HAO’s huge bills. The Avon
engine has to be run every two to
three months to maintain bearing
lubrication and ensure the core is
conserved. Overhauling the ejection
seat alone costs in excess of 50,000
Swiss Francs (£37,900).Jet mecca
Ueli Leutert is the sole approved
Hunter check pilot and the only one
cleared to fly Papyrus. Flying duties
used to be shared with Hanspeter
‘Goliath’ Reusser, who has now
stepped down.
Ueli has a particular fondness for
J-4040 as most of the Hunter flying
he performs these days is on the twin
seat Mk.68s that several other
groups still fly in Switzerland.
He says: “Looking up in the
mirror and seeing those white
wings carving through the air – that’s
something that still sets my heart
racing.”
Swiss Hunters rarely flew without
two wing-mounted fuel tanks (‘Flunts’
in Swiss parlance) as their range was
severely limited. Flying fast and at low
level will quickly drain 549 Imp gal
(2,500 litre ) of fuel in under an hour.
Transit flights are staged at higher
altitudes and consumption decreases
significantly.
Ueli still manages forces of up to
7.5g during airshows at St Stephan.
This speaks well for both airframe and
pilot, as they are almost as old as one
another!
The Bernese Oberland has since
become quite a mecca for vintage jet
fans seeking their fill of Jet A1 exhaust
and the sound of Rolls-Royce engines
reverberating in the narrow valley.
Every year, during the last full week
of August, various Hunters and other
historic types fly into St Stephan in
preparation for the ‘Hunterfest’.
Association president Beat
Radelfinger is looking forward to
another great event in 2018. He is
hoping for another appearance of the
Papyrus Hunter in the rear slot behind
the Patrouille Suisse’s F-5 Tigers
display team.
This year’s event will be a special one
for Hunter operators in Switzerland,
as it marks 60 years since the country
ordered its first batch of 100 Mk.58s.
Although the crowds enjoy the free
airshow and spectacular scenery, it is
always Papyrus that draws the most
positive feedback.Peter Lewis is author and
photographer of two titles on Swiss
Hunters and the newly published
F-5 Tiger book Swiss Tiger Parallel
Flight. http://www.hunterverein.ch22 FLYPAST April 2018
“Looking up in the mirror and seeing
those white wings carving through the air
- that’s something that still sets my heart
racing”
Right
The roar of the
Hunter’s engine can
easily be imagined
in this dramatic
study.COLD WAR JETS HAWKER HUNTER