Special Edition - Swiss Wing

COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE / Swiss WingSpecial EditionVolume 16, No. 63 CAF Swiss Wing NewsletterDecember 2011CAF Swiss Wing-BBQ in LangenthalFor Max and Ferdi it was an early starton the way to Birrfeld to ready ourStinson for the flight to Langenthal.The weather looked promising andafter a thorough preflight and coffeeand croissants for the crew, our warbirdtook off at 10:04 in a westerlydirection . Passing near the steamcloud of Gösgen and Egerkingen ascheck points a perfect touch down atLangenthal was recorded at 10:49 anda parking spot was arranged near therestaurant.Several CAF members and friendshad already arrived by road and wereenjoying breakfast. Soon the heavysound of the 9-cylinder radial 1000 hpof the Antonov AN2 was heard overheadand another 12 CAF memberarrived in style. The propwash of theYL-LEI cleared the tarmac of all dustand parked so that all had an opportunityto examine this largest singleengine bi-plane.As usual many took the opportunityto make a flight in the Stinson as wellas in the AN2. In the afternoon GeriTable of ContentsBBQ LangenthalWerner ZürrerStinsy macht FreudeBiel-KappelenGastseiteAus der WerkstattNews / VeranstaltungenSeite 1Seite 5Seite 6Seite 7Seite 9Seite 11Seite 12Stoude owner of AIRLA Maintenanceshowed us around he maintenancebase which specializes in Old-Timerrestorations. Of particular interestwere his detailed comments on aBücker wing which is being rebuilt afteran accident.The return flight of the Stinson viaWillisau VOR and the 3 Lakes andalong the river Reuss to Birrfeld wasuneventfull. After refuelling and cleaningshe returned to her place in thehangar.See you next year at the BBQ 2012 inBiel Kappelen.Stinsy takes off on local flightMax and FerdiKnow to use thisEnglish version1 st : Go to the German part of thehomepage and print out the GermanVersion of the Contact2 nd : Follow the pages and read theGerman/English title3 rd : Not all Pictures legendsand articles are translated in fulllength4 th : Have fun and enjoy the ContactCol Werner MeierCol Jost Schneeberger

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 2«Flight Ops» controlling movements and Antonov pilot «to be?»Die Passagiere sind bereit für einen Jura-Rundflug!

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 3Aus dem VorstandIntentionally left blank...happy and not so happy Stinson passengersThe Antonov Crew

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 4

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 5Werner Zürrer25. Oktober 1929 - 6. Oktober 2011GoneWestObituaryWerner’s life was closely linked to aviation.Already as an apprentice mechaniche learned to fly in Birrfeld.His absolved his military service inflight operations.His first job was with Pilatus where«Vampires» were built under license.After repeated military service at Interlakenairbase he joined the aviationmaintenance group at Buochs airbase.Devoted to the maintenance of theMerlin engine he left the service indismay when the order came to decommissionthe P-51 Mustangs.Werni Zürcher and Werni Meier: A toast after installation of the recognition lights.In 1955 he joined Swissair as airplanemechanic where he took part in thetransition of «Piston to Jet» and wassoon involved in the introduction ofthe CV 990 «Coronado». He continuedhis career with Swissair and evenafter his retirement remained a CV990 expert when the last «Coronado»was moved to the Lucerne Traffic Museum.With great enthusiasm he continuedhis work in the Fokker Team whichin many voluntary hours and dayshelps to preserve the aviation exhibitsat the museum. When the CAF SwissWing acquired its Stinson in 2001 itwas again Werni who was ready andinstrumental in maintaining the L-5in airworthy condition.Werni, we shall miss you.CAF Swiss Wing and Fokker TeamWerni and his workshop.

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 6report«Stinsy» meanshappiness for many,...not only for the CAF but particularlyfor its passengers. And so it was ona sunny afternoon for Elisabeth, retiringafter 20 years of service as a nursewhen she offered all her colleagues aflight in the L-5.I knew them all and so it was great funwhen I showed up in my uniform. SonRené escorted the passengers to andfrom the aircraft while those on theground watched from the restaurant.None of them had ever flown in a militaryaircraft.A happy nurse feeling the controls, a rainbow and a happy bride and groom.At weddings we have dropped a mailbagwith good wishes and added a littleflying show. So if you plan to getmarried, do think of us.So if you would like to offer a flight toa friend, give us a call and we shall beready to fulfill your wishes.Col Werner Meier

