I'm Italian, grew up in Bolzano, studied in Padua, and have flown for twenty years. My core work is aerobatic training — Aresti programmes from Sport to Advanced, plus occasional factory demo flights.
I chose the Gabriel because it does exactly what my students need: a certified aerobatic aircraft (EASA, +6/-3 g) with a clear glass cockpit, predictable stall behaviour, and tandem geometry that supports the teaching dialogue. The Lycoming IO-320-D1B at 160 hp gives me a constant-speed prop, plenty of low-end torque, and standard 100LL logistics that work everywhere in northern Italy.
A typical day in Bolzano: first aircraft up at 08:30, climb into the Aresti box southwest of the city, forty minutes of programme, landing, debrief, second aircraft. Three to four slots a day, weather permitting.
Bolzano LIPB is a valley-bowl field at 794 ft elevation with 1,294 m of asphalt — the terrain enforces discipline. Blackshape publish a 500 m / 1,640 ft takeoff for the Gabriel Lycoming over a 50-ft obstacle. On the apron that means reserve even on warm days when students climb a touch lazily.
For travel legs I often head up to Mariazell LOGM, a historic Austrian mountain field, or to Salzburg LOWS for a fuel stop and a walk to Hangar-7. At a 296 km/h cruise, Salzburg is ninety minutes away.
Bolzano LIPB is the schoolyard — English-speaking tower, Italian customs at the apron, restaurant in the tower building. Mariazell LOGM is my favourite summer destination: short strip, dense forest, a café in the pilots' hut.
Salzburg LOWS is the northern link — 2,750 m asphalt, ILS, mixed traffic, GA apron. With time on hand, walk over to Red Bull's Hangar-7 with the Flying Bulls collection — visitor apron arranged through Salzburg Airport on PPR.
I get asked often why I don't fly the Blackshape Prime BK160 — same cabin geometry, same hull, but a travel tandem with Rotax 915iS and 750 kg MTOM. The answer: the Prime is an excellent IFR traveller, but it isn't certified for +6/-3 g. For my work that's a hard stop.
With the Gabriel I can teach Aresti in the morning and fly to Salzburg in the afternoon — same 850 kg MTOM, a touch less range than the Prime, but permission to roll the aircraft on its back when a student needs exactly that.
“A good trainer doesn't fly softer than the syllabus allows. The Gabriel allows the syllabus — and more.”
If I bought again I'd seriously consider the Rotax 916 ISC C24 — less low-end torque but quieter and with modern FADEC logic. For a pure training fleet I stay with the Lycoming.
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