SAA HISTORY - Swiss Aerobatic Association

PAST AND CURIOUS

Here you’ll find archives, memories and moments of the last 50 years of SAA. Please, feel free to share pictures, documents, rankings and stories !

To send any documents, pictures or stories, please, contact the SAA President.

Thank you to the contributors :

Dominic Andres
Jacques Beyeler
Gaetano Bisaz
Michel Brandt
Georges Brocard
Jean-Pierre Besson
Georges Caron
Jérôme Cusin
Jo Gitchenko
Pierre Marmy
Hanspeter Rohner
Markus Rüesch
Giustino Scalfo
Béatrice Tétaz
Laurent Zehnder

Last uploads : December, 2020

TDH n° 21 about the overhaul of the HB-MSA
1976-1980 Various pictures

The SAA Milestones

1970 Fondation of the SAA (December 15). Introduction of the Elite, Promotion and Espoirs Categories.

1972 Buying the first Acrostar, the HB-MSA.

1974 Buying the second Acrostar, the HB-MSB.

1978 Christian Schweizer is Swiss Aerobatic Champion powered and glider !

1982 Destruction of the HB-MSB in Pau (Eric Müller during an airshow, September 19).

1983 The HB-MSA is bought by 3 SAA members, the plane is based in La Côte (1984), then Yverdon.

1985 Eric Müller is ranked 3rd at the 5th European Aerobatic Championships (best swiss result).

1985 Christian Schweizer is Swiss Aerobatic Champion powered and glider !

1986(?) Introduction of the Sportmen Category between Espoirs and Promotion.

1986 Christian Schweizer is ranked 5th at the 15th World Aerobatic Championships (best swiss result).

1987 Eric Müller is ranked 3th at the 6th European Aerobatic Championships (2nd best swiss result).

1988 New Aresti Catalogue. Eric Müller did a lot of work for it.

1988 Eric Müller is the Overall Winner of the Unknown Programmes at his last WAC in Red Deer, Canada.

1990 Death of Eric Müller (June 16).

1990 Organisation of World Aerobatic Championships in Yverdon from July 29 to August 11.

1991 The SAA “Eric Müller Trophy” for the Advanced Category Winner is first presented at CS/SM 1991.

1994 The CIVA “Eric Müller Trophy” for the Overall Winner of the Unknown Programmes is first presented at WAC 1994.

1998 Introduction of categories according the FAI-CIVA and categories names : Sportsman (Espoirs), Intermediate (Sportsmen), Advanced (Promotion) and Unlimited (Elite).

1998 Death of Christian et Daniel Schweizer in a accident with a Mustang P-51 (September 3).

2003 The “Christian Schweizer Trophy” for Freestyle is first presented at CS/SM 2003.

2005 Introduction of SAA/MSW Acro Cup

2006 Organisation of the 15th European Aerobatic Championships 2006 in Grenchen. Swiss Unlimited Team ranking : 3rd.

2012 SAA/MSW Acro Cup becomes Hamilton Trophy

2019 Introduction of Excellence Category, between Advanced and Unlimited. First presentation of new SAA Trophies for Sportsman, Intermediate, Excellence and Unlimited Categories.

2020 Hamilton Trophy becomes Hamilton Swiss Aerobatic Cup

2024 Death of Pierre Marmy (March 27).

The Former SAA Presidents

1970	1977	Eric	Müller
1977	1988	Jean-Claude	Rinolfi
1988	1990	Alain	Grimm
1990	1994	Pierre-Alain	Schneider
1994	1998	Béatrice	Tétaz
1998	2003	Aurelio	Vassalli
2003	2007	Hans	Meli
2007	2013	Felix	Reinert
2013	2016	Suzanne	Volgelsang
2016	2019	Ariel	Lüedi
2019	…	Jérôme	Cusin

The Greatest Swiss Champions

1930’s and 1940’s

Albert Fischer, 3x Swiss Champion

Francis Liardon, 3x Swiss Champion

1950’s

Fritz Hügli, 3x Swiss Champion

Albert Rüesch, 4x Swiss Champion

1960’s

Arnold Wagner, 5x Swiss Champion

1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s

Eric Müller, 9x Swiss Elite Champion

Christian Schweizer, 15x Swiss Elite Champion

2000’s, 2010’s and 2020’s

Pierre Marmy, 10x Swiss Unlimited Champion
Pierre Marmy, 8x Swiss Freestyle Champion

Bruno Müller, 5x Swiss Unlimited Champion
Bruno Müller, 1x Swiss Freestyle Champion

1937

Tail slide was already a “must” !

