Kufstein-Langkampfen airfield

The Flugplatz Kufstein-Langkampfen lies beside the L 211 road in the Schaftenau district of Langkampfen, just north of Kufstein. It occupies flat ground near the Inn valley, with the Kaisergebirge mountains rising to the south. The site replaced earlier temporary fields used by local pioneers who began gliding in the 1930s. Alois Hasenknopf, a young engineer, led early experiments on the Gratlwirt slope at Niederndorf. During the Second World War the airfield became a training base for the NS-Fliegerkorps. After 1945 flying stopped until Hasenknopf restarted operations under French supervision. In 1950 he founded the Kufsteiner Segelflieger-Club and moved the club to the Sparchen fields until urban growth forced another move. Today the club runs a modern fleet of seven gliders, one motor glider and three light aircraft. Members practise winch and aerotow launches, while the flight school trains new pilots in both gliding and powered flight. The airfield remains a centre for quiet, low-impact aviation in the heart of the Tyrol.