Me 262 Pilot Talks About Flying the German Fighter Jet

Geri “K12” Krähenbühl who flies the Me 262 for Airbus Heritage/ Messerschmitt Foundation, talks about his experience flying this iconic plane on air shows.

What Is It Like To Fly?

“It’s a privilege. I’m really honored and I’m humbled to fly this aircraft because it’s really special. Starting on the ground, it has no nosewheel steering so we have to do differential braking and we have to use asymmetrical thrust to turn around the corners. So, this is quite different to other aircraft.” Krähenbühl said.

According to him, it flies great but you have to be present and concentrate on all the flight maneuvers since it’s completely different than other newer planes.

How Different Is it from a Piston Engine Aircraft?

Krähenbühl said that since it’s a jet aircraft, it’s so much easier to fly because you have a nosewheel and not a tail wheel. Then, you have the thrust in one line. You don’t have any momentum that keeps you out of the runway like an engine.

What Surprised You About Flying It?

According to Krähenbühl, it was those pitching moments and the Dutch roll.

“It’s not a turning aircraft. It was built for a hit-and-run,” he said.

What Would You Change About It?

When asked about what he would change about the plane, he quipped, “Nothing. The engines are already good and there are no problems with those.” He’d want to introduce a nosewheel steering though. That’s the only thing that he wanted to add.