**New Release 2026** Available for the first time in English, Interprète Volant tells an excellent story of valor and human mettle. The author journals the 72nd Liaison Squadron’s march during the Rhineland Campaign in WWII. A superior tale that hits on the subject of Liaison Aircraft, notably the Stinson L-5. Moreover, it depicts themes of redemption, duty and civilization.
Originally written in French, this English translation tells the story of Jean Ably who, on September 9, 1944, became an interpreter for the 72nd Liaison Squadron of the 7th U.S. Army. From a notebook kept during his time with the squadron, Ably reconstructs the daily routines of traveling with his American airmen companions. A unique experience told by a young Frenchman engaged in the pushing back of German forces during WWII, to recapture his country.
Once the contentious border is crossed at the Saar River, Ably, also German speaking, sounds out the hearts of the civilian population faced with imminent defeat. In fact, their adherence to the National Socialist Party remains a central theme of the narrative. Ably evokes the general decay into which Germany had plunged. On May 10, 1945, he had the opportunity to see Goering briefly. He eloquently described the former Reichsmarschall as a “sheepish monster.”
Interspersed throughout the book are the exploits of the pilots of the squadron who fly in unarmed aircraft performing observation, light transport duties, and medical evacuation. The Stinson L-5 Sentinel aircraft assigned to the squadron were among the smallest and lightest of warbirds. Most noted for their short landing field capabilities, they rightly earned the nickname “Flying Jeep.”
After nine months of service, Ably is returned to the airport of Eybens, France, near Grenoble, the very place he first joined with the American army. His descriptions of the region are versed with personal aesthetic and amor for the place he fondly called home.
Interprète Volant is an excellent literary work released originally in French and printed in numbered quantity in 1946. A rare, must read… now available in English!
PDF book format includes 151 pages, with photos, both original and appended, plus glossary and maps.
Jeeps in the Sky: The Story of Light Planes in War and Peace was written and published in 1946 by Lt. Col. Andrew Ten Eyck. This volume chronicles the advent of the light airplane, from the early days of daring and courageous pilots, to aviation’s unprecedented feats in two world wars, and eventually to the grand peacetime promise of an airplane-in-every-household.
This rare, and almost forgotten, essay on the state of personal aviation, is as near complete a narrative as exists on the era. While the “flying Jeeps” of World War II weren’t making headlines for dropping bombs, nor were their pilots adorned for aerial combat feats; instead, these light planes furtively acted the part of the versatile, general purpose ground transport fondly, and ubiquitously, known as the Jeep. The differentiating feature between the light plane and the famous four-wheeler was that one went about its business in the sky, often narrowly atop the trees and seldom at a height where activities on the ground could scantly be observed with the naked eye.
During World War II these small, two-place aircraft completed missions of “rapid” transport, they were the eyes of the artillery, and they did so much more. The idiomatic “Jeeps in the sky” not only originated a genre of light aircraft but served to define the class for civilian use, even today! Jeeps in the Sky is a must-read for anyone who fancies aviation and cherishes the freedom to fly.
Out of print for decades, this entertaining and information-packed book is once again available in print. Completely revised, edited and appended, Jeeps in the Sky is a must-have for pilots and collectors of WWII aviation and history relics. The book gives valuable insight and meaningful purpose to the actions of soldiers and aviators who put everything on the line for peace in a world at war.
Includes 30+ black and white photos. While the core of the book covers liaison aircraft and their activities during World War II there’s also a chronology of the light plane from 1898 through the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Tables include: World War I pursuit and combat plane specifications for American, British, French and German aircraft. Added for reference are WWII successors L-1, L-2, L-3, L-4, L-5 and L-6 liaison aircraft.
The Piper Cub Story, first published in 1969, was written by James M. Triggs, an aircraft specialist then living in Mt. Kisco, New York. The valuable reference includes a historical background from 1920s with the Taylor Brothers designing and manufacturing their lightweight aircraft. Information with diagrams, tables and pictures provide detail on both the Cub’s construction and operation.
