szda|loves... hannes arch|ABOUT
| Name: | Hannes Arch | |
| Profession: | Aerobatic pilot, B.A.S.E jumper, Mountaineer, Paragliding pilot, Race pilot | |
| Aircraft: | Zivko Edge 540 | |
| Birth date: | September 22, 1967 | |
| Hometown: | Trofaiach, Austria | |
| Current Residence: | Salzburg | |
HANNES ARCHHannes Arch‘s motto is: “Respect, accept, and always stay grounded.” But staying grounded is easier said than done considering that the Austrian-born athlete has made his career by climbing the world‘s highest mountains, jumping off the tallest buildings, and performing gravity-defying aerobatic maneuvers hundreds of feet above the ground. The all-around adventurer started his career early and quickly rose to the top in several different disciplines.At only 16 years, Hannes obtained his Austrian Special Pilots‘ License and began to dedicate himself to the sport of hang gliding. At 19 he was a state-approved mountain and ski guide and by 23 one of the best mountaineers and climbers in Austria. He rounded out his outdoor education by studying Sports Science and working as a lecturer on sport climbing at Graz University. But shortly before completing his studies, Hannes left school to focus on his passion for flying. He became a paragliding test pilot for Paratech in Switzerland and quickly made a name for himself in the scene. He competed in international paragliding competitions and is credited as being one of the first “acrobatic paragliders” in the world. His talent and aerial expertise soon gained him the attention of top sponsors. In 1995, Hannes founded the Red Bull Acro Team with the help of fellow Swiss athletes Ueli Gegenschatz and Andi Hediger. The Acro Team‘s innovative and impressive aerial stunts helped establish the Red Bull brand in the Free Flying scene and led the way for the formation of the Red Bull Airforce (USA) and more recently, the Aerobatix Team (South America). One year after establishing the Acro Team, Hannes took his love of flying to the next level by making the crossover from free flying to motorized flying. In 1998, he began experimenting with aerobatics and in 2001 he began training with three-time Aerobatic World Champion Catherine Manoury. The same year, the talented rookie pilot took first place in the Swiss Championship Advanced Category and earned himself a coveted spot on the Swiss National Aerobatic Team. ATHLETE AND BUSINESSMANIn 2000, Hannes combined his business savvy with his love of extreme sports to form his own production and stunt coordination company Airpro GmbH. Specializing in aerial film and TV productions, the company quickly attracted a roster of high profile clients, including renowned fashion designer and filmmaker Willy Bogner. Bogner hired Airpro to make an Audi fly for a scene in the critically acclaimed IMAX film “Ski to the Max.” Hannes coordinated the spectacular stunt by rigging the automobile to the world‘s largest sport paraglider.A few years later, Hannes again made his mark on the paragliding scene by organizing a grueling international competition known as the Red Bull X-Alps. The competition challenged the world‘s most elite paragliding pilots to cross the Alps from Austria to Monaco entirely by air or foot in a race against the clock. The event utilized advanced media technology and a live GPS tracking system, so fans could follow the race online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The event quickly gained a reputation as one of the world‘s toughest adventure races and already returned for its third year in 2007. Despite his growing business, Hannes continued to push his own career as an athlete. In 2000, he joined forces with Ueli Gegenschatz to become the first to dare a B.A.S.E. jump from the imposing 1800-metre high north face of the Eiger, one of the most daunting peaks in the Swiss Alps. In 2003, Arch and Gegenschatz teamed up once again to conquer yet another north face, that of the Matterhorn – again downwards. The extreme sportsmen had only two seconds to open their parachutes during the jump, which is infamous for having the highest “exit” in Europe. How does the surprisingly down-to-earth guy balance a career as an extreme athlete and a businessman? “In the end it is all about being honest, staying grounded and staying true to myself,” he says. “I try to strike a balance between doing things I love and working on projects I believe in. My heart has to be in everything that I do.” ROOKIE ON THE RISEFrom mountaineering and climbing, to paragliding and B.A.S.E jumping – Hannes has done it all. But he is a relative newcomer when it comes to his latest love - Aerobatics. In 2003, Hannes bought an Edge 540 and began performing at airshows and events around Europe. The same year he was asked to serve as Race Director at the premiere of the Red Bull Air Race in Zeltweg and at the second leg of the race in Budapest, he joined the world‘s best aerobatic pilots as a test pilot. He reprised his role as Race Director for the 2004 and 2005 Air Race seasons and played an integral role in designing the difficult course, and helping establish the rules and regulations. But the talented young gun is not content to stay behind the scenes for long. In 2006, Hannes began rigorous training with renowned French pilot Patrick Paris, who calls him “one of the most talented and promising pilots” he has ever worked with.Under Patrick‘s guidance, Hannes earned a top spot at the 2006 European Aerobatic Championships in Switzerland. A newcomer to the event, his aggressive style earned him respect from his peers and the judges. It also earned him the first place title in the Aerobatic Freestyle Category. A rookie among a field of veterans, Hannes admits he still has a lot to learn. “Out of all the extreme sports I have done over the past 20 years, aerobatics is by far the most demanding physically and mentally,” he says. “There is no room for mistakes and you have to know your own personal limits.” Fortunately for Hannes, his limits seem to know no bounds. His raw talent, determination, and skill made him a highly anticipated contender for the title going into his first ever season in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2007. Yet, despite flashes of brilliance, Arch was unable to make his mark on the Championship in his rookie year, with a fourth place in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) his best result in an ultimately frustrating season. After having sensationally won the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2008 in only his second season in the sport thanks to a lightning-quick plane and spectacular manoeuvres, the 42-year-old Austrian was able to pick up where he left off with victory at the traditional season opener in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Strong performances in San Diego (USA/3rd place) and Windsor (CAN/2nd place) followed, but world championship rival Bonhomme was himself in the form of his life and remained hard on the heels of Arch as the Series returned to Europe in August. A controversial fourth place in Budapest (HUN) meant that Bonhomme was able to pass Arch in the overall standings for the first time in 2009, leaving the Briton leading the table with just two races to go. The penultimate stop of the Series in Porto (POR) saw the two world championship favourites battle it out head-to-head in a fascinating duel eventually won by Bonhomme, stretching his lead over Arch in the standings and more or less securing the British pilot his first ever world title. At the season finale in Barcelona (ESP) Arch was forced to go all out if he was to have any chance of becoming the first pilot in the history of the Red Bull Air Race to successfully defend his title. However, his efforts were to no avail. Bonhomme, so often forced to settle for second place in the past, kept his nerves to win in front of hundreds of thousands of fans and crown himself Red Bull Air Race World Champion for the very first time. When he‘s not practicing aerobatics, you‘ll still find Hannes in the air. He recently fulfilled a childhood dream by earning his commercial helicopter pilots‘ license in 2006. “For as long as I can remember, I‘ve wanted to learn how to fly helicopters,” he says. “It‘s important to keep the spirit of flying alive, so it doesn‘t always feel like a job. You have to fly with a lot of heart and soul to balance out the extreme excesses of the sport. Without soul, flying is worthless.”Despite his hectic schedule, the free-spirited Austrian is always up for a new challenge. Lately, you can frequently find him on a surfboard in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Hannes spends a big part of his „down time“ on Hawaii or Fiji, where he enjoys the sun and water to relax and recharge his batteries for new projects. In the future, he also plans on making the island paradise his part-time home. |
||
| source: hannesarch.com, April 2010 | ||