Helga

Helga is a self-tought luge world champion. On the left she can be seen at the 1957 Luge World Championships in Davos, Switzerland (2nd Place). On the right on a double with Host Tiedge in the German Championships in Triberg, Black Forest in 1958 (1st Place).

And yes - just in case you're wondering: that is a football helmet she is wearing on the left. Sporting helmets were almost impossible to come by in Germany in those days. Her cousin Helmut of Lookout Mountain, Colorado, 
gave her a present of his laid-off college helmet.

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Robert

Robert learnt to fly in Grenchen, Switzerland on J3 Cubs and received aerobatic training on a Swiss-built (Altenrhein) Bücker 131 Jungmann at age 19 in 1953, when flying was still outlawed in Germany. His flight instructor was a local celebrity, the catholic parish priest, Pfarrer Portmann! As can be seen from his flight log (below) he went solo after 2:09 hours and 55 landings of dual instruction.

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Photos taken in Grenchen, Switzerland in 1953

First double Page from Robert's first log-book

Postcard. Grenchen from the air in 1953.
At a time when Flight Schools still sent Post Cards and Christmas Greetings.

This is what a Swiss Pilot's license looked like in 1953

Grenchen airfield traffic in 1953 (AT-6). Flight instructor Beier on Nord 1001 (Messerchmitt Bf 108 "Taifun")