RTW Leg 144
Noon
EDFE-EDKB 167 nm.
The Rhine: Heidelberg, Mainz,
Rhine River Gorge, Drachenfels
ETE: 1.2 Hours.
Terminal Departure and Non-Terminal Arrival

NARRATIVE

Now we do a bit of sightseeing.  This flight, which tours the Rhine, makes sense only in VFR conditions.  It is worth the wait for good weather.

We begin flying south from Egelsbach away from Frankfurt and passing near Darmstadt which sits on a gently sloping plain between the Odenwald (a forested plateau) and the Rhine. The city's ducal castle tells of its prior prominence as a grand duchy.  And the chemical plants tell a more modern tale.  In the Mathildenhöhe, east of the city, is the artist's colony established (1899) by the then Grand Duke.  Nowadays, the Darmstädter Gesprache, a seminar devoted to intellectual issues and combined with art exhibits, is an annual event.

Heidelberg, the castle, and the Nekar River

And further along we reach the canalized Neckar River where it emerges from the forested hills of the Odenwald into the Rhine plain.  Sitting at the foot of the rising hillsides lies Heidelberg, a city of long-standing importance but whose buildings originate from the late 18th century Baroque period rather than an earlier Gothic medieval--because it was completely destroyed by the French in 1689 and 1693.  (See waypoint HEIDL.)  This is today a university town--Heidelberg University is the oldest in Germany.  And the main source of commerce is tourism--each year several million people visit the imposing Heidelberg Castle.  Although devastated by the French in seventeenth century and then struck by lightning in 1764, this magnificent red sandstone structure, 330 ft (100 m) above the river, still dominates the city.  In the cellar is the Heidelberg Tun (1751), an enormous wine cask with a capacity of 49,000 gallons (185,500 litres).  [Enough for the upcoming Buzz celebration.]

Ferrari cornering on  Hockenheimring's  infield section

The Imperial  Cathedral of Speyer

We turn west, passing over the racetrack at Hockenheim's Hockenheimring--a frequent site for the current German F1 Grand Prix. (Hard to see, but it's near Waypoint HRING)

And then we hit the Rhine River at Speyer.  The city began as an ancient Celtic settlement and it served as a Roman military and trading town for a half-millennium.  It was a free imperial city for five hundredyears, and was the seat of the Imperial Chamber of Justice of the Holy Roman Empire's high court from 1527-1689.  (At one imperial diet in 1529, Martin Luther's followers protested against the majority's decision to rescind the concessions made to the Lutherans in 1526. The word Protestant originated from this incident.)  The city's Romanesque cathedral, founded in 1030 by the Holy Roman emperor Conrad II, contains a unique crypt and the tombs of eight German emperors and kings and three empresses.  

The enormous AN-22 in descent.	In contrast to the ancient Cathedral.

The airport has several times served as the host to nationwide airshows.  And the Technik Museum is famous world-wide for its collection of old and modern aircraft.  Perhaps most dramatic is the recently acquired Antonov AN-22.  In December of 1999, the Museum acquired the aircraft and had it flown to Speyer.  Now it is easier said than done for a 60 meter 120 ton aircraft--the world's largest turboprop--to land at a GA airfield.  News spread throughout Germany and hundreds gathered to see the arrival.  On the appointed day the weather was dreary and overcast:  the pilot had to circle the airfield twice, and finally landed safely to the cheers of the photographing onlookers.  (For a film about the event and a website by Elser Films:  http://www.elser-film.de/An-22__Antaus_/an-22__antaus_.html )  If you wish, you may stop by the Museum and take the AN-22 up for a spin to test your piloting skills (well not in reality).

We now turn north to follow the Rhine along part of its course than runs 865 miles (1390 km) from the high mountain streams of the Alps to the Netherlands and the North Sea. 

As a commercial artery, the Rhine is unrivaled among the world's rivers, historically as well as in the amount of traffic carried. The Romans maintained a Rhine fleet, and the importance of the river increased enormously with the rise of medieval trade, which relied on water transport wherever possible because of the poor roads. The rock barrier of the gorge at Bingen divided navigation into two sections: predominantly upstream traffic by seagoing vessels to Cologne and predominantly downstream movement of commodities--brought first across the Alpine passes--from Basel to Mainz and Frankfurt am Main. 

Modern barge traffic on the Rhine

Historically, two sections presented serious handicaps to navigation: the rock barrier at Bingen and the southern upper Rhine. At Bingen two navigation channels were blasted out in 1830-32; canalization of the upper Rhine by confining it within an artificial bed and straightening its course was undertaken in 1817-74. In neither case were the resulting improvements entirely satisfactory, but the channels at Bingen were doubled in width and deepened, thus eliminating the need for a pilot. Navigation on the upper Rhine, despite the further improvements made after 1907, suffers from seasonal variations of flow and the swift current.