In the context of aviation, Triggs worked as an illustrator specializing in aircraft subjects for much of his career. A contributor to many aviation publications, he created scale drawings and color illustrations of many historical aircraft.
For Cub aficionados, The Piper Cub Story is a great place to start. It’s an easy read and absolutely informative, covering this iconic aircraft, its genealogy in detail, and often providing rare bits of insight on this legendary lightplane. For example, it was produced by Cub Aircraft Canada in Ontario under the name of Prospector during the late forties, only to be interrupted by World War II. A must read for anyone interested in this prolonged era—1930s to 1994—of American aeronautical triumph.
This revised, edited and reformatted edition is available in print for the first time in decades.
San Salvatore di Sinis in western Sardinia is a modest yet hospitable “town” if you will. It comprises a dusty central square surrounded by sas cumbessias, side abutting single-story dwellings, that remain conspicuously closed most of the year. The setting is one of an Old West prairie village wielding a ghost town ambiance. Inasmuch, San Salvatore conjures up the American Southwest with an aura that the guest rode in and his fate suddenly became perilous and uncertain. In the 1960s, deductively, the town served as a set for some low budget Italian-made “Western” films, a then emerging genre to be forged: the Spaghetti Western.
San Salvatore is located en route to Sardinia’s often visited Spiaggia di Is Arutas—the name derived from a term meaning grains in the native Sardo language. Distinguished by its pearly white, quartz pebble sand, the shoreline’s surface is likened to grains of rice. While most travelers to the Sinis peninsula region flock to its beaches, San Salvatore offers more than libation. A revealing look at millenniums of life on the island, itself an ancient land mass, can be fetched in San Salvatore.
Driving past a broken line of sandstone dwellings, discolored and shuttered wood openings, unkempt foliage, and red clay roofs of varying height, one might overlook San Salvatore. The strada bianca, or dirt road driveway, leading into the town is otherwise at the building row’s end. Despite the earth tone palette, and depending on the season, pleasing hues of weathered blue paint flit with the open sky, and bright flowers of a yellow-red spectrum illuminate the gritty ghostly aura giving the town an invitingly friendly feel.
While San Salvatore is the scene of an uninhabited prairie town today, barring a few tourists blithely shooting photographs, and the occasional locals hosting a novena, the site hides a much bigger story.
Accommodation for Pilgrims
The village dwellings of San Salvatore, originally built in the 1600–1700s, are prime examples of sas cumbessias (defined as accommodations for pilgrims) found scattered about Sardinia. The small abodes here were built around a church placed on top of a hypogeum (literally meaning underground) dating to the early Roman Republic.
Sas Cumbessias – Dwellings used during festivals, pilgrimages and traditional novena events. The sas cumbessias of San Salvatore, small and unadorned, were built to meet the needs of the journeying faithful. New construction ceased in the mid-19th century, roughly 1830–1870s, leaving the present “Western” look.
Church of San Salvatore
At the heart of the village is a church dedicated to Jesus the Savior, i.e. San Salvatore. The Chiesetta (little church) di San Salvatore, with hypogeum beneath its floor, has been a place of worship for millennia starting as a prehistoric sanctuary carved into the rock. The present rectangular building measures roughly 43½ x 31½ feet (or 13,3 x 9,6 meters) with its entrance facing northeast and shaded by a small portico. The interior is divided into two naves, or congregation halls, with the left side occupying the presbytery beneath a wood vaulted ceiling and stair leading down to the hypogeum. The nave at the right serves as the sacristy and is framed by an arcaded appendage to the main structure.
Underground Vault
Below ground level and the church floor of Chiesettadi San Salvatore, constructed in brick, sandstone and mortar, is a cruciform series of rooms referred to as the hypogeum. A water well at its center has served for centuries both as a place of worship and a source of water through the ages. The area of San Salvatore has been sacred since the Nuragic (Neolithic) period, having satiated civilizations for more than 4,000 years.
