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View Full Version : German model rocketry pioneer Karl Gum passed away


Oliver
11-13-2013, 05:21 PM
I got very sad news: German model rocketry pioneer Karl Gum passed away in the age of 84 a week ago.

Karl build and flew rockets since decades. I was proud I was able to get him to co-publish Countdown Magazin, the first German model rocketry publication, way back in the 1980´s. Later, he was RSO and with me in the organising committee of the legendary Modellraketen Festival (model rocket festival) at St. Leonhard, Germany´s first large international sport and model rocketry event.

Karl also pioneered water rocketry in Germany and Austria thanks to his contacts to water rocketeers in Scotland and Austria and loved to fly them even he was older.

Srdjan Pelagic, FAI-CIAM Space Models SC Chariman, just wrote to me about Karl:

It is very sad to learn of passing away n one more of rocketry pioneers in Europe. St. Leonhards´s Modellraketen Festival, the first large international rocketry competition in Germany, was very well known to all rocketeers in Europe and no doubt Karl Gum had a very important role in raising its reputation.

We all shall keep Karl Gum in our memories. I ask you to extand the most sincere condolences of all FAI spacemodellers to Karl Gum's family.

See also the announcement on EMR: http://www.europerocketry.com/index.php?id=rocketnewsdetails&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=261&cHash=a312aa6d9f5d1ee9eb47394a39fb22b9

We will miss Karl a lot and will always remember him!

Oliver

chrism
11-13-2013, 07:26 PM
Very sad news indeed. Thanks for the news Oliver.