Hoi zäme, from Switzerland...

Falcone · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:26 am

Hi everybody!

First let me tell you what a nice surprise it was when I discovered this forum. Fantastic, many thanks for giving us the opportunity to virtually meet and exchange ideas... about the Falco.

'Name's Dan, born 1957, infected with the "bacillus aviaticus" at an early age, then bit by the even more dangerous "falcoholicus ferocious" some 25 years ago... (yes, talking about time, a few things do fly even faster than a Falco, alas). I do live west of the city of Zurich in Switzerland, fly the light stuff outta Birrfeld, a regional airfield nearby.

A couple of milestones in my private aviation life:
- 1985: first visit to the mecca OSH(kosh), followed by 10 others, last one happened in 2008

- 1985: info pack received from Sequoia. Despite being stung hard and deep by the virus, could'nt afford this kind of money for the kit. Besides I'm allergic to wood dust... (don't laugh, I'm serious!) and afraid of the amount of work involved :shock:

- 1988 and following years: started construction of an RV-4, moved between different countries thrice, changed profession twice (from aircraft mechanic to ATPL, today "working" as an Airbus manager (a job previously know as pilot) for a European LCC whose color is orange), rebuilt a house, built a workshop, spend 4'300 hrs on the "kit" (no matched holes etc at the time...), got divorced, lost interest in the RV, lost another 2 years to admit my defeat and sold the almost finished RV 14 years after having started (lost loads of time in changes and trying to satisfy my elusive goal of perfection), finally got married again

- 2002: bought a 1/4 of a French S.I.P.A. 903, manufactured in 1951. Then acquired the remaining parts in 2004, and finally sold the aircraft at the end of 2007
- 2007: having dreamed about the Falco for years, I find a 1959 factory built Falco for sale in Germany. Go to Biberach and have my very first flight in a Falco. Can't wash my smile off the face, but buy the aircraft as a cure. My Falco D-ENIB is then flown to Switzerland in December of 2007 (could already write a nice novel just about this very flight)

- 2008, January 3rd, probably burned one of my many lives in the engine failure and ensuing emergency landing on a mountain road. See viewtopic.php?f=12&t=156 or http://www.aerofun.ch/aerofun/D-ENIB_al ... ident.html
Suddenly I'm very popular

- 2008, not seeing how I would have the capacity and time to repair it, I sell the damaged D-ENIB to Italian restorer Giovanni

Phew... you guys still here?
Well, thanks. I have in the meantime found and committed myself to another (factory built, beautifully restored) Falco that should be mine, as a xmas present to myself (...) as of 00:00 on January 1st 2009. Details to be divulged at a later date

So, though I am (shame on me) no Falco builder, I am devoted to the design and hopefully soon a Falco owner again!

For those of you still bearing with me, I have published a website partly devoted to my (shall I say our, as we are an association) Falco activities, see http://www.aerofun.ch.
On the same site there is a list of my worldwide Falco database (http://www.aerofun.ch/aerofun/Falco_fil ... 20List.htm) that I am trying to keep up to date. Every detail pertaining to all Falcos are of interest to me, and it is my goal to have this list as a reference. It will hopefully grow bigger and be more informative to all of us.
Please help me by forwarding informations or amendments to admin@aerofun.ch, many thanks for your help!

Thanks for reading and hosting me, happy building, happy flying, happy Xmas and New Year!

Dan

Life's short - Enjoy!

Roger · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:36 am

Welcome Dan,

Always good to hear from another Falcoholic.

We have a great bunch on this list, with lots of help and contributions to the knowledge base. If you have any comments, observations, problems, fixes for problems, praise, etc., etc., for the Falco it is always well received here on this list.

Good luck and "Happy Flying" with your new, old falco.

Post some pictures! We are interested in seeing what your Falco looks like.

Cheers,

Roger

George · **Posted:** Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:53 pm

Hi Dan. Welcome.
One thing I note in you fabulous introduction should have been obvious.
"buy RV - get divorced - sell RV - women show interest again - get married. "
Buying a Falco will ensure your wife will stay of course.

I'll check out your site when I get home tomorrow.
Good to hear another Aibus driver er passenger on board.

Just for your and anyone elses interest. There is one of the 2 flying Nibbios coming up for sale soon too.