Three factors were important in the rise of traffic on the Rhine. First, the political impediments to free navigation--particularly the approximately 200 toll stations along the course of the river--were removed by the Congress of Vienna of 1815. Second, the means of transport were improved by the introduction of steam-powered, and later diesel-powered, tugs; prior to the mid-19th century, barges moving upstream were towed either by teams of horses or gangs of men. Third, the waterway itself was improved, the stages of which are discussed above.

The mode of transport from 1840 onward was by tugs towing a number of barges. Development after 1945 involved initially the introduction of self-propelled barges and subsequently the introduction of push tugs, whereby one tug can propel four-barge units and thus save labour costs. An increase in the traffic volume was also effected by the introduction of radar navigation in the 1950s, which made round-the-clock operation possible. There is also regular passenger service on the Rhine during summer, especially the middle Rhine section and from Rotterdam to Basel, but this is almost exclusively for tourists.
(From Britannica)

From Speyer we pass near the large city of Mannheim (MANNH) at the mouth of the Neckar River.  Rebuilt in the eighteenth century, Mannheim became a cultural center, with schools for musicians and scientists and the first National Theater.  It was a center for the liberal revolutions of 1848.  The city became industrialized when the Rhine River harbor began operations in the mid-nineteenth century--and it remains one of Europe's largest inland ports.  Carl Benz produced his first automobile engine in Mannheim in 1879.  And we pass Worms, site of the historic 1521 Diet of Worms at which Luther defended himself and refused to recant--which led to a riot.  Later, the Diet declared him an outlaw and heretic (thought the edict was never enforced against the rising hero.)

We reach Mainz (MAINZ), at the mouth of the Main River and parallel to Frankfurt just to the east.  Also with Celtic and Roman history, the town became the center for Rhenish commerce during the 13th century.  Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type here about 1440 (see below).  The city's military importance, however, impeded its growth as it became a strategic target for various German and French and Swedish imperial ambitions.  

Industrialization came late and the town remains a center for the Rhenish wine trade.  Further, it has acquired an international scientific reputation as it hosts Gutenberg University (including the Institute for Economic Research) and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.  (From Planck, a useful bit of wisdom: "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.")

The Rhine after the rain.

Now the Rhine River Gorge.  This is most spectacular and romantic reach of the river. In this 90-mile stretch the Rhine has cut a deep and winding gorge between the steep, slate-covered slopes of the Hunsrück Mountains to the west and the Taunus Mountains to the east. Vineyards mantle the slopes as far as Koblenz, where the Mosel River joins the Rhine at the site the Romans called Confluentes.  On the right bank, the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein dominates the Rhine where the Lahn tributary enters.  Downstream the hills recede, the foothills of the volcanic Eifel region lying to the west and those of the Westerwald to the east.  At Andernach, where the ancient Roman frontier left the Rhine, the basaltic Seven Hills rise steeply to the east of the river, where, as the English poet Lord Byron put it, "the castle crag of Dachenfels frowns o'er the wide and winding Rhine."

RTW Notam.  When we turn into the Rhine Gorge, you should take care.  The flightplan is intended as a guide but you should do your own navigation down the river between the high banks.  For your own enjoyment, you might consider flying the Rhine Gorge at something less than 1,000 ft to buzz the tour boats and to see the castles along the shore.

The Mäuseturm.   Ever get that gnawing feeling?

The old town of Bingen (waypoint BINGN) is the traditional "beginning" of the Gorge-near the whirlpool known as Binger Loch.  During the middle ages this narrow portion of the river made for an enterprising economic practice--the local Erhenfels castle blocked travelers until they paid a toll.  Nearby, on a rock in the river, is located the the famous Mäuseturm.  According to legend, the tower marked justice for Archbishop Hatto I of Mainz who ruled with an iron hand and extracted grain from starving peasants.  He restored the island tower and occasionally stayed there for safety's sake.  One day in 970 he was forced to stay on the island with illness and, so the story goes, was eaten alive by thousands of mice.  Since that time, this has been called the "Mouse Tower."

Heading downriver, we pass Assmannshausen, the red wine growing town, on our right.  All along the Rhine the steep hillsides are covered with vineyards that produce the region's famous vintage.  The warmth and shelter provided by the valley protect the vines.  On our left is Bacharach (BACHA) which was a thriving center of the Rhine wine trade during the Middle Ages--as it was protected by 14th century defensive walls and towers.  