In the Early Roman Republic, 4th century BC, christianity was just being explored. The various uses of the well have been preserved in fable since its first inhabitants, rooted in the lore of tradition and legend. Extant today, Punic (264–146 BC) and Roman (510 BC–476 AD) etchings can be seen on the hypogeum walls. These illustrations and depictions are striking, further affirming the structure’s purpose and date.
On a semicircular wall, facing the stairs, is an early representation of the “sacred conversation.” This scene recognizes five characters identified by name above their depictions. On the left standing side by side are Luna, a goddess and symbol of faith, and Venus the mother, goddess of love and beauty. Next to Venus is Mars the father, a symbol of peace, and flying to his right is Amor, or Eros, a symbol of love and unity, holding a veil symbolizing the union between Mars and Venus. Finally, there is Musa, or Moses, teacher of literature, science, and the arts, sitting on a large seat fastening a sandal and gazing outward from the scene.
In the same room, immediately to the right of the entrance, a scene of Hercules’ twelve labors is depicted. The hero is shown bare-chested strangling the fierce Nemean lion, whose head is hidden from the viewer’s sight. The technique and representational style of the markings match that of the sacred conversation. There is also a depiction of a writing tablet located above the sacred conversation identifying Roman sodalitates (religious brotherhoods). Its inscription “SCHOLA” indicates a gathering place for collegia (societies), and implies that the hypogeum was a meeting place in the Late Roman Period (250–450 AD).
Barefoot Race
On the first Saturday in September begins Corsa degli Scalzi, a festival bringing San Salvatore to life. The Corsa degli Scalzi (meaning barefoot race) ensues from the city of Cabras seven kilometers away. A procession of hundreds of men in white tunics called Is Curridoris runs along a mostly unpaved route towards San Salvatore. The runners carry a wooden statue, or simulacrum (effigy), of their patron saint, and the town’s namesake.
Novenas – Devotional festivals. While the village of San Salvatore comes to life during the Corsa degli Scalzi festival, other novenas take place here throughout the year. San Salvatore is frequented by farmers during the planting season in autumn and the wheat harvest in summer. The novena is a Christian devotional activity, repeated for nine consecutive days, that consists mainly in reciting prayers (such as the rosary) to God, a saint or the deceased. The term derives from the medieval Latin novenus meaning ninth.
Legend holds that the annual Corsa degli Scalzi initiated from a pirate attack by Saracens (Arabs) in 1506, in which the faithful of Cabras were compelled to save their hallowed statue, whisking it away to a hiding place in San Salvatore. As the dust from the runners made the invaders believe they were seeing a large advancing army, the island was saved avoiding any conflict. Festivities surrounding Corsa degli Scalzi persist for nine-plus days while traditional Sardinian music featuring launeddas, a woodwind instrument made of three pipes, the local vernaccia wine variety, and a plentiful fish of the region, muggine, are enjoyed.
Movie Set
A style all their own, production of Spaghetti Western films flourished in Italy in the mid-1960s. Perhaps most famous of the genre are those directed by Sergio Leone, for example: A Fistful of Dollars (1964, Per un Pugno di Dollari in Italian) starring Clint Eastwood. Spaghetti Westerns attained international celebrity despite their low budgets, interjected Italian dialogue, and copious use of sound dubbing. While shooting took place primarily in Spain (Almería and the Tabernas Desert) and at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, a few attempts were made at filming on the island of Sardinia.
San Salvatore’s ambiance of the American southwest emanates from a period of Spanish domination on the island. Its barren sunny landscape and dusty alleys are brambled with succulents redolent of both regions. San Salvatore has forever been wild territory posturing as civil. Having existed quite simply as a watering hole for more than 3,000 years, today it seems at a standoff with the American cowboy film.
In the early 1960s, the Sardinian based Corronca Company invested in San Salvatore by constructing a film set specifically for Westerns, replete with a saloon, a fake well, a hanging gallows, and a sheriff’s office with jail. While painted white, all coalesced with the existing mud, brick and plaster sas cumbessias and Chiesettadi San Salvatore. Investors anticipated that low production costs and the stark environs would beckon film producers. Rumors prevail about which Spaghetti Western film scenes were shot here. However, only a handful of truths exist. What remains today of the town is an entanglement of tourism folklore.
