In previous years, Gripen display pilot Fredrik Müchler found himself displaying alongside aircraft such as the MiG-29, Sukhoi Su-27, -30 and -35, the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
This year, he's alone - the Gripen is the only true fourth generation fighter in the flying display.
Müchler is making his fourth appearance at Farnborough, displaying remarkable Saab/BAE Systems Gripen lightweight multirole fighter. But he will not be simply repeating his previous display routines.
With 3,300 flying hours under his belt, including 800 on the Gripen, Müchler is a highly experienced display pilot. He has been flying Gripen displays since 1998.
Stint
He flew solo displays in the Saab J35 Draken and Sk60 during his air force career, as well as spending a stint with the Swedish air force Team 60 display unit.
Compared with his first Farnborough display routine in 1998, this year's show is vastly different.
He says: "There are changed rules and regulations, there are more buildings around the airfield, so we have to fly higher, and we are more restricted in the direction in which certain manoeuvres can be flown."
At Farnborough, Müchler's aim is to demonstrate Gripen's high agility, 9g performance, and the way in which tight turns can be made without energy loss. "But the best things about Gripen can't be seen in a display," he told Flight Daily News.
"The best things are the situational awareness you get in the Gripen cockpit, the way in which you get information to the pilot, the network-centric capabilities."
It translates into a high performance aircraft that's easy to fly, as Müchler ably demonstrates.
JON LAKE
Source: Flight Daily News
