue to film flying and exploring one of his most favourite sites in the Andes, the Cerro Torre and south of it theTorres del Paine. At the end of that flight he encountered apparently heavy downdrafts, which smashed his small plane into one of the lakes in that area, where it overturned, throwing him and his co-pilot out of their seats, killing both of them on the spot. The plane had its wings broken, but remained otherwise relatively intact.

 

Frank Dainese, who has already developed the fantastic Monument Valley (as ORBX payware), has also done the Cerro Torre (freeware), located some 450 kms north of Punta Arenas. And this is, where I am heading today, hoping the weather will be friendlier to me.

 

I don’t have a Heinkel HD24, but a Bücker Jungmann of similar vintage. Let the adventure begin again

 

I depart from a small airport close to Lago Argentino, the lake, Plüschow had used for his take-offs. It’s called El Calafate

 

So far so good and the weather plays along

 

Absolutely breathtaking scenery

 

Holy sh…, where did that come from??? That took less than a minute

 

 

Let’s not get too close to the mountain, turbulences will be the worst there

 

 

 

Let’s head back, before this goes out of hand, but it’s fantastic to look at

 

 

Approaching El Calafate again

 

Back on terra firma

 

Btw, people in Ushuaia claim (2012) that this is the original Plüschow plane. I am not so sure…after all those years. Also the lettering on this plane appears to be smaller. But who knows and does it really matter….

Absolutely wild colors Bernd...nice!  I'm headed to the optometrist for a checkup now

Great historical presentation. Tsingtau was a German occupation of a port in China (Quingdao) in 1914

The airplane is a restoration. The circumstances and story are very interesting. Photos and screenshots are outstanding!

 

HLJAMES

Amazing!!Great Story and accompanying pics.

Thanks a lot gents for your kind comments, It's much appreciated