Jumping out of an airplane

Karoline Edtstadler in free fall over her home country

The minister and her pilot: Karoline Edtstadler and professional parachutist Paul Steiner.(Bild: HSV Red Bull Salzburg)

Karoline Edtstadler has joined the ranks of parachutists. The ÖVP minister set off high above Salzburg in search of an adrenaline rush. Also on board: Theresa (28) from Seekirchen, who Edtstadler helped to take part in the tandem jump adventure via a competition.

A parachute jump with a dream panorama over Salzburg. This long-cherished dream came true yesterday, Saturday, for Karoline Edtstadler. This wasn't the first time the ÖVP minister from Flachgau had sought a thrill. "Years ago, the wind spoiled a jump for me. The plane couldn't take off," said the minister. Yesterday's late summer day, however, was ideal.

Edtstadler did not take to the air alone. The professional politician was attached to Paul Steiner with a harness and parachute. Together with the professional parachutist (6705 jumps), she boarded the small plane, which circled 4000 meters above Salzburg in sweltering heat.

Also on board was Theresa Wieder (28) from Seekirchen. She took on the parachute adventure following a call from Edtstadler on Instagram.

+1

Fotos

Lottery fairy chooses Seekirchn woman as partner
Last week, the minister sent a video message looking for a partner for the adventure. The young woman from Seekirchen had the lottery fairy on her side and boarded the Red Bull plane together with HSV Springer boss Martin Stoiber.

Both women tried to hide their excitement while still on the ground. "I'm excited, but not nervous," said Wieder before her second tandem jump. Together with Edtstadler, she listened attentively to the final instructions. "Struppi", the minister's dog, eyed the action critically.

Edtstadler and Steiner approaching the Schwarzenberg barracks in Wals(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Safe and sound on Salzburg soil. Together with the HSV pilots at the landing site.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

From the runway, they quickly took to the skies. The door opened high above Salzburg with a view from the Glockner to far beyond Lake Chiemsee. Theresa Wieder was the first, followed by Karoline Edtstadler. A grin was quickly etched on both their faces. Their adrenaline levels were skyrocketing.

Skydiving and politics are not dissimilar. You have to stay cool and it's often out of your own hands.

Karoline Edtstadler, ÖVP-Ministerin

Free fall for around one minute and at 200 km/h
After less than a minute in free fall, the pilots opened their canopies and circled to the ground in pirouettes. The screams of the minister and the employees could be heard hundreds of meters away. The latter would have loved to take off again and jump out of the plane.

"It was fun," said Edtstadler's experienced tandem pilot. "Compliments to the minister. She was a very pleasant passenger." Edtstadler, who is often politically tough, still couldn't hide her feelings of happiness on the ground. The Salzburg native, who is in the middle of an election campaign, even found a parallel to the tandem jump. "You have to stay cool, because you often don't have it in your own hands."