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 7Biel-KappelenAIR-FestivalOn August 20th and 21st an Air Festivaltook place at the Biel-Kappelenairfield situated in the Seeland, thelake region of Switzerland. A greatnumber of sponsors and volunteershelped to make this a success. A lothas changed here in the last two years.A new hangar was completed toaccommodate the Parachuting schooland its Pilatus Porter as well as the fiveBückers of the Bücker Squadron andGabus-Aviation, agent for Dyn-Aeroand Aerostar. A new fuelling stationwas also completed for Jet A-1, Avgas100LL and Motor gasoline which replacedmobile units.Biel Kappelen with a grass strip ishome to a number of old timers:a Boeing Stearman, a Max-HolsteBroussard, a Storch replica, two L-4s,and six Bückers. The Seeland FlyingClub operates two Archers, two Tecnamsand a Sportcruiser.The weather was perfect and soon parachutistswere in the air. The Bückersquadron impressed with its formation.Thruout the day visiting aircraftarrived and the number of spectatorsincreased steadily. Joy flights were offeredby the flying club, the Antonovand a Super Puma.Of course our Stinson was a performerwith the message drop and the evacuationflight by Col Werner Meier. I hadthe pleasure of hosting the Stinson inKappelen for a few days and in tandemwith the L-5 HB-TRY we did a

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 8demo flight while the speaker commentedon the downing of the Stinsonin 1944 in the Jura mountains only 45km north-west of Biel-Kappelen.Col Jost SchneebergerStinson performing the evacuation demo.The parachuting base in the new hangar.From left to tight: Col Thomas Lutz, chairman, Col Robert Seckler, airfield chief, Simona the evacuation patient,Col Jost Schneeberger and Adi Gerwer, organizer of «Convoy to Remember» (Organisator des «Convoy to Remember»)

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 9GastseitePermit me to presentmyself,Rusalka is my nameI am a Russian bi-plane, more accuratelya «One and a Half» plane, the biggestsingle engine airplane. My ancestorwith its four-bladed nose took tothe air for the first time in 1947. It wassuch a successful design that a total of20’000 planes were built until 2004.I was born in 1978 at that time behindthe Iron Curtain and could notimagine that one day I would find myway to Switzerland. My brothers andsisters served on many missions be itFrom the cold Riga to Lithuania and Switzerland

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 10passenger flights for Aeroflot, materialand cargo transports of all kindsto the remotest parts of the country.Some were detached to agricultureservice.One day in 2006 as I was parked ina corner of Riga airport a Swiss inspectorconducted a rather meticulousinspection. Rather unusual, I thought,compared to my previous experience. Iseem to have made a good impressionas I was transferred to Lithuania andgiven a complete overhaul. I receiveda new red dress and soon I was on myway to Switzerland for my new ownersthe Antonov Club Avianna ANC.The 450 members take good care ofme and I have managed to persuademany a passenger to overcome the fearof flying.And now a word about my name «Rusalka»:In Russian mythology Rusalkiare mermaids who are abducted by thewater ghost Wodjanoi. In 1819 AlexanderPushkin wrote the drama Rusalka.Some fifty years later AntoninDvorak composed the opera Rusalkawhich was a great success ever since itsfirst performance in Prague in 1901.Yvonne Alberto and Jean Voegelin,Treasurer and chairmanof the Antonov Club.Geburtsjahr: 1978Beruf: Fliegende (militärische) WärmekraftmaschineZivilstand: Verheiratet mit dem Antonov Club Avianna ANCwww.an2.chHobbys: Fliegen, fliegen, fliegenTräume: Ein trockenes Plätzchen, um sicher vor Sturmböen, Regenschauer und Hagelschlag ausruhen zu können.Reisegeschwindigkeit: ~180 km/h (~100 kts)Motor: 9 Zylinder EinfachsternHubraum: 30'000 ccmLeistung: 1‘000 PSTreibstoff: Flugbenzin AVGAS 100LL (kann auch mit MOGAS + Bleizusatz betrieben werden)Propeller: Vierblatt, Ø 3,60 mSpannweite: 18 MeterDienstgipfelhöhe: ca. 4'500 m. ü. M.Tankinhalt: 1'300 Liter Flugbenzin für ca. 7 FlugstundenReichweite: ca. 1'200 kmStartgewicht: 5,5 TonnenStart- und Landestrecke: ca. 220 m (!)Platzangebot: Das Flugzeug bietet bequem Platz für 12 Passagiere (max. 14)Besatzung: 2 Piloten + ev. 1 Flugbegleiter/-inRestaurierung: Die Maschine wurde in Litauen (südliches Nachbarland vonLettland) an der Kurischen Nehrung, nahe Kaliningrad /ehem. Königsberg, restauriert und neu bemaltBemalung: Echtes Ferrari-Rot! Das Design der Maschine wurde vonunserem Club selbst entworfen.

