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  Stanserhorn 2024
  OldtimAIR am Stanserhorn
      .

Text:

Michael E. Fader

Pictures:

Urs Schnyder & Michael E. Fader


 

 

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

2024 was the seventh and unfortunately last edition of OldimAir on the Stanserhorn. There are always air shows or aviation events that have to be discontinued, either because a driving force is no longer available or the financial aspects are no longer right. At the OldimAir on the Stanserhorn, however, the new director of the Stanserhorn cable car, Peter Bircher, wants to focus more on sustainability and has therefore removed this attraction, which attracted thousands, from the program. This year's edition was characterized by a struggle for the event. The OldimAir was supposed to take place on 6. June 2024, but the weather was predictably bad. Nevertheless, the event was not postponed to 20. June 2024, the alternative date.

The Stanserhorn cable car had to listen to harsh criticism for this wrong decision to hold the event on 6. June 2024. As the weather on 6 June 2024 was so bad that no aircraft could fly, the event was rescheduled for 20. June 2024. However, this was announced at very short notice.

   

Pilatus

   

The Pilatus aircraft factory is located within sight of the Stanserhorn. Jürg Balsiger, the former director of the Stanserhorn cable car, campaigned hard for the Pilatus aircraft works to be officially represented on the Stanserhorn, but it didn't work out. Nevertheless, various Pilatus aeroplanes were at the OldimAir. From the Pilatus P-2-06 (HB-RAM), the first training aircraft for the Swiss Air Force, which came from Grenchen, to two Pilatus P-3-05s (HB-RCJ & HB-RCO), which are now stationed in Altenrhein.

But the most interesting aircraft from Pilatus was certainly the HB-FAN, a Pilatus PC-6 Porter with a piston engine. It was not the original aircraft of the Swiss Dhaulagiri Expedition, as it crashed on Dhaulagiri in 1960. Rather, it is the N283SW that was flown in Canada for a long time. On 14 January 2022, the aircraft flew again in Switzerland after a lengthy restoration phase. Last year, the aircraft was still in the US registration at the Stanserhorn. Since 29 August 2023, however, the aircraft has had the traditional HB-FAN registration.

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Helicopter

   

The days when biplanes and aircraft from the Second World War were classed as Vintage aircraft are over. Today, helicopters from the sixties also count as Vintage aircraft. Two were flown on the Stanserhorn. The first is or was well known in Switzerland as the Sudest Alouette III. The HB-XXM aircraft from Helikopter-Service Triet AG was once an aircraft of the Swiss Air Force (V-208) and served the army as a liaison aircraft for many years. The Alouette III was the workhorse of the Air Force and was involved in many missions. The fact that this aircraft is still flying today is a miracle, as the maintenance effort of 6 hours per flight hour is exceptionally high and makes the maintenance of the aircraft very expensive.

The second aircraft was the Kawasaki-Vertol KV107-II (N185CH) of Heliswiss International AG from Haltikon near Küsnacht. The helicopter is operated from the company's airport there. The aircraft is the civilian version of the Boeing-Vertol CH-46 Seaknight, which was used by the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy for many years. Built in 1963, the aircraft has been used by Heliswiss International AG as a heavy-lift transport helicopter for two years. The aircraft was built by Kawasaki for the Royal Thai Army and served as a VIP helicopter for the former King Bhumibol Adulyadej until September 1976.

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Twin-engine aircraft

   

One name stands out among the twin-engine aircraft: "Hugo Mathys". Aircraft enthusiast Hugo Mathys owns a small fleet of vintage aircraft, including three Beech S-18s, a North American B-25D Mitchell, a Douglas DC-3 and, most recently, a Douglas C-47L N150D Skytrain "Screaming Eagle". The aircraft arrived in Grenchen on 6 June 2024 after some difficulties. The Stanserhorn was the best opportunity to show the new aircraft to the public, which the crew consisting of the pilots Benedikt Kissling and Nicolas Misteli, the technical attendant Paul Misteli (father of Nicolas Misteli) did excellently.

