I'm a reserve captain in the Austrian armed forces and a civil engineer in Klagenfurt. I learned to fly on Saab 105s and Pilatus PC-7s in the service — moving to civil GA felt like a cultural break I struggled with for years.
I chose the Gabriel because it was the only civil aircraft in my budget that honestly reproduces the seating geometry, the aerobatic loads, and the visibility DNA of a military trainer. Tandem, sliding canopy, +6/-3 g, EASA-certified — that fits my idea of flying.
Sunday routine: depart St. Stefan LOKG, climb towards the Saualpe, half an hour of clean loops and rolls, then approach Zell am See LOWZ. In summer with my partner in the back seat — the sliding canopy and tandem view are as special for the passenger as for the pilot.
Once or twice a quarter I fly to Salzburg LOWS. Usually the reason is Hangar-7 with family. ILS or VFR inbound, GA apron, walk to the Hangar-7 visitor apron arranged through Salzburg Airport. The Flying Bulls collection is worth it; after lunch at Carpe Diem back to the aircraft and home.
My Rotax 916 ISC C24 runs quietly, FADEC handles power-management decisions. Cruise on this variant is 278 km/h — a touch slower than the Lycoming but irrelevant on day trips. Noise carries the political argument at Austrian fields.
St. Stefan LOKG is home — manageable club operation, friendly tower. Zell am See LOWZ is my favourite hour-out destination: approach along the lake, mountains close, ice-cream after landing.
Salzburg LOWS is my customs and family address. Anyone staying in town should plan in Red Bull's Hangar-7 — visitor apron open by PPR through Salzburg Airport. Mariazell LOGM is a lovely alternative for quiet-weather days.
On Austrian GA fields I see more and more Blackshape Prime BK160. Same cabin, Rotax 915iS, IFR-capable, over 1,500 km of range — the right aircraft for professional travellers. My profile is the opposite: I fly almost only VFR, use loops and rolls deliberately, and I don't need 1,500 km at a stretch.
The Gabriel's +6/-3 g certification is the single point where every comparison ends. Pilots who want aerobatic-capable have very few choices in Europe — the Gabriel makes it affordable and beautiful.
“In the Gabriel I feel like I'm back on the PC-7 — except I drive home for dinner.”
What I'd do differently today: more hours with a civilian aerobatic instructor in the first year. Military flying and civilian training are related dialects, not identical ones.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)