Sonderlandeplatz Oberschleißheim

Can you imagine a place where the ghosts of biplanes dance with the roar of modern helicopters? Here at Sonderlandeplatz Oberschleißheim, history and modernity collide. This isn’t just an airfield. It’s a living testament to over a century of aviation, a place where the dreams of flight took root and soared into the sky. Sonderlandeplatz Oberschleißheim, established in 1912 for the Royal Bavarian Flying Corps, is the oldest operating airfield in Germany. Originally built in a “reduced home style” to complement the nearby Schleißheim Palace, its early days were filled with the whirring of propeller engines and the daring exploits of pioneer aviators. During World War I, it served as a vital base for the Royal Bavarian Flying Corps. The interwar period saw a shift to civilian use, including pilot training that secretly aided Germany’s rearmament. The Nazi era brought expansion and transformation into a Luftwaffe airbase, its architecture reflecting the “Bayerische Moderne” style. Sonderlandeplatz Oberschleißheim housed a flight school, then a night fighter school, and even a prisoner-of-war camp. A bunkered control center, codenamed Minotaurus, was built here in 1943, a silent witness to the war’s strategic complexities. After the war, Sonderlandeplatz Oberschleißheim continued its service, hosting the US Army and later the Bundeswehr. Today, Sonderlandeplatz Oberschleißheim thrives as a hub for air sports clubs and the Federal Police Air Squadron. The iconic Zeppelin NT and the historic Junkers Ju 52 often grace its runways, offering breathtaking sightseeing tours over Munich. Sonderlandeplatz Oberschleißheim isn’t just a place for planes to land and take off. It’s a place where history takes flight.