The former “saloon” of San Salvatore di Sinis, Sardinia.
Ironically, the first of only two movies substantially produced in San Salvatore in the 1960s was of the science fiction genre. Titled 2+5 Missione Hydra (1965, its English title Star Pilot) and shot by Pietro Francisci, the movie was staged in part in the town, but largely filmed in the surrounding countryside to capture what was cast as the fictitious landing site of a spaceship from the Hydra constellation. Furthermore, the final scenes of the film were shot in front of the picturesque seaside arch of S’Archittu some 25 km north of Is Arutas and San Salvatore. Despite the movie’s limited success, it is credited with introducing the location to other filmmakers of the time.
In the 1968 movie Garter Colt (Giarrettiera Colt in Italian), by director Gian Andrea Rocco, San Salvatore portrayed a town in the American southwest, saloon and dusty square included. Starring Nicoletta Machiavelli and Claudio Camaso (a.k.a. Claudio Volontè), Garter Colt was filmed almost entirely in the “Western” town. Despite its quirky production qualities, and lackluster success, Garter Colt has survived as a cult classic.
Garter Colt is further validated by the 1990s bred film producer Quentin Tarantino. He called Garter Colt a source of inspiration and defined the movie as a masterpiece of its genre—perhaps implying a combination of both Spaghetti Western and cult classic (i.e. its non-linear storytelling, a trademark of Tarantino’s style). Furthermore, Tarantino named the protagonist in his Kill Bill series Arlene Machiavelli, a tribute to his admiration for the actress Nicoletta Machiavelli. Garter Colt is moreover notable as the first and one of the rare Spaghetti Westerns to feature a woman as the lead character.
Production of the movie Per 30 Dollari al Mese (For 30 Dollars a Month) about a ranger named Texas started in San Salvatore in 1966, under the direction of Mario Gariazzo and was financed by the Sardinian company Arborea Film. However, production ceased when bankrupted reportedly due to the costs of transporting materials, actors and crew to the site. Three years later the movie was revived and renamed Dio Perdoni la mia Pistola (1969, God Will Forgive My Pistol in English). Directed by Leopoldo Savona and produced by Ambrosiana Cinematografica, Dio Perdoni la mia Pistola was completed in the studios of Cinecittà.
Last Stand
Lastly in 1967, with locations in and around the town, San Salvatore was employed for the movie Django Kills Softly (1967, its Italian title Bill il Taciturno, taciturn as the silent one) by producer Alberto Puccini and director Massimo Pupillo. Django Kills Softly was the town’s last stand as a Western film set. Again, parts of the movie were filmed in Cinecittà.
Vanquished
Dating as far back as the Nuragic era, from 1700–700 BC, with its pagan sanctuary, San Salvatore would later become a Roman temple, from 27 BC – 476 AD. Arabic inscriptions from the medieval period note that the Moors, from 711–1492 AD, used to make frequent incursions into the area. The village also became a religious center in the Dark Ages, from 476–1000 AD, and only after the postwar period, in the 1960s, did it take on the appearance of a frontier town.
In 1991, an arson attack destroyed the movie set saloon. According to locals, it was out of place here. In the blaze, all materials stored inside, including movie posters and stage photos, also vanished. Since the Roman Conquest, in 283 BC, Sardinia often fell prey to passing pirates and marauders, owing to its strategic position in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. Once again the sacred site fell prey to pirates. Thieves and looters poached the remaining movie set and stage memorabilia.
While picturesque with its mud brick sas cumbessias, 17th century chiesetta, and fugacious set constructions, one can only presume that San Salvatore was the location for a movie by the legendary Sergio Leone. Truth be told, it never was.
Revival
In recent years, however, San Salvatore has experienced a new wave of film set popularity. Movies such as The Legend of Kaspar Hauser (2012), starring Vincent Gallo and directed by Davide Manuli, and Daughter of Mine (2018) by Laura Bispuri with Alba Rohrwacher, both give nod to the serene and mysterious environs of the Sinis peninsula. Both salute the uniqueness of region’s architecture. As with their predecessors, these movies serve to preserve life in a form that seizes the human spirit.