The later flight of the DC-3 N431HM was made by the same crew. The DC-3 is normally shown with the "Classic Formation" with the three Beech S-18s. On the Stanserhorn, the attractive flying style is always noticeable, ending with a steep pull-up of the aircraft in front of the Titlis.

Although it was flown in Swissair livery, the De Haviland DH-89ADragon Rapide (D-IKFG) never flew for Swissair. It was used by the RAF and later the Belgian Air Force before being taken to New Zealand for a longer period. In 2015, the aircraft was then sold to Germany and re-registered.

The fourth aircraft was a novelty on the mountain. The Douglas A-26B Invader NN500MR from 1945, which belonged to Tina Fly GmbH (Achim Meyer) for a long time, is one of three A-26s still flying worldwide. The "Rum and Coke" is special, because from the outside it looks like a warbird, but inside it has a luxurious interior with a refrigerator and whisky bar. In 2024, the aircraft was sold to Bern after five years. However, the owner is not known.

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

Trainer

   

The North American AT-16 Harvard IIB (14-201 HB-RDN), which was built in 1942, was in service with the air force after the Second World War as U-323. In August 2013, this aircraft flew again after a major overhaul. Max Vogelsang is the current owner of the aircraft and operates it from the small Birrfeld airfield.

Another of the Luftwaffe's training aircraft was the Bücker. Three aircraft circled the Stanserhorn in formation. The Bücker 133 Jungmeister HB-MIZ, which was operated by the Flugwaffe as the U-53, and the two Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann HB-UUA (ex. A-1) and HB-UUV (ex. A-81), both of which had a modern 150 hp Lycoming engine.

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

Miscellaneous

   

YL-LEI is an Antonov An-2TP "Rusalka" built in 1978 and operated by Aeroflot Airlines as CCCP-62671 and later by the Lithuanian Air Force. It was fully restored in Kaunas, Lithuania and is now owned by Antonov Club Avianna in Birrfeld AG. Another aircraft from the East was the Yakovlev YAK 52 (SE- LVX). This aircraft is unusual in that it is registered in Sweden but based in Switzerland, more precisely in Langenthal, Bleienbach.

The Stinson Reliant was also represented in the Royal Navy livery last year. After a long odyssey, the aircraft, which was extensively restored in 2014, is now based in Switzerland but registered in the USA.

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Jürg Balsiger was pleased to be able to show various innovations on the Stanserhorn. Among them were some very unusual machines. The Gyroflug SC 01 Speed Canard (HB-UCV) was one of these machines. The Gyroflug SC 01B-160 is a single-engine aeroplane with a piston engine, designed as a two-seater mid-wing monoplane in glass fibre construction with a forward-mounted tailplane (canard), fixed main landing gear and retractable nose landing gear.

More conventional was the FFA AS-202 Bravo (HB-HFF). This aircraft was developed by SIAI Marchetti and produced by Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein. A total of 214 aircraft were built.

The Moswey 4a (HB-522) is a glider of which only one example exists. The designer was Georg Müller and the first flight took place on 25. February 1952 in Birrfeld. From 1951 to 1977, the glider had various owners before it was sold to England. In 1993, the aircraft was bought back by the owners' association. From 1999 to 2002, the Moswey 4a underwent a total restoration over 4000 hours of winter work. The first flight after the restoration took place in Birrfeld on 11. July 2002.

The highlight for me, as the two aircraft represented the golden age of the 1930s, were the Curtiss Wright Travel Air (NC645H) and Stinson SM-8A Junior (NC-418J). The blue Stinson SM-8A Junior was built in 1930 and was a typical cabin aeroplane from that era. A handful of these aircraft, of which over 500 were built, are still flying today.

The red Curtiss Wright Travel Air was built a year earlier in 1929. The original Model A was designed by Lloyd Stearman with the participation of Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, and Bill Snook. All big names in the American aviation industry. All in all, the last OldtimAIR at the Stanserhorn was a successful performance with the big downer that it was the last time.

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

   

(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)


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last update 3. August 2024

Written 1. August 2024

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