Obituary: Ruedi Hadorn

Ruedi Hadorn passed away on July 3, 2018, at the age of 82. He was well known around the world to many, especially helicopter pilots, and served as an FAI judge for decades. In that role, he traveled to virtually every continent, including World and European Championships. It speaks volumes about him that he was invited time and time again; he was a strict but very fair and well-liked judge.

For several years, he also served as president of MG-Bern, where he was made an honorary member. He was there when our club was founded in Riggisberg; we were very grateful for his support, as we were young and inexperienced back then. Collecting model engines was another of Ruedi’s passions; he proudly displayed his very rare powerplants. To my knowledge, he was also once Swiss champion in the RCM class—as the category of motorized gliders without ailerons was called at the time. He was also involved in helicopter flying right from the very beginning. That was when the EHA (European Helicopter Association) was founded; the discipline wasn’t yet officially recognized by the FAI at that time. A massive catalog of maneuvers was compiled, which naturally required the expertise of an experienced judge. Ruedi was the go-to person for this; maneuvers were put down on paper, and coefficients were assigned. He was a judge at nearly every helicopter competition in Europe, regardless of the weather.

For hours on end in the judges’ chair. At our Riggisberg helicopter meet—sometimes even in snowstorms—side by side with the legendary Gustav Sämman and Lars Wegner. As a result, he didn’t get to fly much himself anymore, but wrapping up the year with a flight in his Falke on New Year’s Eve was a must for him for many years. I was very fortunate to meet Ruedi not only on flying weekends but every day—he was my boss at work. We were still using punch cards back then—that’s just how things were in IT at the time. But under Ruedi’s leadership, we modernized very quickly. In between, of course, we’d catch up on the helicopter competitions. Always in a good mood and with a positive attitude—that makes work go much more smoothly. We laughed a lot—even at work—something that’s hardly conceivable today... Motorcycling was another of Ruedi’s passions; when the weather was nice, we’d occasionally go on mountain passes with our motorcycle buddies. Lately, however, his health problems had become increasingly apparent—it was sad to watch. In the end, one often has to speak of a release, but despite everything, he passed away peacefully, said Heidi, his wife. On behalf of the entire model aviation community, I extend my deepest condolences to his surviving family—his children and grandchildren. We will all remember Ruedi just as we had the pleasure of knowing him at the airfields. ■

Werner Koelliker (left) and Ruedi Hadorn.

*Ueli von Niederhäusern*