San Salvatore in all its film history is cast as enduring and resilient. Like the Giants of its Nuragic past, the town refuses to diminish. It represents the ravaged colonizers and the foiled pirates, the native defenders and the cowboys, the faithful pilgrims and their followers. Sardinia is solid as stone and its Sinis residents equally firm.
Ultimately, the ancient watering hole that is and was San Salvatore, remains a place where guests and masses alike gather, imbibe, and tell the stories of the past with pride and stolid indifference.
In northern Sardinia, the Church of the Holy Trinity Saccargia (Basilica della Santissima Trinità di Saccargia) has stood for over nine hundred years. Architecturally, it is a stunning example of Pisan Romanesque architecture. Photographed at dusk, the layers of black basalt and white limestone summons the spirits over the ancient island once divided into four kingdoms.
The Utscheider gliding club celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sunday, September 1, 2024, hosting a festival at their airfield home in the South Eifel region of Germany. Activities included sightseeing flights, balloon rides, and a potpourri of aircraft on exhibit for gander and gaze. The variety of airships on display included many motorless and motor-assisted gliders, also sharing the turf with comparatively diminutive remote-control aircraft. Rounding out festivities, participants enjoyed the traditional brats, beer and other gastronomies essential for such German gatherings.
Location:
The event was held at Utscheid Segelflugplatz (translation: glider airport) in the Bitburg-Prüm district of western Germany. Utscheid is a small community of around 400 residents. Nearby to the east is the city of Bitburg, home to around 17,000 and the historic Bitburger Brewery. The region, known as the Eifel, comprises a low mountain range along the German-Belgium-Luxembourg borders. Hosting the celebration was the South Eifel glider flying club—Segelflugverein Südeifel. The club boasts 50 active members, among some 130 in all according to staff.
Segelflugverein Südeifel, South Eifel Glider Flying Club, in the Bitburg-Prüm district of Germany.
“It is the fascination of gliding that inspires many people,” said Rudolph Höser, a journalist and attendee at the friendly Flugplatzfest (translation: airfield festival). “Something big has come from small beginnings and we want to celebrate that appropriately,” stated the invitation to my balloon pilot friend from Bitburg, Peter Manns. He was among a small group of local, commercial balloon pilots asked to display their aircraft at the festival.
Hot air balloons are defined as non-power-driven, lighter-than-air aircraft. Balloons depend on mild winds for traversing the terrain. At varying altitudes wind direction varies. It is this phenomenon that an adept balloon pilot carefully monitors, allowing directional control of their aircraft.
“Gliders do not need wind to fly. Most of the time they use thermals, i.e. air that rises in the atmosphere. At the start, the glider is brought to a certain height by a winch or a motor plane,” explains Jörg Eppers, board member of the Utscheider gliding club, Segelflugverein Südeifel. “Then it flies on a path that is slightly inclined downwards until it gains height again due to a so-called updraft.” These updrafts, or thermals, are created by a heating of the earth’s surface, usually from the sun. As the air just above the ground warms, it rises displacing colder, heavier air above. Thus, the normally lightweight glider aircraft ascend upwards for as long as the thermals can sustain them.
Event organizer Peter Fabry shared, “Many preparations had to be made for the airfield festival, and the requirements of the air authority.” In years prior, Jupp Krämer, recently deceased, did much of the work, Fabry added. “Unfortunately we have to do without him today.”
Facts:
1) Modern gliders easily reach speeds of up to 280 km/h, equivalent to 174 mph.
2) A world record altitude for soaring at 14,102 meters (46,267 feet), was set by Paul Bickle in 1961. On September 2, 2018, Jim Payne flew his Perlan 2 to 76,124 feet after being towed to 60,000 feet.
3) The longest glider flight in history is 3,055 kilometers (1,898 miles), set by Gordon Boettger in June 2023, breaking the 3,008 kilometers (1,869 miles) record achieved by Klaus Ohlmann in 2003.
