Ignaz Stiefsohn was one of the pioneers of gliding in Austria, having learned it himself in Germany. In 1934 he joined the Bundesheer (Austrian Army) and became a pilot on motorized planes, but he remained active in gliding competitions and taught others in his own gliding school. Due to his experience, he was named leader of the seven-person strong Austrian contingent present at the gliding demonstration at the 1936 Olympics. During one of his flights, Stiefsohn overstrained his Austro-Sperber type glider, and broke a wing. Although he was equipped with a parachute, Stiefsohn was flying at an altitude of around 700 metres and was unable to use it before crashing, and died in the crash.
Austria