„Wings of Time“ with Nicolas Rossier feat. the T-28

The Swiss pilot Nicolas Rossier has been part of the Flying Bulls pilot crew since October 2023, and at AIRPOWER24, he provided a special highlight in the T-28

The man at the controls of the T-28 at AIRPOWER24 was a new Flying Bulls member from Switzerland, who thrilled spectators while fulfilling a childhood dream. Nicolas Rossier lives for flying. He was born with this passion, following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a pilot. Ever since he was a little boy, airplanes played a major role in his daily life. He started flying model airplanes together with his brother as a child, and at the age of 14 he piloted a glider for the first time. He was predestined for a career in the Swiss Air Force. Now, at 40 years-old, he has been a jet pilot for 17 years, flying among other things the F/A-18 Hornet. “This aircraft combines pure power and energy, and when you hit the thrusters, it takes your breath away,” says Nicolas Rossier, describing the feeling of flying an F/A-18 Hornet. “The body is subjected to incredible forces.”

“I was 18 years old when I visited the Red Bull Hangar-7 for the first time. I was just a normal visitor at the time and was fascinated by the location and the planes,” says Nicolas Rossier, describing his first encounter with the world of the Flying Bulls. “I never dreamed that one day I would be able to be a part of it myself.” Nicolas Rossier has been part of the Flying Bulls pilot crew since October 2023, giving him the opportunity to pilot some of the icons of international aircraft history. “Flying a vintage aircraft is really something different. There are no computers or other digital aids, you simply have to fly everything manually,” explains the Swiss pilot, who mainly flies the North American T-28B Trojan from the Flying Bulls fleet. He also piloted the T-28 at AIRPOWER24, where he flew in different formation maneuvers as well as in a solo show. “In my solo show, I want to show just how agile and fast the T-28 really is. Of course, you can’t do that without smoke! We are putting on a show after all,” reveals Nicolas Rossier. “Everyone will feel the deep rumble of the T-28's engine. It goes straight to the heart of aircraft fans.”

The old lady, as pilots affectionately call aircraft of her generation, served no fewer than four different air forces from 1955 to 1980. Built in 1955, and with the dimensions 10 meters long, 12.3 meters wide and 3.9 meters high, the North American T-28B Trojan is truly one of the special beauties of the Flying Bulls. Its inner values draw a whistle from the lips of aircraft lovers: With 1,412 hp and an empty weight of 3,165 kg, the T-28 reaches a top speed of 630 km/h and a range of approximately 1,670 km with a service ceiling of 11,890 meters.