1957

1964

1st WAC, Bratislava

Albert and Hansrüedi Rüesch at the 1st WAC in 1960 (18th and 28th). Albert was the oldest pilot (51).

1970

In 1969, the first Swiss National Team was formed by AéCS, which brought together Arnold Wagner, Eric Müller, Christian Schweizer, Michel Brandt, Denis Hügli and Alexandre Leitner.

The following year, three of these members of the Swiss National Team decided to buy the brand new and revolutionary Acrostar, developed and designed by Arnold Wagner. The riders were: Eric Müller, Christian Schweizer and Alexandre Leitner. The Swiss Aerobatic Association was born.

The SAA was founded on 15 December 1970 in Riehen (BS) at the home of Eric Müller.

1971 First SAA Statutes

1972

The first SAA Acrostar, HB-MSA

Picture by Brian Bickers, La Ferté-Alais (1989)

1974

The second SAA Acrostar, HB-MSB

Picture by Tom Cole in 1980 in EGTC

Picture by Stuart Jessup in 1975 in LSZG

“Le Temps de Hélices n°21”, p. 6-15, about the latest overhaul of the HB-MSA.

1976

World Championships 1976 at Kiev, USSR.

JP Freiburghaus, R. Stoudmann, L. Brandt, M. Brandt, M. Lack, E. Müller, U.Flashmann, C. Lafranchi and C. Sagne

Monika Lack in HB-MSA

HB-MSA and HB-MSB in Kiev, USSR

Training camp in Til Châtel

1978

World Championships 1978 at Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.

Georges Brocard, Christian Schweizer, Pierre Burdet, Werner Schiller, Michel Brandt

Georges Brocard, Michel Brandt, Pierre Burdet, Werner Schiller, Christian Schweizer

Michel Brandt and Christian Schweizer at WAC 1978

Georges Brocard

Pierre Burdet

Werner Schiller

Jean-Pierre Freiburghaus and his wife.

In 1978 Christian Schweizer was Swiss Aerobatic Champion in powered and glider aerobatics !

1979

Championnat Suisse Altenrhein. 1979.

Eric Hagander, Véronique Yerly, Georges Brocard, Christian Schweizer, Paul Taramacaz, Jean-Pierre Besson, Jean-Pierre Freiburghaus

1979

Georges Brocard et Paul Taramarcaz in Sion

1980

SM/CS in San Vittore. Aero-Revue 11/80.

Christian Schweizer, Eric Müller, Georges Brocard, Jean-Pierre Besson, Jacques Beyeler, Erik Hagander, Jean-Claude Rinolfi

Training camp in Lons

Training camp in Til Châtel

WAC 1980, Oshkosh, USA

Silver Team medal for Swiss Elite Team ! Christian Schweizer, Eric Müller and Michel Brandt.

1981

SM/CS in San Vittore.

EAC 1981, Punitz, AUT

Bronze Team medal for Swiss Elite Team ! Christian Schweizer, Eric Müller and Michel Brandt.

1974-1982 (?)

HB-MSB in Ecuvillens

Jacques Beyeler, Alphonse Rotzetter, Pierre Bays, Georges Brocard, Jean-Claude Rinolfi, Véronique Yerly (right in the canopy)

Eric Müller with HB-MSB, somewhere in France during a training camp (date unknown).

1982

SAA training camp in Lons-le-Saulnier.

Behind, left to right: Hubert Simon, Christine Genin (world champion in 1990), Daniel Gendre, Olivier De Sybourg, Georges Chevalley, André Rorbasser, Arnold Rosset, Véronique Yerly

In front, left to right: Marie-Thérèse Huguenard, François Cottier and his daughter, Jean-Pierre Grobet, Jean-Pierre Besson, Georges Brocard, Jo Gitchenko

Eric Müller crashed the HB-MSB in Pau on September 19, 1982. HB-MSB was destroyed.

