William Schweizer - Flying with the Schweizers: The Story of Schweizer Aircraft

Acclaim for Flying With The Schweizers

The Schweizers have been making aviation history since 1930, from pioneering soaring in America to producing helicopters and the legendary Ag Cat. Paul Schweizer sums up this remarkable story in a book that deserves a spot on the shelf of any aviation enthusiast.

Tom D. Crouch, Curator Emeritus,
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Paul H. and William Schweizers Flying with the Schweizers covers their companys fascinating growth toward becoming a leader in aviation. Written to celebrate the survival of the company against all odds, the passion, commitment, and tenacity of the teams involved is inspiring and encouraging. Flying with the Schweizers is a compelling history of a company whose founders and successors determination influenced the course of aviation.

Clarion Review, November 2019

What a fascinating trip through aviation history. It is about entrepreneurs, survivors, the history of technology, wars, politics, and supply of numerous flying machines. It is a close look at the changes required to survive and succeed through the many twists and turns in an important American industryand it is a story about families and their evolution. Magnificent!

Bob Johnson,
Chairman of Honeywell Aerospace (retired)

This is a story well worth telling! The history of American aviation would be incomplete without recognizing the contributions of the Schweizer family. Paul and Bill have done a wonderful job of documenting and preserving this piece of history, and the aviation world owes them a debt of gratitude for this work. Aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in entrepreneurship will enjoy this read.

Dean Borgman,
Chairman and President of Sikorsky Aircraft (retired)

Flying with the Schweizers is the story of the human spirit. Imagine three brothers, the oldest in high school, deciding at the dawn of aviation to design and build a glider in their immigrant fathers barn. Once completed, they then teach themselves to fly in it. Their passion led to a company that spanned two generations of family leadership and became a major force in US aviation.

At Boeing, I knew Schweizer Aircraft as a subcontractor respected for its integrity and commitment to excellence. Under the second generation, the company became an industry leader in sophisticated aerospace products. After many highs and lows, the Schweizers sold the business in 2004 to a major US aerospace firm in an effort to protect the companys programs and employees. As too often happens, the new owners lost the companys competitive advantages by forcing it into the mold of the new parent.

I loved reading this book. Anyone interested in US aviation history or who is a student of business will also find it to be enjoyable and worthwhile.

Ronald B. Woodard,
President of the Boeing Company (retired)

Starrred Review

With evident and justifiable pride from its authors, this book tells the companys story. The well-written book smoothly chronicles the ups, downs and eventual demise of the company into which the Schweizers invested so much love and toil. Dozens of photos illustrate the book, and theres plenty written about this or that aircraft model. But the real story is the human one. All told, aviation history buffs and readers with eclectic tastes are sure to find the story fascinating.

BlueInk heads-up: Librarians should consider stocking this book for its contribution to aviation history.

BlueInk Review, November 2019

In 1929, the Schweizer brothers, Ernie, Paul, and Bill, built their first glider a primary at their family home in Peekskill, NY. By the time sailplane production at Schweizer Aircraft ended in the early 1980s, over 2000 had been completed. Since WWII, virtually all soaring pilots in North America have flown Schweizer sailplanes at one time or another. And based on the excellent flying characteristics and durability of their designs, well be flying them for many years to come. For those of us who appreciate the huge contribution to the sport of soaring made by the Schweizer family, this book is a must-read.

Trafford Doherty,
Director of the National Soaring Museum, Elmira, NY

This book is a fascinating read for lovers of aviation and for those with an interest in business. It tells how the dreams of three young boys during the Golden Age of Aviation turned into reality. That they succeeded was a tribute to their hard work, perseverance, and passion.

Schweizer Aircrafts eighty-year history covers periods with severe depression, wars, and economic boom and bust cycles. It shows how good management and entrepreneurship can overcome many obstacles, but also how, in a few short years, bad management by a dispassionate corporation can ruin what took two lifetimes to build.

Trevor Trivett,
Managing Director CSE Aviation (retired), Oxford, England,

Schweizer helicopter distributor for the UK

FLYING WITH THE
SCHWEIZERS

THE STORY OF
SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT

PAUL H. AND WILLIAM SCHWEIZER

FLYING WITH THE SCHWEIZERS

THE STORY OFSCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT

Copyright 2019 Paul H. Schweizer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by
any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,
and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-6991-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-6993-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-6992-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019903373

iUniverse rev. date: 08/22/2020

Dedication

To Evalyn, Oliver, Goldie, and the other Schweizer grandchildren so that
they and their progeny will better understand the familys aviation heritage.

and

Gratitude

I would like to lovingly thank my wife, Lauren, and acknowledge
the significant role that she, along with Lucy and Bonnie (the wives
of Stu and Les) played in the lives of our families and business. For
better or worse, throughout all of those years in which we were
consumed by Schweizer Aircraft and were dealing with difficult
problems, intense stress, craziness, and too many hours away
from home, they hung in there providing encouragement, support,
tolerance, and love. They made it possible for the three of us to retain
our perspective on what is truly important. We thank you.

During the nearly 80 years in which the Schweizer family was building aircraft, we dealt with a huge network of people from all around the world. First and foremost were the many thousands of individuals the company employed. Just as importantly were those who owned the 6260 aircraft manufactured by Schweizer Aircraft and/or who flew in Schweizer sailplanes, airplanes, or helicopters. Without them, the company would not have existed. In addition, others were involved by providing materials, parts, and services; others were employees of the aerospace companies that Schweizer worked with on a subcontract basis; others were involved with the distribution networks used to sell and support Schweizer products; and still others supported the company in many hundreds of different ways (e.g., lawyers, accountants, friends, politicians, lobbyists, etc.).