23 replies to this topic

[fastlegs]

I was on YouTube today and I came across a very interesting video of Niki Lauda flying a Boeing 767 from the Captain's seat.

I knew he use to own his own airline and he had a pilot's license but I didn't realize he was qualified to fly large passenger jets.

Niki has lead a very remarkable life.

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

[Szoelloe]

I was on YouTube today and I came across a very interesting video of Niki Lauda flying a Boeing 767 from the Captain's seat.

I knew he use to own his own airline and he had a pilot's license but I didn't realize he was qualified to fly large passenger jets.

Niki has lead a very remarkable life.

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

He was a pilot in his own airline too.

[aditya-now]

I was on YouTube today and I came across a very interesting video of Niki Lauda flying a Boeing 767 from the Captain's seat.

I knew he use to own his own airline and he had a pilot's license but I didn't realize he was qualified to fly large passenger jets.

Niki has lead a very remarkable life.

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

Well known for us Austrians, where he is even today one of the best known personalities (possibly the best known).

In fact, back in 1977 Niki Lauda was one of the five best known human beings on the planet (along with the Pope, the American president and two others I forgot)....

After Austrian Airlines bought his "Lauda Air" (which did intercontinental flights to Australia, Asia and all over Europe) he started another Airline called Air "Niki"

So probably the only human being having his whole name (Air "Niki"/"Lauda" Air) invested in two airlines....of course he was adamantine in making the pilots license for big intercontinental jets. A remarkable man with great wit and humor.

[engel]

he's actually owned 2 airlines (Lauda air and Niki aka FlyNiki) ... he used to pilot pretty regularly for Lauda Air back in the day, I even flew on a flight he captained once

Edited by engel, 18 July 2012 - 22:51.

[aditya-now]

he's actually owned 2 airlines (Lauda air and Niki aka FlyNiki) ... he used to pilot pretty regularly for Lauda Air back in the day, I even flew on a flight he captained once

Same here - he was speaking to us from the cockpit. Later, when he did not fly regularly anymore they had some recordings of him speaking to the passengers, as they even do now in Fly Niki when welcoming passengers.

[KnucklesAgain]

Same here - he was speaking to us from the cockpit. Later, when he did not fly regularly anymore they had some recordings of him speaking to the passengers, as they even do now in Fly Niki when welcoming passengers.

Same here, it's fun when real Niki actually comes onto the speakers

A good time to share yet another Niki anecdote: In the early nineties I worked summer jobs as a postman in Vienna. Niki maintained a house in Vienna's 19th district. The first part of a postman's day is to sort the morning's huge pile of letters into trays. Most letters would correctly be addressed to the district the post office was responsible for (18th in my case), but a small part of the letters would have been misfiled in some earlier station, and there were extra trays for those, to get them a step nearer to their destination - one such tray being "Vienna 19th".

It turned out that every day there were letters coming from around the world - often the former eastern block - addressed to "Niki Lauda, Austria". When I saw such a letter for the first time, I was very excited, asked my colleagues what to do. I learned that there is a steady stream of those (and had been for more than a decade, apparently) and that every postman in Austria knows what to do: get them either to Vienna or to Salzburg, where they will be taken care of. So in our case, we had to file them for "Vienna 19th", and the colleagues would take it from there.

[aditya-now]

Same here, it's fun when real Niki actually comes onto the speakers

A good time to share yet another Niki anecdote: In the early nineties I worked summer jobs as a postman in Vienna. Niki maintained a house in Vienna's 19th district. The first part of a postman's day is to sort the morning's huge pile of letters into trays. Most letters would correctly be addressed to the district the post office was responsible for (18th in my case), but a small part of the letters would have been misfiled in some earlier station, and there were extra trays for those, to get them a step nearer to their destination - one such tray being "Vienna 19th".

It turned out that every day there were letters coming from around the world - often the former eastern block - addressed to "Niki Lauda, Austria". When I saw such a letter for the first time, I was very excited, asked my colleagues what to do. I learned that there is a steady stream of those (and had been for more than a decade, apparently) and that every postman in Austria knows what to do: get them either to Vienna or to Salzburg, where they will be taken care of. So in our case, we had to file them for "Vienna 19th", and the colleagues would take it from there.

Interesting anecdote, thanks. Fits in nicely with Niki's once-upon-a-time status of being one of the five most well known people in the world.

[jstrains]

I use to fly with FlyNiki very often and it is a better of the low-cost airliners. If I am not wrong, it belongs to Air Berlin now.

Like in F1 he had a very bad day in the airline life as well with a big airliner crash back in 1991
http://en.wikipedia...._Air_Flight_004

[george1981]

I use to fly with FlyNiki very often and it is a better of the low-cost airliners. If I am not wrong, it belongs to Air Berlin now.

Like in F1 he had a very bad day in the airline life as well with a big airliner crash back in 1991
http://en.wikipedia...._Air_Flight_004

From Wikipedia:

Upon hearing of the crash, Niki Lauda, retired Formula 1 race driver and owner of the airline, travelled to Thailand. He examined the wreckage and concluded that the largest fragment was about 5 metres (16 ft) by 2 metres (6.6 ft), "about half the size of the largest piece in the Lockerbie crash." As evidence started to point towards the thrust reversers as the cause of the accident, he made simulator flights at Gatwick Airport which appeared to show that deployment of a thrust reverser was a survivable incident. Lauda said that the thrust reverser could not be the sole cause of the crash.

After reading this I have even more respect for Niki Lauda. He really is one of F1's good guys.

[Clatter]

I knew about him being an qualified airline pilot, but in having a quick look at his profile I didn't know he has had a couple of kidney transplants.

