In partnership with the Varig Experience project, Porto Alegre Airport rescues an artifact that made history in the state. Measuring 6.35 meters in length and 14 meters in size, the former PT-PAQ glider was renovated by Fraport Brasil and is now displayed at the domestic check-in of the Terminal for the appreciation of passengers and airport users.
The PT-PAQ glider, model Göppening Wolf, was made in Germany and made its first exhibition in 1938, in Rio Grande do Sul, during the celebrations of Wing Week by VAE (Varig Aero Esporte), a school created by Varig in the 1930s for being one of the pioneers in aviation education in Brazil. On this occasion, it was also identified by the prefix PP-10 and already baptized with the name "Seagull". This was later changed to the prefix PT-PAQ, when it began to be used by the Albatroz de Osorio Gliders Club after the closure of the VAE activities.
To take flight, it could be dragged "down the hill", pulled by motor force, or even be hitched on a plane and uncoupled at a certain altitude. On February 28th, 1943, the PT-PAQ reached a height of 9,950 meters, setting a South American record - a fact considered a great achievement for that time. Much requested for demonstration of flights in Youth Parades and events in allusion to the Aviator Day, it became one of the air attractions that most attracted the attention of gauchos and especially in Porto Alegre. In the 1970s, the glider was donated by the Albatroz Gliders Club to the Varig Museum.
The action reinforces Fraport Brasil’s appreciation for the history of aviation in Rio Grande do Sul and the company Varig, a reference in pioneering and quality of services in the country.
