Flugtag
2003 is a big year back in Ohio; the bicentennial of the state and the centennial of powered flight, which originated in a bike shop in Dayton. A number of celebrations and air shows are to be held this summer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and I feel bad that I will not be able to partake. Luckily, the Germans are also celebrating the 100 years of powered flight with the Flugtag up in Oberschleissheim. Gabe, Matt, Sarah, and Mike had all planned to go visit Dachau, while Rob has already seen Dachau, and I will have plenty of opportunities to see it in my time here.
 | | S-bahn Stau. |
Rob and I take the S1 out to Oberschleissheim. The event is actually clogging the S-bahn system, something I have never seen to such an extent.
 | | The ticket seller stand. |
There are some product names in Germany that I have a feeling were never run by native english speakers, not that it should really matter in this country, but it provides amusement for us, nonetheless. The above picture illustrates this perfectly in two ways. First, the fact that the label got throught the marketing department is hilarious. Second, the girl's reaction to me taking a picture of her, one more of flirting than of acknowledged humor, would suggest that she didn't get the joke. Another good and ubiquitous example is that of a certain satellite antenna company which goes by the abbreviated name SATAN.
There are many a plane to see, some in hangers, most out on the field being prepped for flight.
 | | A big Fokker. This one is particularly interesting as it has two upper intakes and four directional nozzles out the sides. |
 | | The Porsche of airplanes. Literally. |
 | | Rearward fan trainer. |
 | | Hmmm... Schwein. |
 | | How to properly eject from the museum. |
I would say the highlight of the show would have to be the stunt flying of the biplane with smoke streams mounted at the wingtips.
Later in the day, I decide to do a couple loads of laundry, but need to stop by the cash machine first. The only ATM that I know of for my bank is down at Marienplatz. Attempting to get on the subway, I realize that some major soccer event is happening, as the subway is completely clogged with soccer hooligans, so much so that I can't get on the subway car and end up walking the kilometer to Marienplatz. My cash machine just happens to be right off of the plaza, but the entire area is such a clusterfuck that it takes me almost 15 minutes to walk the 50 meters from the edge of the crowd to the ATM.
I jump on the subway back towards my apartment, which is unsurprisingly empty. Just outside the subway exit, I notice a large group of hooligans parading down Ludwigstrasse, consuming its full width of five lanes for nearly half a block. The crowd stops at the intersection of Ludwigstrasse and Oscar von Miller Ring, the street that lies where the old city walls once stood, and then forms a giant circle in the intersection, and begins chanting and moving to the commands of a single leader with a megaphone.
In the midst of it, something goes horribly wrong, and the dozens of police officers, who were rightly anticipating a hardy, rush into the middle of the crowd in groups of three and four. A number of police vans with camera men standing out the sunroofs surround the crowd and attempt to record as much as they can.
A few meters behind me I hear a crack of breaking glass and see the shards go flying passed my feet; turn around to see that a fan had taken a beer bottle to a cop's face, leveling him and bloodying the right side of his face within seconds. Three other cops pick him up and heave him into one of the camera vans.
The police then throw out several smoke flares in attempts to disperse the crowd, but all they do is spread a red smoke, no tear gas. In fact some of the fans pick them up and start waving them or throwing them at cops. Luckily it works, and the crowd just continues marching towards Odeonsplatz. The entire event seemed almost routine for the police, but I would hope that they have something a bit more powerful in their arsenal should things get much worse.
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