Thanks for the post. Hope to hear more from you.
Regards
GR

matthiasi · **Posted:** Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:07 am

I-CAMI??
Guess GR won't have to pay Frati $50K after all...
and will save him a bunch of time in the shop to boot! :lol:

George · **Posted:** Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:06 pm

Well you had a 50% chance. Shame you blew it. :lol:

I'm just starting my house so no $ here either.
Bummer.

matthiasi · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:37 pm

No funds here either. I just got laid off after 12 yrs @ KFL.
Big Bummer. Right before Christmas, makes it a real downer.
Now to find a job again... :cry:

George · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:59 pm

S#!+.. I'm sorry to hear that. It always seems people get laid off just before Xmas.. not nice at all.
I hope you manage to have a great Xmas anyhow and find a much better job next year.
Regards
GR

Rob · **Posted:** Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:39 pm

Ditto here Matt - very sorry to hear you're on a forced holiday.

But as they say - one door closes and another one opens.

Good luck and best wishes for the new year.

Rob

Roger · **Posted:** Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:59 am

Matt,

Sorry about the layoff. Wish you the best in your job hunt.

matthiasi · **Posted:** Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:34 am

Thanks guys. Not much other aviation stuff happining in this town, unfortunately... we'll see how it goes.

Falcone · **Posted:** Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:36 pm

Matt, hopefully you will quickly find a good employment, thumbs up for luck!

As for me (and our association aerofun), Santa has been very kind... he deposited a like-new 1964 renovated Falco IV next to the fireplace, thanks a lot! So I'm now awaiting some more clement weather to try her out. As it is either snowy or foggy, I'm impatiently biting my nails off ;-)

On the other side, it gives me some more time to study for my upcoming mid-January LPC sim ride...

My site www.aerofun.ch has been updated first thing this year and reflects some of the interesting details of this classic aircraft, please enjoy your visit.
My goal is to update the site regularly. Whilst I do not want to divulge private information such as address and phone numbers on my site, I will make those available to any Falcoholic on demand only.
One of the items that will be added to the World Falco List is where the aircraft is based. I'm also very keen to know about the status of any one of them, and their history, such as change of owners, upgrades, mishaps etc.

Many thanks for your help and may 09 be a good flying and building year

:!:

matthiasi · **Posted:** Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:22 pm

Thanks Dan!

Wonder where I could find that Santa...
the one that passed by here didn't leave anything flyable.

To all here on the forum, I trust that you had a Merry Christmas and to all I wish a Happy, healthy and hopefully prosperous New Year.

2008 didn't end up on that great of a note, so all I can hope for is that 2009 brings with it some fruitfull changes and opportunities.
Matt

Falcone · **Posted:** Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:49 am

Just thought the whole intro would look better with a couple of pics of HB-UOD... date is January 2nd, 2009 and it's new airplane celebration day with wife and friends

George · **Posted:** Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:56 pm

Nice photo's.. that's one healthy lunch you have there.. I feel bad now after just coming home from a BBQ and eating all sorts of not so good things !

Tricky aeroplane parking you guys have up there.. good use of space.

Falcone · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:03 am

Ok guys, I have addressed the following mail to all of whom I had the email contact... so for the other ones, here we go: If you have a registered (I mean having an assigned callsign in your country's registry) Falco, then I'd like to hear from you, please email me at admin@aerofun.ch, thanks a lot :!:

Quote:

Dear Falco owner, Falco flyer, Falco builder or Falco fan

My name is Dan Ruiters, some of you know me, most don't…
I'm am a Falcoholic, own and fly HB-UOD, a 1964 factory built Falco serie IV based in Birrfeld LSZF, Switzerland, in the heart of good ol'Europe.

A couple of years ago I set up a homepage, www.aerofun.ch. This site has evolved and is becoming more and more Falco oriented. It includes a World Falco List which I'm trying to keep as current and accurate as possible for the benefit of all.

If you feel like helping, please verify the data you see on the list, pertaining to your airplane or the one(s) you might know about and reply to this email by filling the fields below (any of you with a factory production list?):

Registration:

Previous registration(s):

Serial Number:

Type (V being homebuilts):

Based at (operated from):

Owner name and address (for data protection only the name is published in the list, though I appreciate the full data including email address for eventual contact):

Owner's email:

Status of aircraft (is this aircraft for sale? Being rebuilt? Flying?):

Previous owner(s):

Builder of aircraft, name and address (same data protection remark as above):

History of the aircraft (modifications, mishaps, rebuilds etc):

Year built or date of first flight:

Technical details (engine type, equipment etc):

Picture of the aircraft (inside + out):

Thanks for any infos!
Enjoy your Falco and looking forward meeting you either somewhere on the planet or on the forum index.php

You all take care
Dan

Hoi zäme, from Switzerland...

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