Rainer Wilke

Helicopter aerobatics legend

Story

Rainer Rilke was a pilot for the Armed Forces and performed for films. The German aviator will surely go down in history as one of the few pioneers of helicopter aerobatics.

He was doing rolls and loops before they even had a name and provided the initial spark for such manoeuvres with the Flying Bulls. The BO 105 opened the eyes of people around the world to what helicopters are capable of. Rainer may no longer appear at air shows, but he has passed on his skills as an instructor and mentor to all of the aerobatics pilots currently performing for the Flying Bulls.

Interview

Rainer, you are a pioneer of helicopter aerobatics. In what ways does aerobatics differ from normal helicopter flying?

RW: Essentially, you have to forget everything you have learned about flying so far. The controls of a helicopter are extremely sensitive, much more so than those of a fixed-wing aeroplane. I always think of it as a half shell with a ball inside. In a fixed-wing aircraft, when you move the shell, the ball stays in the centre. In a helicopter, when you turn the shell over, you try to balance the ball on top. In other words, you normally steer a helicopter very gently, with tiny movements. In aerobatics, that’s not the case: you are suddenly making big movements, pushing the stick as far as it will go. Even these movements have to be done with great care, though, otherwise you will exceed the limits before you know it. It’s the exact opposite of the normal way of flying.

How did you start out in flying?

RW: Somebody took me up for a quick flight in an H-34 when I was six. After that, I got the bug and flying became my dream. Back then, though, a dream like that seemed impossible, and my interests drifted to motor racing. After leaving school, I planned to study in that kind of area. Then suddenly, the Armed Forces came along and told me I had to do 18 months’ service with the armoured infantry. I couldn’t picture that at all, so I applied to be an aviator for the Alouette II, and that’s how I started. In 1973, the Armed Forces set up an anti-tank helicopter squadron comprising ten BO 105s. They needed experienced pilots at the controls, plus one young aviator to be the navigator in each helicopter. I was ordered to be one of those. Looking back, I learned so much at this time – no limits were imposed on the unit, you could try anything in ways that would be inconceivable now. I have stuck with the BO 105 ever since.

Did you try any aerobatics at the time?

RW: I always loved that kind of thing; I would go on the craziest rollercoasters at every opportunity. There were two pilots in the Armed Forces who were performing some light aerobatics, and when one of them retired, I applied to take his place. A course did exist, but since I had taught myself most things during training, I would say I’m self-taught.

How did you come into contact with the Flying Bulls?

RW: In 2005, I got a call from one Siegfried Schwarz. At the time, I was working as a stunt pilot in the films. Blacky told me that Red Bull was interested in launching a project involving helicopter aerobatics in the USA, and would I be interested in taking part? Two weeks later, I was in Los Angeles and we got started. First we had to buy two helicopters for the USA, then another two for the Flying Bulls. After that, Salzburg became my flying base. From here, I participated in countless air shows and events, and trained all of the pilots who now perform aerobatics – Blacky, Mirko Flaim, Aaron Fitzgerald and Felix Baumgartner as well.

Did you have specific routines before every flight?

RW: Yes, I certainly did. The normal pre-flight checks are clear enough, but I did an additional check to make absolutely sure there were no loose objects in the helicopter. One time, I suddenly found a fire extinguisher between my feet during a show. In the middle of a display in Oshkosh, that wasn’t especially welcome. Before every performance, I would also go through the programme again in my head. The hardest thing about the manoeuvres is keeping your orientation within the airspace, so I used to search out landmarks like mountains or churches.

You said becoming a pilot was a big dream. Has the dream turned out as you hoped it would?

RW: In life you choose a path, and then you come to various crossroads. I don’t know why, but somehow I always chose the right road. It may not have seemed so at first, but life turned out great.