All along the river the hillsides are dotted with castles--there are more castles here than any other river valley in the world.  The Rhine has long been a main line of transportation and communication for Central Europe.  In the Middle Ages the German emperors used the river to connect with the merchants of Italy.  And, of course, anyone owning a castle overlooking the valley was in a good position to regulate this vital river traffic.  Thus, the German princes built the castles--assigning to the feudal serfs, of course, the hard work of breaking the stones and erecting the massive walls and turrets.

The Lorelei.  Do you hear what I hear?

The 14th century Burg Katz

At at turn in the river on our right, far above the water's surface, stands the imposing rock, the Lorelei (waypoint LOREL).  Here the Rhine narrows dramatically, funneling its waters into a treacherous maelstrom of fast-flowing currents.  This rock produces an echo which, according to legend, whispered the songs of sirens who, at twilight time, lured many an unwary sailor to his death.  The story of the beautiful mermaid who threw herself into the Rhine in despair over a faithless lover and was transformed into a siren has inspired folktales, songs, and poetry.

Nearby is the St. Goarshausen with its Burg Katz castle set like a crown on the hillside overlooking the town.  The castle was built by Count Johann of Katzenelbogem at the end of the 14th century and, though it was destroyed in 1804, is now restored to give a sense of its glory.  (The nearby Durenberg Castle was given the name Burg Maus to yield the famous pair: Cat and Mouse Castles.)

Then on the left is Burg Rheinfels, above St. Goar (SGOAR), which was build in 1245 by Count Dieter von Katzenelbogen.

Finally, a few miles further downriver, after the wine town Boppard (BOPP) and the sharp right and left turn in the river, we can see Marksburg Castle (MARKS).  Towering on a high crag above Braubach, it is the only fully preserved medieval fortress on the Rhine.  At the beginning of the 13th century, it was first known as "Braubach Castle," and belonged to the Lords of Eppstein. During the 13th century it passed into the possession of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen, who turned it into a fortress.  From 1479 to 1803 the Marksburg, as it had come to be known, was under the uninterrupted rule of the Landgraves of Hesse and thereafter, until 1866, of the Duchy of Nassau.  In 1866, the castle, together with the town of Braubach, passed to Prussia and in 1900 it was purchased by the Association for the Preservation of German Castles.  Restorers set to work, fitting it out as a typical fortress of the late Middle Ages.  Thus it stands today.

Majestic Marksburg Castle

The Deutsches Eckmonument,  Koblenz, at the confluence of the  Mosel and the Rhine

At the end of the Rhine River Gorge, where the Mosel joins the main stream as it flows to the North Sea, lies Koblenz  (KOBLZ).  The Mosel (Moselle in French) rises in the uplands of the Vosges and meanders through the French countryside before entering Germany passing through Trier.  In this sector of the valley (German: Moseltal) are the vineyards from which the famous Moselle wines are produced.  At the confluence of the two rivers (hence the Roman name, Confluentes), Koblenz's strategic position has given it a prominent role in Rhine commerce.  Beyond river traffic, tourists also find the city hospitable for touring the nearby countryside.  In the Weindorf ("Wine Village"), wine taverns provide refreshment for summertime leisure.  And a tree-lined promenade along the river leads to the Deutsches Eckmonument

To our left rises the wooded upland of the Eifel, which averages 2,000 feet (600 m) in elevation. Suitable only for forestry and cattle production, the Eifel landscape is dotted with funnel-shaped volcanic craters, most of which are filled by small scenic lakes.  And also the world-famous Nurburgring--the legendary race track for fabled Grands Prix of the past--that runs up and down the dramatic landscape.  For all its beauty, the region has now lost much of its population to the industrial areas of the Rhine and the Ruhr.  To the northeast is the rolling plateau of the Westerwald which extends about 50 miles (80 km) to the east.  In these forests one can find modest farms and some clay quarrying for local pottery crafts.

Drachenfels jutting upward

Downriver on our right is Konigswinter, in the Siebengebirge (“Seven Hills”).  The wild jagged Drachenfels (“Dragon's Rock”), towering 1,053 feet (321 m) above the river, is crowned by a 12th century castle (near waypoint DRACH).  According to the Nibelungen legends, the former masters of the castle, the Counts of Drachenfels, had a winged, fire-spitting dragon in their coat of arms.  In saga, Siegfried  is reputed to have slain the resident firedrake Fafnir and then bathed in his blood in an effort to become invincible.  Lord Byron and many other poets glorified the Drachenfels.  Today the view from the summit is considered one of the most famous on the Rhine.

Local Hero.

