Syncro 30 Berlin 2015

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A few Syncronauts (maybe 6 or 7), and other VW bus owning Brits drove to the Berlin Busfest in August which was held at an abandoned airbase near Jüterbog.. FlugPlatz Altes Lager south of Berlin in Brandenburg (old East Germany of course).

Upon arrival on the Friday we met up with three Syncro owners from Australia who’d had two Syncros shipped to Hamburg. Paul and Hartmann and his son-in-law Peter (also a Syncro owner back in Oz). They were to stay, travel in Germany then go to BusFest in the UK and before return met so many fellow Syncro owners. Americans and Canadians also came over…
We were then invited to the well attended French Club encampment for evening ‘apero’ but having arrived on the back of a relay truck after a sweltering 6 hour wait for recovery*… it was soon time to get back to our ‘immobile palace’ but took in some great atmosphere at the stage on the way.

SAMSUNG CSC

Saturday we met Simon Baxter of Brickwerks who’d flown over, who encouraged us to at least walk the stands and meet a few peeps. Rob DutchDude had a stall on the taxiway and later we met Mac Esteban from Spain, more French friends, Steve Theobold*, James & Sally, Gareth Bell and many others who came by to encourage and wish us good luck with our repairs. Including many Germans and Austrians offering assistance…

The airfield site used also incorporates other sporting activities such as a large Go Kart track and complex, and low speed aviation such as microlights and towed hang gliders.

A fairly tight and humpy off-road course existed man-made in the flat sandy soil.
This was being used for demos and free driving throughout the weekend, seemingly in both directions . On Sunday Simon Holloway kindly offered me a ride round the course in the rebuilt Rallye Bus and having strapped in to the race style harness and removed the safety pin from the ejector seat, I experienced a very special Syncro.. the phenomenal suspension travel and energy absorption being as noteworthy as the power –which Simon also demonstrated on a quarter mile sprint across the extensive expanse the airfield offered. Line up, line up…

Saturday night there was a great band on stage with a superb sound system projecting across to our enclave, and plenty of innocent revelry. All seemed good to us.. until…
after everyone had departed Sunday midday (normal for their shows apparently) a storm of great magnitude and force struck, breaking the central European heatwave…

Berlin_Bus_Festival15_37

 Berliner Bus Festival video

vw-bulli.de gallery here

Simon Holloway’s gallery