DISTINCTION OF MR. ALOJZY DERNBACH.
On the 2nd of May during the celebration of the Flag Day Polish President Mr. Bronisław Komorowski honored 23 people deserved for Polish aviation. One of them was Alojzy Dernbach powered hang-glider world Champion, our long cooperator, instructor and friend.
Below he about his life and passion:
When I was ten, I have read the Eaglets’ School by Janusz Meissner, and from then on I lived with my mind in the sky, building models and reading anything I could find about aviation.
Unfortunately, I was not accepted at the modern Eaglets’ School, the Polish Air Force College at Dęblin, due to a minor eyesight problem. Not willing to give aviation up, I entered the Aeronautical Engineering Faculty (MEiL) on the Warsaw University of Technology. Already in October I joined the Students’ Hang glider Club and in February 1980 I made my first hang-glider flight. This has enchanted me completely. From then on I spent every free moment building hang-gliders and my every trip was to fly. Jeżów Sudecki, Bezmiechowa, Żar, Nosal, Skrzyczne – we used to fly from every accessible mountain. Sports achievements came: Champion of Poland in 1982, distance record of Poland in 1989 (102km{63,4miles}). Representing my country I was able to fly in many countries of Europe and in the USA.
First powered hang-gliders appeared in Poland in early 1980s. It was natural that, living in Warsaw far from any mountains, we started building these, to be able to fly more often. The hobby gradually turned into my profession. I became a powered hang-glider instructor, and in 1993 I and some friends from the university established a company to manufacture powered hang gliders. From the very beginning I took part in sports competitions. In 1992 I became the first Powered Hang-glider Champion of Poland and since then I have won the title 17 times.
In 1999 I won my first medal of the World Microlight Championships. It was silver and the first medal ever of a Polish powered hang-glider pilot in an event of this level. I subsequently won silver in 2001, gold in 2005, bronze in 2007 and gold in 2009. Recently I had less time for competition flying. I run a flying training center teaching people to fly powered hang-gliders, ultralights and autogyros, the latter becoming more and more popular. I might try my skills in an autogyro competition. But I long to find time to get back ‘home’, to hang-glider flying. Every kind of flying gives pleasure, but there is nothing like the feeling when you are hanging under that wing. Cumulus clouds above you, 2000 meters below you, air humming lightly in your ears, and that feeling of incredible, total freedom…
Alek Dernbach
All honored aviators are presented at the exhibition „Biało-czerwona w błękitach”, which you can see in Warsaw near hotel Bristol.
