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Shaken. Shaken. Shocked - Hajo Masing's adventurous air journeys in the "Arcus Air Taxi"

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Created in 2008

Reading time 17min

Written by:

Rainer Braun

Photos:

Hallo Fahrerlager / Archiv Rainer Braun

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Hallo Fahrerlager / Archiv Rainer Braun

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Werbeplakat der Arcus-Air mit Sigi Müller jun. im Lancia Montecarlo von 1981, sowie Walter Röhrl, Jochen Mass und Alan Jones als Werbeträgern

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Wohin soll's denn gehen? Arcus- Flugreiseangebot 1979 für Rennfans in der Broschüre

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Geht nicht, gibt's nicht! - Masing macht selbst Unmögliches möglich

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Chef und Crew der Arcus Air - Hajo Masing (dritter. v. l.) und seine tollkühnen Piloten 1976 mit „Aerospatiale“-Jets auf dem Kölner Flughafen

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Weltmeister an Bord - Niki Lauda und Alain Prost lassen sich 1989 nach dem Hockenheim-GP im Arcus-Heli nach Frankfurt zu ihren eigenen Fliegern shutteln

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Party für die Passagiere - auf dem Flugfeld von Le Mans arrangiert Arcus-Koordinator Klaus Wagner (am Zapfhahn) 1989 eine zünftige Freiluft-Party für seine Reisegesellschaft

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Arcus-Dornier Do 228 mit 20 Passagieren und zwei Tonnen Fracht Im Jahr 1989 auf dem Flug nach Silverstone

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Summary

What do Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Markus Höttinger, Hans Heyer, Jochen Mass, Mike Kranefuss and Sigi Müller, as well as many others, have in common? They all flew with Hajo Masing's air cab company and probably experienced one or two jolts above the clouds. Arcus Air's flight services were usually cheaper, but almost always much quicker than the alternatives, and time is money. In this story, Rainer Braun once again recalls a highly interesting side aspect of racing in the seventies and eighties.

This article contains the following chapters

It couldn't be more direct and efficient
Landing on the race track
Rescuers for multiple starters
Celebrities in the helicopter
Profitable VIP flights
Fear of death over Salzburg
All the barf bags used up
Nosedive over the Mediterranean
Weightlessness in the Cessna
With the DC 9 directly into the paddock
Films in the waiting room
Engines or passengers?
Stopover at "Bocuse"
Hans Heyer as a frequent flyer
Water under the bridge

Estimated reading time: 17min

Preview (beginning of the article)

This report comes from the 2nd volume of the popular book series "Hallo Fahrerlager" by Rainer Braun from 2008. May 1975, a Friday morning at seven, Cologne-Bonn Airport, cargo area, "General Aviation" entrance. A cheerful group of travelers is waiting in the small check-in building for departure to the European Touring Car Championship race in Brno, Czech Republic: two racing drivers, two team bosses, three journalists, two fans. Outside on the tarmac, a Cessna 404 is ready for take-off for the nine passengers. At the General Aviation entrance, one of the travel party has hung up a cardboard sign and drawn "NCBA - Brno" on it in felt-tip pen. Which means nothing other than "Never Come Back Airline". In the tube-like passageway to the waiting area, the next shock, at least for newcomers. Another cardboard sign with the clear text "Please deposit wills and final dispositions here" informs the irritated passenger about what might be in store for them on the flight.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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