Robert’s Flying MicrobeFlying in 2002; Dual 16hr50 – Solo 11hr20 all with Cessna 152 of the Club.
With my training license, I may fly alone in Belgium and that was not my goal.2003: better and better, still training with a Cessna 152 – 7hr62 dual, I asked if I could do the fly training with the Ercoupe, because the examinator agreed to do the skill tests with the
Ercoupe; was not easy to obtain. With the Coupe 4hr40 dual – 9hr58 solo.2004: The year I retired from work and could spend all my time on flying. Passed the "JAR Internation PPL" Licence nr. 102508 the 22nd August 2004 with P.Roosens as examinator. Finally all test done and free as a bird even in international airspace. Wit the Coupe dual 1hr 20 for test - 9hr 58 solo.
Now the sky is the limit, and I intend to use it the most I can.2005: The annual inspection done during December 2004, forced me to change the fabric on the wings. It ended up with a total makeover of the PUS. I wrote an article about it that you can find on the site.
I only flew 1hr15 that year, in a Cessna 152. Just so I wouldn't loose the feeling. After the annual inspection during December 2005, the PUS was ready to start its new live.The same year I went to an Ercoupe Owners Convention for the first time. It was held at Minden, Nebraska. Just amazing, I couldn't believe my own eyes: 25 Ercoupes, all polished and painted in different colours. That was a real revelation for me, also because I was in the progress of restoring my own Coupe. I went back to Belgium with the image of a wonderfull polished Ercoupe with a blue cheatline on the fuselage. The result is silver paint and a polished rudder. Just to remind me of the hard work to strip all the paint.
My homebase is in Ostend now, mainly because I have a good hangar and like to live at the coast, with a nice view of the sea and the airport. And it's situated close to France, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
2006: Perfect year, I did only 1hr Skill Test flight with Marc Teugels (examinator), this is necessary every two years to keep my JAR licence.That year I flew 61hr27 Solo with the OO-PUS.
Most flight where in Belgium and France. I flew with all my grand-children (5) and everybody else who trusted me..
Realising it could be interesting to contact other Coupe-owners, I started to find out. An article in Coupe Capers written by Tony Smith about the Air Britain classic fly-in at North Weald was the start of a next adventure.I wrote to Tony and asked him whether there were more Coupe-meetings in the UK, as being the only Couper in Belgium, I was feeling kind of lonely.
Tony helped me a lot, sending me all his information about European Coupers. I also used the list on Ernst Viehweger's website. It tried contacting all the Coupers, and my contacts started growing until I had about 32 European registered Ercoupe Owners. But only a few answered my letters.
2007: With all the addresses, I was able to organise and European Ercoupe Meeting in Antwerp. I contacted Danny Cabooter, who organises the yearly Antwerp Stampe Fly-in.
He agreed for me to join them, because Intair assembled the Ercoupe in Antwerp during 1947. For more details about this fly-in click here.Five Ercoupes and one Mooney Cadet attended, a wonderful experience. Everybody was very enthusiastic and we all agreed for a second meeting in 2008.
The airfields I flew to in 2007 where:
Manston, North-Weald (UK) report written by Tony Smith , Calais and Le Touquet (FR), Diest-Schaffen (BE), Berlin – Schönhagen (DE) – Goleniow (PL) – Bremen (DE) – Leliestad (NL).About the German trip, you can read more here
This wonderful trip was my first long journey with the Ercoupe.
The contact with the European Ercoupers intensified and especially with Mike Willis, Tony Smith and Hartmut Beil. I was no longer a lonely Belgian.
I flew a total of 65hr45 with the OO-PUS in 2007.
2008: The good friendly meetings of the Ercoupe Owners family in Europe is now a fact. Manly the fantastic idea Mike Willis (UK) had to make in February his first and afterwards monthly “European Ercoupe Newsletter”. This wonderful initiative, create the band we European need to know each other better, and also have the opportunity finding an helpful support to keep our Coupes flying.
The 3-4 May we had our second Antwerp Fly-In in combination with the organization of the SV4 Fly-In. For the 2nd time we had the quality but not the quantity of attendants, with three Ercoupes; SE-BFX of Sven-Erik Pira who came from Sweden, N-3330H of Harmut Beil with his brother of Schönhagen and myself OO-PUS from Ostend. You can read the full report on http://www.ercoupe-be.net/2fly.htm
Already three years ago I attend the USA EOC (Ercoupe Owners Club) Convention, so why not to go again this year. The Oskosh happening was exactly after it and I did the two meetings in one go. Made my subscription, and received in response the proposition, to be the Regional Director for Europe. I was astonished and flattered but waited to give an answer during the Convention. I accepted after discussing the how’s and what’s of the nomination. During two weeks, I had a perfect time in the USA. Read more here and here.
During 2008, I did more UK flights than ever before. Twice North-Weald; to the Air Britain Vintage Fly-In and the Ercoupe Meet-Up Mike organized, Popham was also a very good experience. More trips to Calais (France), Belgium, the Ursel Wings & Wheels, Diest-Schaffen and to my previous home base Antwerp and Brasschaat. About those flights, you can also read in the Newsletters or the mentioned websites. Concerning photos, you can see them all at http://ercoupe4577.multiply.com/photos
For all the amazing work Mike Willis did, he accepted to be “Wing Leader of the UK “, congratulation.
Our Jean Flacelière, F-AZDG accepted also to be “Wing Leader for France”, now we only have to find a “German Wing Leader”, now we wait only to have a “German Wing Leader”.
