In Memory of Georg Biber – A Tribute by the Static Flight Committee

After a brief illness, our dear model-aircraft-flying friend Georg sadly passed away far too soon on April 15.

Georg was one of the pioneers of model aviation in Switzerland. For decades, he was involved in various aspects of model aviation, but above all, he was a passionate tethered-flight pilot. His specialty was tethered-flight aerobatics. In this category, he served for many years as the chief judge for Switzerland. He judged countless national and international competitions and was always happy to pass on his knowledge to new judges. His acrobatic coaching sessions for pilots were also always highly regarded.

Georg was also a member of the Swiss Tethered Flight Technical Commission for many years. He held various roles within this body. In addition to serving as chief judge, he was also treasurer and, most recently, technical advisor for scale tethered flight. And in this last role, Georg launched an initiative that will hopefully outlive him for a long time to come: thanks to his tireless persistence, an annual international Scale/Semi-Scale competition has been held in Untersiggenthal since 2015. And each year, more pilots from Switzerland and abroad participate with their perfectly built models. Through his efforts, Georg has helped revive the scale tethered flight scene, which had practically disappeared in Switzerland.

The next competition in Untersiggenthal will therefore be the perfect place to honor the memory of our friend Georg Biber.

In loving memory,
Tethered Flight Technical Commission

My memories go back to the 1970s whenever I think of Georg.

It was a time when I rediscovered model aircraft flying.

I met Georg for the first time on evenings in Zurich at Turi Keller’s (RIP), where former Skyblazers would gather, and where I was able to join them a few times.

He was full of ideas, and I had wonderful conversations with him during which I could admire his in-depth knowledge of airplanes. When I returned to tethered flight in the ’90s after a long hiatus, Georg was the go-to judge.

Throughout all that time, I always enjoyed spending time with Georg.

His passing pains me. I will miss him.

He no longer has to suffer. He has received his wings and can now score points for the angels, so that they, too, can love and cherish Georg.

Fly, dear Georg, and have your score sheets ready.

It was great to have known you.

See you later: René

Yesterday, when I was young...

It’s been about 60 years now since Georg Biber mounted his slightly oversized Spitfire on the roof of his—naturally—British Mini, and we—after some minor run-ins with French customs—arrived at the airfield in Wittenheim. Of course, not everything went perfectly during the flight, but it marked the beginning of a long collaboration between the highly motivated builder and his patient pilot. And the start of a true friendship.

Many years later—we were flying back from the Scale World Championships in England—I let Georg take the controls along the way, and we reenacted a bit of the Battle of Britain around the clouds. Those were the days...

On April 15, 2020, our friend Georg Biber passed away at the age of eighty after a brief illness. We wish him a safe journey, and we know we will miss him.

Peter and Rosmarie Germann