Flying over Central Switzerland

In the summer of 1993, I went flying in central Switzerland, leaving from the grass strip at Thun Airfield. The airstrip is located in a Swiss Army practice range, used mostly by armored vehicles. As second in command, I flew part of the flight, which included flying over Lake Thun, past Spiez, over Interlaken and Lake Brienz, past Brienz and making a u-turn over Meiringen Air Base (which is closed on weekends). Meiringen AB is one of Switzerland's most secretive sites, because in addition to being an airbase, it has two nearby hardened aircraft shelters (tunnels housing Mirage, F-5 and Hunter aircraft), which will be modernized and expanded to three tunnels to protect over twenty FA-18 aircraft which Switzerland recently acquired.

(above) Preflight check (notice the Swiss tanks in the background!).

(above) View of hangar while taking off from the grass strip.

(above) Immediately after takeoff I flew over Pz-68 tanks practicing on the field.

(above) Flying over Interlaken Air Base.

(above) Approaching Meiringen Air Base.

(above) Flying over the two mountain aircraft shelter entrances at Meiringen Air Base (each leads to a hardened tunnel for Mirage III, F-5E and Hunter fighters).

(above) Returning west, I flew past the lakefront town of Brienz.

(above) Flying over Interlaken (the famous Victoria Jungfrau Resort in center).

(above) Thun is home to Switzerland's main armored vehicle manufacture, assembly and maintenance facilities.

(above) Many of the Swiss Army's armored units train in and around Thun's army base.

(above) At the center of Thun's military base, not far from the airfield is a collection of old armored vehicles from all over the world.

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

Flying Around North Texas

For the next year after passing my check ride, I spent much of my flying time from Addison Airport nearby areas in northern Texas. For simple touch-n-go practice I usually flew to Denton, although weekends were pretty busy.

(above) Heading out in a C-150 with my buddy Doug (was my instructor before the Check Ride).

(above) This C-150 belongs in a museum -- old and cranky, but I flew it anyway.

(above) Filling the tanks before the heading north.

(above) Addison Airport from above, exiting the pattern.

(above) Flying over Lake Lewisville, southeast of Denton.

(above) Downwind at Denton Airport.

(above) University of North Texas campus in Denton (looking north).

(above) Abandoned Boeing 727, DC-8 and DC-9 aircraft at Grayson County Airport.

(above) A close-up of the aircraft graveyard.

Passed my Check-Ride -- Now I'm a Pilot... Yikes!

On August 7, 1992, I passed my Private Pilot Practical Exam, or "check ride", on a Cessna 150 (N8001F) out of Addison Airport in Dallas and got my temporary airman's certificate. I had flown about 67 hours prior to the test. I was happy to have my wings!

(above) A happy Frieden arriving home with a new temporary airman's certificate.

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

Flying over Western Switzerland

While on vacation in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1992, I rented a Cessna 172 at general aviation hangar on the north end of Geneva International Airport (GVA). I flew as second in command along the northern shore of Lake Leman, turned toward Yverdon, Payerne, and then back toward Moudon and Montreux and then returned over the lake, past Lausanne and returned to Geneva.

(above) Flying over Lake Geneva (aka Lac Leman).

(above) Flying over the town of Nyon, on Lake Geneva.

(above) Hills above the village of Villarlod (foreground) and the Lac de Gruyeres (back).

(above) The town of Montreux (foreground) and Lausanne (background).

(above) Swiss Army truck and armored vehicle storage/maintenance base just north of Romont.

(above) View of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne.

(above) View of Geneva, approaching from the eastern suburbs of Chene-Bourg.

(above) Aerial view of the boat repair facilities in Ouchy (near Lausanne), on Lake Geneva.

(above) Aerial view of the United Nations (European Headquarters), formerly the League of Nations building.

(above) Aerial view of the World Health Organization (upper left), US Mission to the UN (upper right), and the International Labor Organization (lower).

(above) Flying over Yassir Arafat's chartered 747 on the tarmac.


(above) Runway 23 and the freight terminal at Geneva's Cointrin Airport.

(above) Jet Aviation facilities and apron on south end of Geneva's Cointrin Airport.

(above) View on downwind of Geneva's main terminal and apron, the 12,000 foot Runway 23, the much shorter parallel grass strip (center, foreground), and the general aviation hangars (right).

Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted.

Helicopter Flight Over St. Lucia

In December 1991, I went on vacation to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. There I took a helicopter ride along the west coast of the island nation, beginning in the capital, Castries, and heading down to Soufriere, which was near my resort at Anse Chastenet. A splendid flight even though it was overcast.

(above) The Bell 206 helicopter.

(above) Taking off from and flying over the port in Castries, the capital.

(above) New resorts being built near Castries.

(above) Island north a mile north of Castries.

(above and below) the town of Soufriere.





(above) banana plantations near Perou.


(above) The main oil terminal at Grande Cul DeSac Bay.

(above) Returning to Castries.

(above) Flying over Runway 27 at George Charles Airport in Castries.