Hans-Werner Grosse

Who is Hans-Werner Grosse?

Hans-Werner Grosse is an ex Luftwaffe fighter pilot and glider pilot who has established 50 world records approved by FAI Gliding Commission.

His free distance world record of 1,460.80 km from his home city of Lübeck to Biarritz was set on 25 April 1972 in a Schleicher ASW 12. After starting in Lübeck and eleven and a half hours in flight, he landed in Biarritz in southwestern France. He held this record for more than 30 years. It was not broken until 9 January 2003.

This record was far from his only success. He has held a total of 50 gliding world records. Among his other world records were: the largest triangular distance, the fastest speed round a 1,250 km triangle and the fastest speed round a 300 km triangle. These record flights started from Alice Springs, Australia. He came in second in the World Gliding Championships in 1970.

For his 75th birthday, Grosse was named an honorary member of the German National Gliding Team of the FAI League due to his outstanding performance in the sport of gliding.