“libre intégral”, p.18, reprint 1998

1983

Due to financial problems, the SAA decided to sell the HB-MSA.

Eric Müller and Annette Carson famous “Flight Unlimited”, 1st edition. A “must have”.

EAC 1983, Ravenna, I

Swiss Elite Team won Bronze Medal : Müller Eric, Brandt Michel, Hagander Eric.

1985

In 1985, for the second time, Christian Schweizer was Swiss Aerobatic Champion in powered and glider aerobatics.

EAC 1985, Ceské Budéjovice, CZ

Swiss Elite Team won Bronze Medal : Müller Eric, Schweizer Christian, Hagander Eric

1986

Championnat Suisse 1986 in Yverdon

Members of Aérovoltige at Championnat Suisse 1986 in Yverdon (ph. : M.T.Huguenard).
Standing : Pierre-Alain Schneider, René Piccand, Alain Berger, Jean-Pierre Besson, René Egg, Alain Grimm, Daniel Mauris.
Kneeling position : Willi Arpagaus, Eric Müller, Cédric Tétaz, Marie-Thérèse Huguenard.

1987

Championnat Suisse 1987 in San Vittore

Eric Müller in his Extra 230

The french translation of “Unlimited flight” by Bernard Chabbert, the famous book of Eric. A “must have”.

EAC 1987, Plössen / Rosenthal Airfield, GER

Swiss Elite Team won Bronze Medal : Müller Eric, Schweizer Christian, Charly Burger

1988

Walter Extra present the prototype of the Extra 300 during the Championnat Suisse 1988 in Bex.

Giustino Scalfo and Walter Extra with the Extra 300

Giustino Scalfo is having a flight lesson with Eric Müller in the Cap 10 HB-SAV.

1988 SAA documents

“Why aerobatics ?” by Eric Müller.

Check-list for camps/competition (still valid !)

Competition pilot

1989

Les aventures de Dan Cooper “La vrille”, Dargaud edition.

With an genuine drawing of Albert Weinberg, tribute to these 4 pilots who made an air show in Château-d’Oex in 1989.

EAC 1989, Bekescsaba, H

Swiss Elite Team won Bronze Medal : Müller Eric, Schweizer Christian, Nils Hagander

1990

AeroRevue tribute to Eric Müller (deceased June 16, 1990) and an interview of Christian Schweizer.

Test flight of the brand new Sukhoi 26 M by Christian Schweizer at the end of the WAC 1990 in Yverdon.

WAC 1990 in Yverdon

From July 29 to August 11, 1990

The 29th of July, the 1st Breitling Master started with :
80 pilots
350 followers
80 volunteers per day, just for the competition, mainly SAA members

In memoriam Eric Müller

Eric Muller, the Overall Unknowns World Champion 1988, was the coach of the Swiss team for many years. He was the initiator and organiser of the WAC 1990 in Yverdon. He died, of natural causes, a few weeks before the start of the WAC.

Nikolai Nikitiuk (RUS), Claude Bessière (FRA) and Patrick Paris (FRA).

Helvetia statue, symbol of Switzerland, built on the airfield for the WAC 1990.

Competitor’s Oath read by Nils Hagander youngest WAC participant.

Swiss Elite Team 1990, top, left to right : Christian Schweizer, Nils Hagander, Marie Thérèse Huguenard (judge), Eric Hagander, Annie Bucci (judge assistant), Pierre Marmy. In front, left to right : Pierro Bucci (chief judge), Daniel Schweizer (pilot assistant) and Jean-Pierre Besson.

Swiss delegation parade.

According to the tradition of the pilots Nikitiuk and Besson exchange a flight on their respective planes.

A group of Canadian pilots and volunteers known in Red Deer in 1988 came to meet their Swiss friends in Yverdon.

Christine Genin (F) 1990 Free Program World Champion and Christian Lesage.

