Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat

Bringing the Bearcat home was an adventure in itself. After a meticulous inspection and test flights in the U.S., the aircraft was flown from Chicago to Texas, then carefully loaded – wings folded – onto a ship bound for Europe. “You could technically fly it over,” the CEO says, “but with a rare, unfamiliar, single-engine aircraft, the risk was too high. If something goes wrong over the Atlantic, you’ve lost a treasure. Shipping was the safer choice.” Once in Belgium, the Bearcat was reassembled and flown to Salzburg, with Eskil Amdal himself piloting the final leg after a mid-air rendezvous with two other fighters over Chiemsee. “It was our way of honouring the aircraft and marking the moment,” he says. “A proper welcome.”

The Bearcat is currently being prepped for European certification, including the addition of modern avionics like a transponder and updated radio, discreetly installed to preserve the original cockpit aesthetic.