Spotted at the Utscheid event were a great variety of aircraft, both powered and motorless, including:
D-MAYW Comco Ikarus C42B, a 2-seat microlight aircraft manufactured in Hohentengen, Germany. (similar to the SkyReach Bushcat with a sewn wing covering)
D-EPMS Cessna TU206F Turbo Stationair, a rugged 6-seat “utility” aircraft. This one was freshly refurbished and serves as a jump plane. (from Bitburg airport)
D-MUBA Aeropro Eurofox 3K, a 2-seat light aircraft manufactured in Slovakia. (resembling a Kitfox)
D-ECKY Socata Rallye 180GT STOL, a tricycle gear, low-wing, short takeoff and landing 4-place aircraft manufactured in France. (a rare design combination)
A freshly refurbished Cessna TU206F Turbo Stationair jump plane.
Towing aircraft in the glider club, according to Fabry, include:
D-KIKD Diamond HK36TC Super Dimona, manufactured in Austria, taildragger and towplane. (called the Katana Xtreme in Canada and the U.S.)
D-KMUH Scheibe SF-25C-TL Rotax-Falke, manufactured in Heubach, Germany, motor glider and towplane.
D-MLOB AeroSpool WT9 Dynamic, ultralight aircraft and towplane.
A unique winch launch glider nicknamed “Godzilla” is also used by the club, of which a demonstration was performed during the event.
An array of gliders are used by club members, including:
Two 2-seaters: Schleicher ASK 21 and DG Flugzeugbau DG-1000S
Four single-place sailplanes: Rolladen-Schneider LS3 and LS4, Grob G102 Astir, Schleicher ASK 18
Among the sailplane/gliders on display in the hanger and on the field were: D-4121 (Ka 6), D-7149 (Schleicher Ka 6E), D-9570 (LS 3), D-1510?, D-9055 (Scheibe L-Spatz 55), D-1818 (Schleicher ASK 18), D-5414 (Schleicher Ka-7 Rhonadler), D-6556 (Schleicher ASK 21), and D-9940 (DG 1000S 20m).
Some of the hangar occupants at Segelflugverein Südeifel, Utscheid, Germay.
The event provided a well-rounded exhibition of aviation exploits, including two throaty T-6 Texans—vintage military trainers manufactured by North American Aviation. The duo performed low passes over the runway delivering their unique radial engine pop-pop-pop. According to Fabry, the two “Texans” hail from Bitburg, where the Spangdahlem NATO Air Base has been in operation since 1952. Transported skyward by the Turbo Stationair, a team of jumpers parachuted atop the crowd colorfully touching down midfield on the hilltop green meadow.
Two T-6 Texans perform a low pass over the runway at Utscheid.
From my perspective, glider flying as a sport seems more prevalent in Germany when compared the U.S. However, at the airport near where I live in Texas (5C1, Boerne Stage) there exists a glider club. An abundance of motorized aircraft at the airport, used for both sport and business, far outnumber the gliders. The San Antonio Soaring Society operates two Grob G103C Twin III Acro aircraft and promotes the activities of the club where conditions are apparently favorable for the sport. In the U.S. gliding is often called “soaring.”
Back on the European continent, I highly recommend taking a look at Aero Friedrichshafen—the closest overseas alternative to AirVenture Oshkosh—if gliding, or flying for that matter, is of interest. Aero, as it’s simply called, devotes an entire hall to gliders, one at the front, and the largest of its twelve impressive exhibition spaces.
“Europe loves its gliders, such as the L23 Super Blaník all-metal glider remake. In 2019 the ‘sailplanes’ displays were moved to Hall A1 at the main entrance.” Read more…
There’s no doubt gliding is popular around the world, but like ballooning it’s decidedly a weather dependent activity. With good fortune, the airfield festival at Utscheid in 2024, fell on a beautiful summer day. Just prior to and following the weekend, the weather exhibited a more typical, cloudy and damp seasonal scud. The Eifel region is peppered with numerous river valleys where fog often rises before the cows and fowl of the region. A convivial number of visitors and optimum weather made for a perfect weekend glider experience.