Swiss Elite Team 1990, left to right : Nils Hagander, Pierre Marmy, Christian Schweizer, Jean-Pierre Besson and Eric Hagander.

Swiss Elite Team 1990, top, left to right : Christian Schweizer, Pierre Marmy and Nils Hagander. In front, left to right : Daniel Schweizer (pilot assistant), Jean-Pierre Besson and Eric Hagander.

1994

CS/SM 1994, Bex, Promotion final ranking

Left to right : Pierre-Alain Schneider, Alain Berger, Georges Brocard and Joachim Lugemwa

CS/SM 1994, Bex, Sportsmen final ranking

Left to right : Pierre-Alain Schneider, Olivier Favre, …, …

WAC 1994, Debrecen, H

Unlimited Swiss National Team :

Pilots : Christian and Daniel Schweizer, Christoph Koella, Paul Boshung and Pierre Marmy,

Peter Gafner (Coach), Franz Studer (Judge)

ERIC MÜLLER TROPHY

The trophy was first presented in 1994 (offered by SAA).

First winner was Xavier de Lapparent (F).

This CIVA’s trophy is presented to the Overall Winner of the Unknown Programmes at the World Aerobatic Championships. Eric had won this flight at his last WAC in Red Deer, Canada, in 1988

1995

AeroRevue SAA 25th Anniversary

1997

HB-MSR, the Cap 231 EX flown by Daniel Schweizer in Championnat Suisse in Bex. HB-MSO right behind.

Sukhoi 31M with Paul Boshung and Olivier De Sybourg (CS 1997)

Christian Schweizer at take-off with HB-MSC his Extra 231 EX (CS 1997)

Brand new painting for HB-SAV (CS 1997)

Jérôme Cusin and Gilles Küpfer in front of HB-MSC (CS 1997)

1st World Air Games. Antalya , Turquie, en 1997

Marie-Té Huguenard, Pierre Marmy, Daniel Schweizer, Nicole, Peter Gafner, Christian Schweizer, Georges Brocard

WAC 1998, Trencin, CZ

Swiss National Unlimited Team 1998

Georges Brocard, Peter Gafner, Pierre Marmy, Olivier Favre, Christian and Daniel Schweizer

Daniel and Christian Schweizer in Trencin two weeks before the accident.

Bronze Team medal for Swiss Unlimited Team ! Christian Schweizer, Daniel Schweizer and Pierre Marmy.

1998

CS/SM in Lodrino

Paul Boshung’s Sukhoï 31

Brigitte Delasalle’s Sukhoï 31

Pierre Marmy’s Sukhoï 26

Dominic Andres

Dominic Andres and Markus Rüesch

Jacques Sanche

Christian Schweizer’s Cap 231 Ex

Alexandre Crettenand

On September 3, at the end of the CS/SM 1998 Christian and Daniel Schweizer

died in an accident during the ferry to Ticino of the P-51 Mustang “Temptation”, HB-RCW (former F-AZJM).

Probably the saddest day of all aerobatic history in Switzerland.

Considering the SR 111 crash near Halifax on September 2, this was probably the saddest week in swiss aviation history.

F-AZJM in Duxford, pilot Christophe Jacquart (picture autor unknown).

WAC 2000, Le Muret, F

Georges Brocard just gave the Eric Müller Trophy to Mikhail Mamistov.

Gilbert Droz and Georges Brocard

AWAC 2000, Grossenheim, D

Swiss Advanced Team 2000

Dominic Andres, Markus Rüesch, Max Ungricht (Team Manager) and Matthias Glutz

CS/SM 2000 in Môtiers

WAC 2001, Burgos, S

Unlimited Swiss Team 2001 :
Olivier Favre, Georges Brocard, Gilbert Droz, Pierre Marmy
Max Ungricht, Peter Gafner, Bruno Müller

Pierre Marmy, Bruno Müller, Peter Gafner and Olivier Favre

2002

Judges line at CS/SM 2002 in Lodrino

Aldo Marengo, Georges Chevalley, Jürgen et Silvia Leukefeld, Georges Brocard, Christophe Petitpierre, Francis Itier, Rösli Chevalley and Stephan Pailler.

