Pilots, looking down on people since 1903
There are 4 pilots in the official Glider Aerobatic team and a team manager.
Here we are:
Jyrki "Jysky" Viitasaari
Photo: Ismo Aaltonen
Began flying in 1976, at age of 16, when model aircrfts changed to glider. Almost a year and one glider after, he got over the glider pilot's license. Since then, flight experience has been accumulated to over 2100 hours, of which more than half by gliding, the rest of by ultralight and powered gliders. When gaining the flight experience, gliding instructor training also came to be topical, after which the experience and perhaps also the ability of evaluation have increased.
Competition glider aerobatics career began in 2006 and results have ranged from stern administrator, up to the top. The best thing in flying, however, has been the community of aviators.
Dream is to get a firm foothold and lasting reputation for glider aerobatics in the Finnish aviation family. While struggling for fulfil the dream , daily bread comes from rail transport, freight side.
Competition glider aerobatics career began in 2006 and results have ranged from stern administrator, up to the top. The best thing in flying, however, has been the community of aviators.
Dream is to get a firm foothold and lasting reputation for glider aerobatics in the Finnish aviation family. While struggling for fulfil the dream , daily bread comes from rail transport, freight side.
Toivo "Topi" Huovinen
Photo: Jysky Viitasaari
Topi moved next to Helsinki-Vantaa airport in the 50's and sometimes during that time he got interested about airplanes. Malmi airfield became very familiar to the little boy, hanging on the fence and even getting a ride with some pilot every once and a while.
He first tried gliders at the age of 15, but since it was rather expencive it took some years when he returned to the airfields in 1972 and flew his GPL and PPL. The next few years he spent well flying gliders and power planes and got a commercial licence soon. In 1974 he was flying tow planes in Nummela and was supposed to continue towing next spring and fly also as a teacher.
A good intentions were not enough when he started flying full time in Finnwings and hobby was left a bit behind. He flew commercial 30 years as well as a teacher and a normal pilot retiring from the MD11 cockpit in 2008. He has been flying aerobatics in the 70's both with gliders and power, also as a teacher. After buying a share of Christen Eagle in the beginning of the century he concentrated again in the aerobatics. Matti Peura lured Topi more and more into glider aerobatics in 2008.
Now when Topi is officially retired he teaches and developes ultra flying as a hobby and also does power aerobatics. He also works as an inspector in ultra and single engine planes. He says that he's biggest accomplisment is that he is able to fly freely around Finland and close to his summer cottage in Mikkeli with his Savage Cruiser which has also floats! He hopes that he is able to fly as long as possible! Topi has total of 18 000 hrs and about 200 of those are with glider.
Mikko "Luke" Luukkanen
Mikko began his hobby at early age by riding along with GA aircraft with his dad and by flying (mostly crashing) model aircraft. First solo on glider happened one sunny day in Nummela year 2001 at the age of 15. Since then it's been impossible to stay on the ground for too long.
Few years later it was PPL and MGPL to speed up the process of building up flying hours, doing aerotows and such. Then participating Matti Peura's first glider aerobatic course in Finland year 2005, it was easy to get caught in the world of aerobatics. And since then it's been impossible to fly upright for too long!
Starting to fly in Nummela and living Helsinki the studies and work have thrown from place to place and now it's Kauhava's turn to be the homebase. This is lot due to being extremely lucky to get to fly in the air force, now at the Training Air Wing. This small city has one of Finland's most active aero clubs for glider aerobatics with SZD ACRO and lot's of - more or less - crazy aviation enthusiasts.
Besides aviation other activities include things like photography and wide range of sports, from pentathlon to gymnastics. Trying, failing and finally learning new things is the key element.
Competing is a great tool to improve your performance but the ideology behind all this is to fly solely for yourself. Sometimes all goes smooth and you get a medal but most off all, these 900 hours airborne have been unforgettable experiences as they are!
Ville Sulkakoski
Photo: Juhani Lauri
Ville has been flying since 1991 and has both GPL and PPL. He started flying right when he was old enough and been into flying and airplanes since he was a kid. Ville's home field is in Kauhava and he flies with Ilmasotakoulun lentokerho.
Ville has been flying since 1991 and has both GPL and PPL. He started flying right when he was old enough and been into flying and airplanes since he was a kid. Ville's home field is in Kauhava and he flies with Ilmasotakoulun lentokerho.
Ville is a newcomer in competition flying, he took an aerobatic course in the summer 2009 and won the silver medal in Finnish Nationals in the same year and also in Nordic championships in 2010 in sportsman-class.
His aim is to develope in competition flying to higher grade and he has been practicing a lot in Kauhava and also in aerobatic training camps.
Hanna Räihä
Photo: John Popika
Hanna used to fly when she was younger. Got her PPL before her driving licence. After certain things the PPL is not valid anymore, but the love for flying hasn't gone anywhere. After volunteering in the WAGAC 2010 in Jämi, she fell totally in love with aerobatics and after few things ended up as the team manager, with hardly any flying experience, with no experience in competition flying or judging.
It was her organizing and negotation skills that lead to this and now she is one of the team... Ready to take action, hoping to get her PPL back one day and also fly gliders, to be an aerobatic judge and what else... So many other things to achieve. Call her crazy, that she definitely is, but also a girl with a big heart to aviation.
