Excitement reigns when the Marchetti takes to the air
![](https://www.sinn.de/out/pictures/ddmedia/gravity/SINN_Webshop_Niebergall_9225xkleinlogo_1920x1920.jpg?width=640&height=360&quality=100)
Of course, there’s nothing war-like or militaristic about the air shows where aerobatic pilot Ralf Niebergall of Neuwied displays his skill in the Marchetti. The emphasis is on fun for both pilot and spectators. The aircraft has been belonged to Niebergall’s family since 1980. Built in 1967, the “Flying Ferrari” is an authentic classic airplane – and one every pilot dreams of flying. For Ralf Niebergall, the Marchetti is much more than just a plane in which he performs aerobatic stunts. “She’s my baby,” he says tenderly, and professes that they make an unbeatable team. No wonder, since it was in this plane that he learned to fly – which is quite extraordinary in itself. “It’s like showing up to your driving lesson in a Ferrari,” he explains. Somewhat adventurous, admittedly, but in aeronautic terms, it was the perfect way to begin his career as an aerobatic pilot. Ralf Niebergall got to know the SF-260 inside and out. After all, stunt flying was all he ever wanted to do. “Ever since I was a kid, I found flying in a straight line utterly boring,” he confesses. So it was logical for him to take the controls of the Marchetti. He got his pilot’s license in 1987, and has since put 2,000 hours of flying time under his belt – more than 1,000 of them in aerobatics.
![](https://www.sinn.de/out/pictures/ddmedia/gravity/SINN_Webshop_HERO_Niebergall_9292xkleinlogo_256x1440.jpg?width=640&height=360&quality=100)