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Swiss Helicopter History
by Markus Herzig
HB-XAH

2-Mar-55 - First landing on Jungfraujoch
Photo courtesy Archiv Bazzani
Pilot Sepp Bauer with XAH at Kleine Scheidegg
Photo courtesy Archiv Bazzani
Short stop on the Simplonpass
Photo courtesy Archiv Bazzani

Hiller UH-12B s/n: 686 Built: 1954 s/n History: HB-XAH, G-APJN, N38772
Operator / Owner Registered Cancelled Remarks
Air Import SA 1954-11-18 1955-02-02  
Heliswiss 1955-02-02 1957-12-03 tmp used for SRFW rescue flights
       
 

March 1955 - The month of Records

The month of March 1955 saw two important events happening in the same place between March 2 and 4.

On March 2 Sepp Bauer (1918-2000), the famous Swiss pioneer in the helicopter’s field, landed with the Hiller UH-12B HB-XAH - in service with Air Import SA - on the Jungfraujoch (3510 m). That day Bauer landed at first on the Kleine Scheidegg (2100 m) with a passenger. He then contacted the operators of the Jungfrau Railway summit station in order to obtain  important information like wind conditions and air temperature. After confirmation that everything was ok, Bauer told the operators to fix a wind flag near the meteo station announcing his intention to make a landing there.

Bauer removed the auxiliary fuel tank to save as much weight as possible and took-off at 14:32 from the Kleine Scheidegg; 20 minutes later he landed without particular problems on the Jungfraujoch at 3520 m, a remarkable event if we think that the helicopter was powered with a 200 hp Franklin engine!
After a short conversation with the two operators of the observatory, Bauer took-off and returned to the Kleine Scheidegg where his passenger was anxiously waiting for him.

The following day the French pilot Jean Dabos flying the third prototype of the SNCASO SO. 1221 Djinn F-WGVY (who had arrived in Switzerland with a group of technicians to make high-altitude test flights) made several took-offs and landings from the Kleine Scheidegg.

Alone on board Dabos made an hovering flight above the Mönch (4105 m). That day it was however impossible to make a safe landing, so the pilot decided to make just a touch and go. The day after the small two-place helicopter continued the demonstration program and landed with one passenger on the Jungfraujoch. Later Dabos flew to the top of the Mönch where a French flag was fixed in the snow to confirm the success of the flight. Among the eye-witnesses was the famous Swiss Colonel Willy Frei.

To show the great performances of his jet-powered helicopter Dabos made a short hovering 2-3 meters above the snow surface on the Jungfraujoch with a passenger on each ski.

During the tests the Djinn showed excellent mountain flying characteristics. That is why that same year Air Import SA buy an SO. 1221 PS Djinn which was registered as HB-XAN followed in 1956 by another one, the SO. 1221 S Djinn HB-XAS. The Swiss Army bought a total of four Djinns. One of them (the V-23) is now displayed in the “Fliegermuseum” in Dübendorf.

Heli-Archive Bazzani


Djinn F-WGVY on the Jungfraujoch
Photo courtesy Archiv Bazzani

Page last updated: 9-Dec-2005
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