If you've been to a major German civilian airshow of the past 40 years, the chances are that you'll have seen Walter Eichhorn. One of the country's most prolific display pilots, he has been a fixture on countless flying programmes, often swapping between different mounts in the same show. He's featured on the small and big screens, too. 'Piece of Cake', 'Memphis Belle' and 'Valkyrie' are among Walter's credits. In the course of all this, he probably amassed more hours on the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and its Hispano HA-1112 Buchon derivative than anyone else in the modern era. One can barely imagine that Walter will be 80 this summer. He still displays his own Harvard, and flies with his son Toni - who has followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a Lufthansa captain - in a duo of Extra EA330LT aerobatic aircraft sponsored by clothing label Camp David. At his home in the charming Hessen town of Bad Camberg, the walls are filled with pictures of a remarkable aviation career. This he discusses with much humour, his rapid conversation delivered in a style almost reminiscent of an old-school US comedian.
展开▼