The Glider Experience
As with any means of people-moving, energy management, i.e. momentum, is key to balancing safety and speed. This is especially true in a sailplane, as there is no reserve thrust or acceleration should a situation may demand it. Pilots will agree that energy management is an art form in the sport of gliding; and that energy can only come from optimum planning, timing and instinct. The glider pilot can ultimately rely on air brakes for effectively dissipating excess lift energy on landing. Likewise, for any pilot a well-timed spot landing is an art, and brakes only make the difference between a safe landing and an incident.
In a tightly regulated Germany, aircraft of all types play well together. The U.S. has five major air bases in the country, among over 40 military installations. Gliders, jets, piston powered aircraft, whirlybirds, and parachuters all share the same sky whether flying commercial, military, for business or sport.
Jumpers to the south of Spangdahlem Air Base can been seen frequently at the skydiving club Fallschirmsportclub Trier (literally translated as parachute sports club), near the city of Trier. Here club members set up and launch directly beside the often manned control tower at Trier-Föhren Airport. Despite generous helpings—neither of which espouse a favorable meaning—of red tape in the Federal Republic of Germany, flying under a black-red-gold tricolor flag, sport in aviation is strong. Germany is said to be both the birthplace of flying and the center of the gliding world.
Flying Surprises
While departing Aero in 2017, via rental car, I crossed beneath the approach end of an active airport. A mix of powered aircraft and gliders were taking advantage of lush green turf on rolling hills at Flugplatz Wildberg. There I encountered Hermann Beck of Flugschule Hermannwings. The friendly owner, and retired pilot (professedly at the age of 41), had bought the airport from the original owner/farmer who had a Cub he kept nearby in Switzerland. When the Americans opened up Germany’s airspace again, post-WWII, the farmer created the flying field and, in 1955, moved his plane closer to home. The delightful location includes a biergarten/cafe for watching the airfield’s activities. Just another of Germany’s delightful aviation surprises.
A winged, twin-engine cow pays homage to the former farm at Flugplatz Wilderberg.
Seeing the world through wrap-around sunglasses, flight goggles, or classic Ray-Ban aviators, flying is unequivocally a vision-centric occupation. And with eyes wide open, pilots and non-pilots alike enjoy the great marvel that is flight, an incomparable lightness of being. To Mark Twain, flying was “the air up there in the clouds very pure and fine, bracing and delicious… the same the angels breathe.”
50 Years of Gliding
“And so many visitors came to celebrate the anniversary with the club. With free admission, the grounds filled up quickly. Visitors took the opportunity to take sightseeing flights and balloon rides. The Bitburg parachutists showed their skills, members of the Adler Südeifel model aircraft club exhibited. And if a boy wanted to sit in the cockpit of a glider, that was possible too. So the airfield festival anniversary was a well-round affair,” summarized Rudolf Höser.
If you get the chance, visit Utscheid where the setting is lovely, the folks are friendly, and you can be assured there are many english-speaking folks in the region who share your love of flight.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, JULY 17, 2024 – Avionics Services International (ASI) announced today the expansion of its cockpit upgrade services including turbine aircraft. ASI assists operators with implementing Garmin forward-fit and retrofit glass flight deck and flight display solutions. With a variety of offerings now available to jet operators, ASI is the preferred regional source and authorized service center.
The pace of advanced cockpit technology far exceeds that of new airframe development. With this emergence, a proliferation of flight performance data is now at the fingertips of the well-equipped pilot. Integration of the modern cockpit into older airframes is essential. To this end, Ronny Salamon, president of Platinum Aviation, and ASI, has been working with jet owner/operators since the early years of the digital cockpit revolution. ASI moved into San Antonio’s SkyPlace FBO more recently and is the factory authorized Garmin dealer in San Antonio and the South Texas region.
ASI performs flight deck upgrades incorporating Garmin avionics designed to bring older jets and turboprops the “best and brightest.”