[wrcva]

Same here, it's fun when real Niki actually comes onto the speakers

A good time to share yet another Niki anecdote: In the early nineties I worked summer jobs as a postman in Vienna. Niki maintained a house in Vienna's 19th district. The first part of a postman's day is to sort the morning's huge pile of letters into trays. Most letters would correctly be addressed to the district the post office was responsible for (18th in my case), but a small part of the letters would have been misfiled in some earlier station, and there were extra trays for those, to get them a step nearer to their destination - one such tray being "Vienna 19th".

It turned out that every day there were letters coming from around the world - often the former eastern block - addressed to "Niki Lauda, Austria". When I saw such a letter for the first time, I was very excited, asked my colleagues what to do. I learned that there is a steady stream of those (and had been for more than a decade, apparently) and that every postman in Austria knows what to do: get them either to Vienna or to Salzburg, where they will be taken care of. So in our case, we had to file them for "Vienna 19th", and the colleagues would take it from there.

thanks for sharing your story.

[jeze]

If it hadn't been for the crash and all of that - imagine how many titles he'd won with Ferrari.

I'd say all the cars between 1975 and 1979 were Lauda-title-winning Ferrari cars and they also had tremendous machines in 1982 and 1983 as well. He was just unlucky to be a victim of the Nordschleife, lucky to survive, but I think due to his (understandable) change of approach to racing and life in general, 3 WDC's is still a meagre outcome for a driver so fabulous. The Austrian Schumacher in his prime.

Also his declining relationship to Enzo seemed to be because Enzo thought he was weak coming back from the accident and everything.

But along with Ascari, Niki is the second-greatest ever Ferrari driver. No doubt in my mind. Fangio and Prost were there much too short of a time and Alonso has yet to win the title.

[engel]

But along with Ascari, Niki is the second-greatest ever Ferrari driver. No doubt in my mind. Fangio and Prost were there much too short of a time and Alonso has yet to win the title.

there's this little german dude with a pronounced chin that feels left out of your list

[Owen]

there's this little german dude with a pronounced chin that feels left out of your list

[BinaryDad]

So probably the only human being having his whole name (Air "Niki"/"Lauda" Air) invested in two airlines....of course he was adamantine in making the pilots license for big intercontinental jets. A remarkable man who inherited a lot of money with great wit and humor.

Fixed that for you.

I'll be honest, I always thought Richard Lugner was more well known in Austria than Lauda.

Niki's a nice chap...I used to live in Vienna (in Margareten). One day, my wife spotted Lauda walking past and very loudly informed me of this fact as I was getting my daughter out of her push chair. I turned around with my little girl in my arms, and there he was across the street. He smiled and gave us a little wave.

Now compare this to say, H.C. Stracha, who just scowled at me. The bounder. But that might have been because I asked him if he would make me take German classes if he came into power, or was that policy just reserved for immigrants with a different skin colour.


Oh....and flying on Niki was possibly the best budget airline that I've ever had.

Edited by BinaryDad, 19 July 2012 - 15:33.

[Radoye]

...who inherited a lot of money...

Wasn't Niki completely cut off of the family money when he went racing against the wishes of the Laudas?

[KnucklesAgain]

Wasn't Niki completely cut off of the family money when he went racing against the wishes of the Laudas?

Yep, that was the case at least initially. When he was young and decided to pursue a racing career, he knew (?) he would be cut off. I'm not sure whether he was allowed back in when he became successful, but in any case the important part is the early one.

Edit: Correction: it's true that in the absence of sponsors he obtained a seat in the March team by taking out a bank loan, which he secured with his expected inheritance. He then was cut off from the inheritance after 1972 and could not get additional money for March.

http://www.research-...e/n.lauda10.htm

Edited by KnucklesAgain, 19 July 2012 - 18:42.

[KnucklesAgain]

(...)
Now compare this to say, H.C. Stracha, who just scowled at me. The bounder. But that might have been because I asked him if he would make me take German classes if he came into power, or was that policy just reserved for immigrants with a different skin colour.
(...)

And Lugner maybe is today *shudder*, but back in the day the reach of Lauda was incredible, in a much simpler media environment.

Edited by KnucklesAgain, 19 July 2012 - 17:38.

[fastlegs]

Wow, some great posts guys. Thanks for posting them.

[jeze]

there's this little german dude with a pronounced chin that feels left out of your list

He's god.

And #1.

Lauda is second

But the thought of him being five-time WDC at least for Ferrari is chilling. It really should have been him first.

[rayburn]

This thread has reminded me of the first GP I went to watch at Silverstone in 1973. My most enduring memory of the race is of Lauda driving in a very distinctive style - he seemed to be applying the throttle a lot more through the corner than any of the others. He was driving for BRM, in one of three entered that year.

Great driver.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

Apart from the coolness factor, is it really a good idea for an airline owner to fly the plane? I imagine his co-pilots would be a little more reluctant than normal to question any of his decisions in the cockpit, even when it's warranted.

[anbeck]

When he was still the boss, he used to fly in his normal street clothes. With him becoming a "normal" pilot among the others, he was made to wear a uniform on duty.

[Elwing]

Today's German Grand Prix reminded me of why I admire that man so much.
He comes on stage for the after-race interview, with his hands in his pockets. He then proceeds to ask questions that are witty, bluntly direct and controversial. He would have gotten away with asking all the tired standard questions, but did not take the easy way out.

Somewhere in 1984 (I think it was the French GP) Lauda cut a race winner's interview very short with "Car gut, engine gut, Lauda gut! Any kvestions?"
He did not put up with lazy journalists then, and refuses to be one now. Good for him.