Angelika Machinek


Angelika Machinek was a German glider pilot. She was five times German gliding champion and broke nine FIA gliding world records, four in the D1M class, four in D15 and one in DO. She was also a dramaturge and published writer.

Life

Angelika Machinek was born on 17 November 1956 in the village of Eschershausen in the district of Holzminden. She studied sociology and German at University of Göttingen and received her doctorate in modern German literature from Goethe University Frankfurt in 1985. She subsequently worked as a dramaturge and author on topics including the Göttingen Seven.
At the age of 14, she started gliding, gaining her pilot’s license in 1973, aerobatic license in 1979 and instructor’s license in 1980. She competed at national and international level, being named German Champion five times, in 1994 at Marpingen, 1998 at Jena, 2000 at Neresheim, 2004 at Klix and 2006 at Coburg. She won the Elly-Beinhorn Rally in 1998, the first International Hexencup in 2003 and the first International Flatland Cup in Szeged, Hungary, in 2006. The FAI Gliding Commission presented her with the Pelagia Majewska Gliding Medal in 2000 for her achievements.
Dr Machinek was killed, aged 49, near Echzell in Hesse. She crashed while flying a microlight.

World Records

Dr Machinek has held a total of nine gliding records in three different classes as recognised by the FAI Gliding Commission.
DateClassType of recordRecordAircraftNotes
14 December 1996D1-MSpeed over a triangular course of 300 kmSchleicher ASW 24 ERetired by change in code
15 December 1996D1-MTriangle distanceSchleicher ASW 24 ERetired by change in code
15 December 1996D1-MSpeed over a triangular course of 500 kmSchleicher ASW 24 ERetired by change in code
7 January 1997D1-MSpeed over a triangular course of 100 kmSchleicher ASW 24 ERetired by change in code
18 December 1998D15Speed over an out-and-return course of 500 kmSchempp-Hirth Discus
22 December 1998D15Speed over a triangular course of 750 kmSchempp-Hirth Discus
5 January 1999DOSpeed over a triangular course of 1000 kmSchleicher ASH 25 E
6 December 2002D15Speed over a triangular course of 100 kmSchempp-Hirth Ventus-2cM
6 December 2002D15Speed over a triangular course of 300 kmSchempp-Hirth Ventus-2cM

Publications

Dr Machinek was a strong advocate of women’s gliding and a fund to promote women glider pilots was set up as a legacy for her on 6 January 2007. In 2016, a road in Bockenheim was also named after her. In 2017, a path on the Ith was named Angelika Machinek Weg in her honour.