The sharply rising cliffsides start to soften and the land becomes more gently rolling in its contours.  Finally, we approach the city of Bonn on the left bank of the Rhine still south of Cologne.  From 1949 until a year ago, Bonn was the seat of the German federal government--during the Federal Republic's period of almost unblemished success.

While having a long history, Bonn experienced little economic development until the second half of the 19th century when the city became a fashionable residential town.  Those responsible for economic development in the late 19th century did their utmost to keep large industries out to preserve the city's attractions as a residential town for the rich. As a result, Bonn developed only limited light industry. By far the most important employer was the service industry, which during the last half of the 20th century included the many organizations associated with Bonn's function as a capital.

As Ludwig van Beethoven's birthplace, Bonn is particularly devoted to the promotion of the musical arts. It maintains a municipal orchestra and arranges numerous national and international concerts. The Beethovenhalle, a modern concert hall, is the center of Bonn's musical life.

Our destination is Bonn-Hangelar is one of the oldest airports of the world, operating since 1909.  It serves as a GA airfield for the Bonn-Cologne region, hosting several flight clubs and flightschools.  From Bonn-Hangelar, Thomas Schrerer flew a single-engined "experimental" over the Atlantic to Oshkosh and then on to Nome Alaska in 2000.  Then, in 2001 he flew from Nome through the Aleutians (with a very long leg from Shemya to Hokkaido!) on through China to Ulan Bator in Mongolia.  For tales of his adventure and a few photos that might look familiar, see http://thomas.scherer.com/ .

Arrive at classic  Bonn-Hangelar field.	And then relax at the  Aeroclub Albatross bar.

Flight planning and narrative by
Mike MacKuen
RTW Pilot #039

ADDITIONAL SCENERY AND ADD-ONS.
For FS2000 only, you might try the Rhine Gorge addons by Augustine Egiomo (rheinadd.zip 500kb) and Burkhard Renk (reinmesh.zip 1 mb). These add considerably to one's appreciation for the Gorge.  In FS2002, the default mesh is fine--better than the FS2000 renditions.  (In FS2002, use only the terrain.bgl in Renk's Rhine Mesh scenery--to good effect.  Though it is probably not worth the trouble as the improvement over the stock FS2002 version is a matter of taste.)

Horst Menden has created an excellent Bonn-Hangelar for FS2000: edkb_v2.zip, 1.4 mb.  (He is a member of the Aeroclub Albatros-Air e.V.)  The airfield works well enough in FS2002.  The rendition is just excellent, but it has no winter textures so you may get an odd set of "snowless fields" nearby.

For AN-22 enthusiasts, try Marcel Ritzema's FS2000 version (an22adb2.zip 241kb) and Dimitry Dobronravin's panel (pnlan22.zip 1.7mb).  The panel is in Russian, naturally.

Gutenberg and Printing (from Britannica)

The Gutenberg 42-line Bible, printed in Mainz, Ger., in 1455.

The first major role of the printed book was to spread literacy and then general knowledge among the new economic powers of society. In the beginning it was scorned by the princes. It is significant that the contents of the first books were often devoted to literary and scientific works as well as to religious texts, though printing was used to ensure the broad dissemination of religious material, first Catholic and, shortly, Protestant.  (The first serious demand for printing, the best-selling Bible, was among wealthy Europeans--many of whom were functionally illiterate.  In the modern sense, these were "coffee table" books--intended mainly for display.  Of course, the economic viability of printing, once established, made for the ensuing revolution in European information dispersion.  And the expansion of human imagination.)

There is a material explanation for the fact that printing developed in Europe in the 15th century rather than in the Far East, even though the principle on which it is based had been known in the Orient long before. European writing was based on an alphabet composed of a limited number of abstract symbols. This simplifies the problems involved in developing techniques for the use of movable type manufactured in series. Chinese handwriting, with its vast number of ideograms requiring some 80,000 symbols, lends itself only poorly to the requirements of a typography. Partly for this reason, the unquestionably advanced Oriental civilization, of which the richness of their writing was evidence, underwent a slowing down of its evolution in comparison with the formerly more backward Western civilizations.

Printing participated in and gave impetus to the growth and accumulation of knowledge. In each succeeding era there were more people who were able to assimilate the knowledge handed to them and to augment it with their own contribution. From Diderot's encyclopaedia to the present profusion of publications printed throughout the world, there has been a constant acceleration of change, a process highlighted by the Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the 19th century and the scientific and technical revolution of the 20th.

At the same time, printing has facilitated the spread of ideas that have helped to shape alterations in social relations made possible by industrial development and economic transformations. By means of books, pamphlets, and the press, information of all kinds has reached all levels of society in most countries.