Airshows 2025

As a six-time French champion in five different classes, from "Hopeful" (2007) to "Unlimited" (2021), she made aviation history by becoming the first woman to take part in the famous Red Bull Air Race as a Challenger. In 2019, she was English champion and runner-up in the French Unlimited category and finished seventh in this class at the World Championships. Across all disciplines, Mélanie Astles has accumulated 4500 flying hours.

Klemens "Klemi" Keller, a passionate aviator, began his dream of flying as a boy. After his training at the FVS (1978/79) and glider towing in Grenchen, he completed his SLS with Swissair (1988/89). From 1989 to 2022, he worked as an airline pilot for Swissair and Swiss, most recently as a captain on Airbus A330/A340s. With 19,000 flying hours, including 1,500 hours on SEPs and over 1,000 hours on tailwheel aircraft, he is also active as chief flight instructor at the Altenrhein Aviation Museum. He also teaches as a flight instructor on the Boeing Stearman and Do 27.

The combination of many years of experience and fresh enthusiasm makes Team Niebergall a crowd-puller at aviation events. Nico Niebergall, aged just 27, has only had his pilot's license for a decade, but his passion for flying was literally born in his cradle. His father Ralf has been in the air since 1987, long before Nico was born.

After more than 25 years of formation aerobatics with his father Walter Eichhorn, Toni now flies solo with his EXTRA 330 LT. "LT" stands for "Low Wing-Tourer" and means that the low-wing aircraft is a compromise between a touring and aerobatic airplane. According to the manufacturer, the maximum cruising speed is 205 knots or 380 km/h and the maximum permissible load multiple is x/- 10G!

The Red Bull Blanix team combines a passion for precision flying and breathtaking aerial acrobatics. With a unique blend of expertise and innovation, the pilots demonstrate in their spectacular flights what is possible with courage, dedication and exceptional skill. Discover the fascination behind the Blanix show flights and experience aviation at the highest level.

Stijn's passion for flying began when he was just seven years old on the edge of the Kortrijk-Wevelgem airfield, where he was captivated by watching pilots send their machines soaring into the sky. Although a career as a pilot initially seemed out of reach because of his glasses, he found his own path to the cockpit. After years of dedication, training, and perseverance, he now combines a successful career as a home care entrepreneur with his role as a leading aerobatics pilot.

His journey started with modern aerobatic aircraft, where he honed his technical precision and flying skills. However, his unquenchable love for aviation history led him to the legendary warbirds. Today, he flies an impressive fleet of classic aircraft – including the mighty T6 Texan and the elegant Boeing Stearman – through which he pays a vivid tribute to the aviation pioneers of yesteryear.

Known as The Flying Nurse, Stijn divides his time between caring for patients and perfecting his airshows. His story is one of passion, discipline, and never giving up.

Christian Hartmann (chartman), formation leader of the "Classic Synchron Flyers", thrills audiences with harmonious and spectacular sailplane aerobatics.
Supported by smoke and music, he performs breathtaking maneuvers in his Pilatus B4, making the sky dance.
As a dedicated member of the scene, he competes in events and captivates spectators with exceptional flying precision, playful ease, and elegance.
Anyone who sees him in action immediately feels his passion for aerobatics – a true highlight at every airshow!

Having grown up at a small glider strip in Nagold, Stefan Zistler started flying gliders at the age of 14 and has worked on developing his aviation career since. The early excitement for aviation and glider aerobatics, transferred to him by his father, made him become a member of the German national advanced glider aerobatics team and the current German champion in glider aerobatics in the advanced class. He could also be seen numerous times at airshows, often performing vintage glider aerobatics in a Fauvel AV36.

During his studies to become a mechanical engineer in Esslingen, he joined the local academic flying club and gained experience as a technical and research pilot for gliders and motorgliders.

After adding a master´s degree in aerospace engineering to his education, he started working at the University of Stuttgart as a research fellow in 2022 where he was responsible for the conversion of the university´s electric motorglider “e-Genius” into a towplane by upgrading it with a new and more powerful propulsion system. In 2024, he was able to test and demonstrate the airplanes aerotowing capabilities which resulted in a new record for the heaviest sailplane towed by an electrically powered aircraft and showed a groundbreaking potential for reduction in energy demand and carbon and noise emissions of sailplane towing operations.

As a voluntary flight instructor for gliders and motorgliders, he teaches motivated people how to build and fly airplanes and desires to carry them along with his passion for aviation and its associated technical developments.

Uwe Nortmann, an experienced pilot with 9,100 hours of flying experience and 21,000 take-offs/landings, is a two-time winner of the eFlight Trophy (2022 and 2023). His outstanding skills have also been recognized by his participation in prestigious air shows in Bern and Blois-le Breuil. As pilot of the Elektra Trainer, he demonstrates the innovation of this all-electric aircraft with a maximum noise emission of 48 dBA, which can be recharged from a wallbox or solar trailer.

Xu Xiaoben, the test pilot at the Liaoning General Aviation Academy (LGAA), has accumulated over 5,500 flight hours. He successfully completed the test flights of the four-seater electric aircraft RX4E throughout the entire certification process.