Gerd Achgelis (deceased)

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Flugkapitan Gerd Achgelis was born on 16th July 1908 in Golzwarderwurp on the Wesser estuary. After attending Gymnasium (High School), first in Varel and then in Lübeck-Travemünde, he began a 4-year course in mechanical and electrical engineering in 1924. This completed, he studied aircraft structures and learned to fly, working successicely at the Focke-Wulf works in Bremen, Luftfahrt GmbH, Böblingen and the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German Commercial Flying School), Brunswick. He also obtained his glider pilot's C license at the famous Wasserkuppe gliding site in the Rhöne mountains. Between 1931 and 1932 he was a flying instructor and lecturer at the Weimar School of Engineering,

Herr Achgelis served as Chief Test Pilot with Focke-Wulf at Bremen and Berlin-Johannisthal from 1933 to 1938 and during this time, in 1937, he and Professor Heinrich Focke founded the Focke-Achgelis GmbH at Delmenhorst-Hoykenkamp. Here they constructed the first successful helicopter, i.e. the first aircraft ever to take off vertically using a powered rotor, and the Fw61 was demonstrated by Hanna Reitsch inside the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin. Between 1938 and 1945 he was owner and co-owner of several small aircraft factories and engineering works, and he again became active in the aviation industry in 1950 in the administrative role. In 1981 he was still an active pilot and performed occasional aerobatic displays.

Herr Achgelis can also look back on a successful career as a sporting and advertising pilot in Germany and abroad. He took part in many international competitions in Europe, the USA and the Far East. In 1931 he became Aerobatic Champion of Germany, and in the 1930s he won the World Aerobatic Championship three years consecutively. Holder of several world records, he was honoured in 1935 with the Von Tschudy Cup, and was awarded the Daedalus Medal in Silver and Gold by the Aero Club of Germany. He died on 18th May 1991.

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