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 11Aus der WerkstattCover for our«Stinsy-Propeller»Whenever our Stinson is absent on airshows or longer trips it often is exposedto inclement weather. The coverprotects cabin, cowling and part of theinner wing but the wooden propellerso far remained exposed.Small amounts of rainwater could accumulatebetween the protective metalon the leading edge and the wood. Onstart up a light vibration was noticedwhich would disappear after a while.Certainly a remedy was necessary.Elisabeth fitting the propeller cover and below Replacement of worn parts.With Elisabeth Meier we decided todesign a water proof cover and withthe help of her sewing machine with«Jeans» needles we now can keep theprop dry as well. Thank you Elisabeth!Every now and then the fabric coverof our L-5 needs a professional «antiaging» treatment. Thanks to RuediVogelsang we have a professional toapply a face lifting when needed. Alsoto him go our thanks for his care ofour bird.Similarly our A-380 electronics wizardMarcel Weiss deserves a vote ofthanks for his support and last but notleast thanks for Martin Bieli who carriedout the annual inspection.Col Werner Meier

CAF Swiss Wing December 2011 Page 12newsDuring WW-II many aircraft involvedin action in Europe were damaged,were short of fuel, had technicalproblems or simply got lost. Somewere downed by Swiss anti air craftbatteries or forced to land in Switzerland.The fate of all these aircraft and theircrews has inspired many researchers tofind out and record what really happened.One of the last researches coversthe B-25J Mitchell of Arbedo. Onthe morning of February 7th 1945 sixyoung American flyers took to the airfrom Corsica for a mission in northernItaly.2012Veranstaltungen / Reisen17. März Generalversammlung CAF SW CAF SW30. Juni- 2. Juli Duxford Flying Legends CAF SW28. Juli BBQ in Biel-Kappelen CAF SW11. August 20-Jahre Hunter Interlaken Flight OPS24.-26. August Pischte-Fäscht Birrfeld Flight OPS25. August Simmenshake, Hunter St. Stephan Flight OPS10.-11. Oktober Axalp Fliegerschiessen13.-14. OktoberCAF Airsho Midland CAF SW24. November Jahresend-Anlass CAF Swiss Wing CAF SWThe story of «The Big Swing» is welldocumented by Christian and ManuelaGloorMitfliegen in unserem Warbird «Stinsy»Koordinator:Henry Saladin 044 853 0533Piloten:Roger Burri 056 667 3843Ruedi Lang 052 343 8153Werner Meier 056 633 6181Ferdi Nietlisbach 079 200 7260Jost Schneeberger 031 911 8177Max Schönenberger 044 858 2051Präsident:Editor:Druck:CAF Swiss Wingwww.caf-swisswing.chCAF Col Thomas LutzBrunnenwies 53, 8132 EggCAF Col Werner MeierItenhard 47, 5620 Bremgarten«Contact» ist das Publikationsorgandes Swiss Wing der CAFin Midland TX, USAKnapp AG, 8918 UnterlunkhofenIllustration of the cover: Orders (USD 85.00) per e-mail to:thebigswing@hispeed.chBook available in German, Italia and English languageCAF Swiss Wing - ShopStinsy-Wein Rotwein , Cabernet Sauvignon, CaliforniaWeisswein, Chardonnay , FranceGeniessen Sie diesen Stinsy-Wein an einem lauen Sommerabendund denken Sie daran: Mit jedem Schluck unterstützen sie denCAF Swiss Wing. Info über den Wein und Bestellformulare findensie auf unserer Homepage oder rufen Sie mich einfach an.Diese 0.5 Liter Flasche eignet sich auch sehr gut als Geschenk fürFlieger-Fans. Minimum-Bestellung 6 Flaschen.Werner Meier, Itenhard 47, 5620 Bremgartenwerner.meier@caf-swisswing.chViele weitere Artikel finden Sie auf unserer Homepage: www.caf-swisswing.ch