Short Crew Profile
Hans-Jürgen Schwerhoff: Active pilot since 1986
- JAR-FCL CPL(A)
- Multi and single engine Piston (land) rating
- Class rating Instructor SEP
- Aerobatics (piston engine airplanes) rating
- "frozen" ATPL(A)
- Multi Crew Concept Multi Crew Concept
- IFR Flight Instructor for commercial and private flight training
Main focuses in the project: Preparation of airplane and equipment, weather, flight planning and logistics
Wilma Schwerhoff: Joint trips since 1986 in many parts of the world
- license for in-flight radio communication
- Cockpit Organization
- Navigational and radio support
- “Good soul” aboard
Main focuses in the project: Planning of cultural and touristic highlights, scheduling and trip planning.
Patrick and Jeannine Schwerhoff: Ground CrewNumerous trips in Europe, the USA, South Africa and Australia in general aviation aircraft.
Main focus in the project: Management of our “Home of base” during the earth rounding.
Background
Outside a cockpit the crew Hans-Jürgen and Wilma Schwerhoff lives in
“Multi Crew Concept” already since 1973 – licensed (married) since 1982.
The “piloting virus” has infected Hans-Jürgen in 1986 - and impacted
our whole family thereafter. After the mechanical engineering study in
Aachen a long desired dream of flying should come true by acquiring a
glider license. The only obstacle: dramatic fear of everything at more
than 10 metres altitude. To all with similar problems it can be said:
this panic vanishes as the joy of flying grows.
In 1988: the first pilot's license PPL-C. This license enabled some cross country flights in Germany
and France. Unfortunately Wilma and son Patrick had to stay on the
ground, which was not acceptable.
Soon it became apparent that family and professional carrier did not
really match well with glider aviation sports in a one man cockpit. So
the decision was made to upgrade to a PPL-A license. Now family holidays and weekend
excursions to all part of the country could be combined conveniently
with the passion to flying. Our family grew - daughter Jeannine arrived
as a new crew member - and our trips became longer. With the VFR
license we had many flights throughout Europe
(Spain, Italy, France, Ireland, England), later flights in the USA
(Arizona, Florida, California, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas),
Australia, South Africa and the Bahamas. The weather never caused real
issues during these journeys. Smaller delays due to bad weather have
always been compensated by planning additional time buffers. However
this was only true until this one flight from Madrid back to Worms …
Three days in a town called Pamplona: a really nice town to visit –
provided you have enough time for it. The grey stratus cloud layer
simply did not disappear.
Consequently an IFR rating should prevent this problem in the future. And if already IFR rated, then a CPL and
multi engine rating should also enable the use
of general aviation aircraft for business trips. This plan turned out
to work perfectly well. Apart from private flights, from this moment
Hans-Jürgen was able to arrange most of his business trips within
Europe with a private plane. Up to three appointments on one day in
different towns separated by some hundred kilometers - that was
unbeatable by conventional means of air transportation.
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