He discovered MCRs thanks to a Swiss friend who owned a Sportster built in 2005, registered F-PILS. Equipped with a Rotax 912S, Ralph was captivated by the performance of this little machine. He fell under its spell, but with his passion for aerobatics, he continued to fly with his plane of the time, an Extra 300. The F-PILS changed hands several times before Ralph Krethe finally bought it in 2018.

As far as avionics are concerned, in addition to the traditional instruments, this Sportster is equipped with a Dynon D10 PFI, a FLARM anti-collision system and, for navigation, its owner uses a tablet and a GPS application.
For safety, the aircraft is equipped with an emergency beacon and a first-aid kit, but does not have any airframe parachute. Among the F-PILS’s features is the fact that the seats are semi-reclined to increase interior space. The reason is simple: like Tilo Harder, the man who built it in 2005, Ralph is tall. Very tall: 2.02 m!

Another original feature of this Sportster is its yellow and white paint scheme. These colours were not chosen by chance, as they are directly linked to its F-PILS registration number. By way of explanation, ‘Pils’ (Pilsener) is a famous German beer. In fact, the lower part of the fuselage is yellow like the beer, the black border represents the calibration mark of a glass, and the upper part is white… like the foam. An amusing nod to the brewer. Finally, a succession of black edgings discreetly but superbly highlight the wings and elevator.

Ralph Krethe does some local flying with his MCR, but above all, he uses it to travel. Yes, as surprising as it may seem, this former captain, who has flown dozens and dozens of different machines, finds the Sportster the ideal machine for travelling around Europe! In France, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, England, Switzerland and Austria, he spends his time flying his MCR from one end of Europe to the other.

And he’s not afraid to say that he really enjoys being at the controls of his Sportster during long voyages: “I always feel that it is a privilege to be able to observe our wonderful world from above: the forests and fields at different times of the year, the majestic mountains and the vast seas that seem endless. Especially now, with my Sportster, I can do it whenever I want. Every flight on board is a good memory”, he explains

Today, with 530 flying hours on the clock, maintenance still carried out to the highest standards and an owner who pampers it with polish, the F-PILS still has a bright future ahead of it.

We wish Ralph Krethe and his Sportster in the colours of ‘Pils’ beer more good memories and more great trips.

Cheers, Mr Krethe

When Ralph talks about his Sportster…

For a very long time, the Extra 300 was my favourite aircraft, but because of the increase in the price of fuel, I decided to look for another aircraft. It had to be a small two-seater, inexpensive to buy, easy to operate and maintain, with a good payload, safe and responsive to the flight controls, good range and fast enough, in which I wouldn’t be too cramped with my large size. In short, it was quite a set of specifications! I searched and searched, but I never found an aircraft capable of meeting all these requirements… apart from the MCR Sportster.
In conclusion, what more can I say except that I’m really a very happy customer!

What’s new with SE AVIATION AIRCRAFT?

SE Aviation Aircraft will be at AERO!

Last year, too many professional constraints prevented us from taking part in the AERO show in Friedrichshafen.
In 2024, we still have a lot of work, but thanks to our new recruits, we can afford to come and meet you. And missing the 30th anniversary of AERO was not an option for us!

So you will find the SE Aviation Aircraft stand at stand B3-406 from 17 to 20 April 2024. We can’t wait to see you there!