Quax in Afrika 1947

Set around 1932 in Bavaria, the tale follows Otto ‘Quax’ Groschenbügel, a former novice aviator who has risen to become a professional flying instructor at the Flying School of Bergried. Though naturally congenial, he tilts toward a stricter, more authoritarian stance once he learns of his pupils’ rowdy behavior and frequent womanising on the airfield.

That stern belief that women have no place on an aerodrome is challenged when his friend Marianne Bredow pays an unexpected visit, and even more so when two female trainee pilots are assigned to him. Soon, the flying school’s chief instructor, Fluglehrer Hansen, announces the Europaflug contest — a demanding air rally from Germany, through Spain to Africa and back — and Quax decides to join with one male pilot and the two female trainees, offering him a chance to witness the women’s growing flying abilities.

Across the journey, the team heads into Spain where they enjoy local dances and merriment, and Quax gradually sheds his disciplinarian persona as the trip unfolds. In Africa, disaster strikes when their two planes crash, and they are discovered by locals. Amid the new environment, Quax is obliged to marry the tribal chief’s daughter Banani, and the pair participate in an African ritual dance, blending danger with unexpected cultural moments.

A rescue plane finally arrives, returning the aviators to their home country, leaving them to reflect on a voyage that tested preconceptions, forged new friendships, and demonstrated that skill and courage can emerge from collaboration and openness.