The VIPER story
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer “ VIPER“ from the flying school in Zeltweg has been visible in the sky for over 20 years. Here is the background story: December 2002 – the flying school gets in touch about a Pilatus PC-7 aircraft livery. The order covers the design draft through to the execution on site in Zeltweg/Styria. Design should be a snake, specifically the VIPER and the 20th anniversary of this aircraft type in Austria. The VIPER is based on the tactical radio identification in military flight operations of the PC-7. After a few design drafts, the layouts were presented on March 13, 2003 in Zeltweg, with the participation of the flying school’s teaching department and the technical logistics department. The technical feasibility, the visual design guidelines and the overall visual effect are determined here. The choice of the aircraft to be painted falls on the 3H-FG due to the remaining number of flight hours until the next major maintenance. A precise schedule guarantees completion in time for the AIRPOWER 2003 air show. Work on the machine begins on April 14th. On May 12th, all preparatory work (sanding, priming, dismantling the rudder and ailerons, and masking) is completed. The fuselage now receives the first coat of paint in RAL 6002 (leaf green). The resulting spray mist (there is no paint booth!) is enormous and all activities in the entire hangar are affected by it. After a curing phase of 12 hours, the upper sides of the wings are painted the next day. The wing lettering „20 years of PC-7“, the „V“ on the underside of the fuselage, and the flying school badge are created step by step. The VIPER motif is sketched out on the fuselage using a slide projector – no easy task over a total length of over 10 meters! From May 19th to 23rd, 2003, the detailed work on the snake skin and the snake head takes place. Finally, the spinner (the conical propeller cover) is given the finishing touches. The assembly, the aircraft weighing and various trim adjustments ultimately lead to the long-awaited test flight, which is completed without any problems.