Central to a variety of upgrade services performed at ASI are Garmin’s integrated flight deck offerings, including the G5000. Now standard on Learjet, Cessna and Beechjet models, the G5000 adds high-resolution displays and Synthetic Vision Technology—both representing hallmarks of flight deck sophistication—and are much favored by today’s jet operators.
Advantages of the G5000 system are numerous, as the Garmin displays incorporate all aspects of cockpit instrumentation from PFD to FMS to autopilot. Pilots agree that they are a vast improvement over many factory original flight decks. The G5000 has an intuitive touchscreen interface, with shallow menus, and audible feedback making them easy to master. This and more, such as automated flight guidance and control systems, streamline cockpit operations. A significant upgrade with a marked return on investment, the G5000 can turn any jet airframe into a truly modern airplane.
In addition to the G5000-series, ASI is well-versed in installing other Garmin display systems including G600/700 TXi touchscreen flight displays for Part 25 aircraft, turboprops, and early model Citation jets. The company has been performing avionics updates on turbine aircraft since TCAS, WAAS, RVSM and ADS-B technologies began compelling operators to modernize. ASI understands the need for replacing unserviceable Bendix and Sperry autopilots, or Honeywell Primus and Collins Pro Line avionics, to ensure long-term operational support of an airframe.
Garmin’s round-dial GI 275 digital flight instrument—now widely adopted—introduced many of the features of Garmin’s larger displays as an economical upgrade for operators of nearly all GA aircraft, including the 500-series Cessna Citations. ASI understands the importance of this novel device. The GI 275 provides a more reliable electronic standby instrument system functioning as an attitude indicator, plus a great deal more. The Garmin dial can add synthetic vision, autopilot integration, and touchscreen features, seamlessly incorporating all the standard readouts of attitude, altitude, airspeed and heading. It’s an essential upgrade for any operator.
ASI “stands” for Augmentation experts in Systems and Integration.
ASI emerged from roots in commercial and military aircraft electronics to become a leading provider in general aviation. The company’s persistent success with turning aging cockpits of early model aircraft into modern flyers has been lauded by customers across Texas and the U.S.
One such customer operates a Piper Meridian along the Texas Gulf Coast region. Ajit David, owner of the PA-46 turboprop, commented, “Every time we fly we think of Ronny. His shop performed a complete avionics replacement. This was our first plane, the cost of the update was very reasonable, and it was completed in a good timeframe. Ronny kept us updated on the progress all along the way.”
“For jet operators, the top reason for a flight deck upgrade is going from analog to digital,” stated Salamon. “We’re able to give operators the best available instruments in a digital platform. Going with Garmin ensures many years of reliable use. Day-to-day operational efficiency is also part of the package.”
ASI was established in 1988 by Ronny Salamon, an industry veteran of 40+ years. Salamon and his highly experienced team are based at San Antonio International Airport (KSAT). ASI is the only one-stop avionics shop based in San Antonio. The firm is experienced with aircraft of all sizes, from light piston to business jets. Capabilities include equipment installation, repair, replacement, diagnostics and certification. ASI works with MROs, fleet operators, and individual aircraft owners.
Among ASI’s strengths are its knowledge and experience with leading avionics manufacturers. As an authorized Garmin dealer, ASI provides sales, service and installation. ASI is well versed in modern display technology, RVSM, and IFR Certification, all essential components for aircraft owners and operators worldwide. ASI helps its customers achieve optimum integration for both their aircraft and mission. Additionally, mobile service is available—a vital component for time savings and cost-conscious operations.
ASI, a division of Platinum Aviation LLC, is a FAA Certified Repair Station no. S78R151N and is Part 145 approved for airframe, instrument and radio.
For more information on Avionics Services International, visit www.avionicsservices.net, or contact ASI at info@avionicsservices.net or 956-285-0373. Avionics Services International is located at 1770 Skyplace Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78216.
– avionicsservices.net –
PA-46 panel upgrade with Garmin avionics, by Avionics Services International in San Antonio, Texas.