EAC 2002, Lituania

Swiss Unlimited Team 2002

Gilbert Droz, Bruno Müller, Max Ungricht, Peter Gafner, Georges Brocard, Pierre Marmy, Olivier Favre

2003

CS/SM 2003 Results

Dominic Andres

2004

Programmheft/Carnet de fête 2004

CS/SM 2004 in Bex

In 2004, 17 Sportsman were registered !

GVMC SPO Team 2004 : Alain Avanthay, Samuel Stragiotti, Hanspeter Fischer, Christophe Ruppen, Samuel Pesse, Rachid Kebli and Philipp Bachmann.

RESULTS CS/SM 2004

SPORTSMAN

INTERMEDIATE

ADVANCED

UNLIMITED

2005

Programmheft/Carnet de fête SM/CS 2005

The CS/SM 2005 was disturbed by the accident (30.08.2005) of the Captain Jean-Michel Delorme (EVAA) during the “Championnats de France de Voltige” in St-Yan : his Cap 232 was destroyed in flight due to a mechanical rupture. All Cap 231/232 were immediately grounded. All the swiss pilots were very concerned by this dramatic and exceptionally rare accident.

Dominic Andres blew up a tire !

Freestyle podium (left to right) : Gaby Schifferle, Suzanne Vogelsang, Pierre Marmy, Markus Ruesch and Dominic Andres

Unlimited podium (left to right) : Markus Ruesch (3rd), Pierre Marmy (1st) and Dominic Andres (2nd)

2006

CS/SM in Môtiers

SPORTSMAN Results

INTERMEDIATE Results

ADVANCED Results

UNLIMITED Results

FREESTYLE Results

Judges board
From L to R : Catherine Maunoury, Fabio Franco, Aldo Marengo, Nathalie Brunet (vidéo), Hermann Van Oos,
Georges Brocard, Pierre-Alain Schneider, Georges Chevalley, Rösli Chevalley and Simon Hubert.

Pictures : Jean-Charles Sautaux, Christophe Courvoisier, Andrew Birch and Pierre-Alain Schneider

Remark : we’ve got largely enough pictures to do a nice photobook. If interested, contact the President.

EAC 2006, Grenchen

Unlimited Swiss Team, 3rd.

2007

CS/SM in Birrfeld

Was wet and cloudy…

WAC 2007 in Granada, S

Swiss Unlimited Team : Hanspeter Rohner (pilot), Pierre Marmy (pilot),
Georges Brocard (judge) and Georges Chevalley (judge assistant)

Svetlana Kapanina (World Champion 2007), Georges Brocard and Georges Chevalley

Georges Brocard, Ramon Alonso (World Champion 2007) and Georges Chevalley.

2008

CS/SM in Porrentruy

Was rainy and cloudy…

2009

“Championnat Suisse de voltige aérienne” and “Schweizermeisterschaft im Motorkunstflug” become “Swiss National Aerobatic Championship”

SNAC 2009, Yverdon

Was cloudy, cold and windy.

WAC 2009 Silverstone, UK

Swiss Unlimited Team 2009 :

Gaby Schifferle, Dominic Andres, Nils Hangander, Pierre, Marmy,
Hanspeter Rohner and Max Ungricht (Team Manager)

Was cloudy, cold, windy and tragic.

Vicki Cruse (USA) died on August 22, 2009 in a dramatic accident with a borrowed Zivko Edge 540 during the WAC.

2010

SNAC 2010, Fricktal-Schupfart

EAC 2010, Touzim, CZ

Was wet, cold and cloudy.

Swiss Unlimited Team 2010 :

Pilots : Jérôme Cusin, Pierre Marmy, Hanspeter Rohner and Gaby Schifferle.

Coach and warm-up pilot : Nicolas Ivanoff

Support : Aziz Boussalem and Wolfram Edinger

Particularities : 2 planes were destroyed due to landings in very soft part of the runway
(the Cap 231 F-GGYZ of Gianfranco Cilliario and the Cap 232 F-GXCP of Hanspeter Rohner).
Renaud Ecalle died in a plane accident less a month later.