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FRMember Profile: Manfred Radius
Ballet in the Sky: 40 Years of Precision Glider Aerobatics
By: Valerie Boucher. First published in the July/August 2025 issue of COPA Flight Magazine
Among the revving engines and energy of typical air shows, COPA member Manfred Radius brought something different: quiet precision. For nearly 40 years, he performed in an unpowered H101 Salto glider, turning flight into a dance, graceful and unforgettable.
In 1961, as a teenager riding his bike near Hamburg, Germany, Radius discovered a gliding club offering rides. “It was the first time I flew in any kind of aircraft,” he recalled. “The winch launch, going up at a steep angle, was a thrill. Everything looked so small... It was a fantastic experience, and I wanted more.” He joined the club that summer and continued to fly.
After immigrating to Canada in 1969, Radius met Polish aerobatic pilot Bogdan Wolski, who gave him his first aerobatics lesson in the two-seat L-13 Blanik glider. Radius became an instructor in 1972 and, two years later, reached 35,000 feet over the Rocky Mountains in a sailplane near Colorado Springs.
He competed internationally, earning ‘best foreign aerobatic pilot’ at the German Glider Aerobatic Championship and flying in the First World Championship in Austria in 1985. Over his career, Radius performed 1,140 times times across 441 shows in 4 countries: Canada, the United States, Australia, and Mexico — always flying the same German-made H101 Salto.
Radius joined the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) in 1978, crediting it with supporting both his career and the air show community. He encourages young performers to join early.
His signature manoeuvre, the inverted ribbon cut, debuted in 1988. Flying upside down just 26 feet off the ground, he aimed to slice a suspended ribbon with his glider’s tail fin, a test of precision and nerve. “I wasn’t the first to do it,” he said, recalling an older pilot from Eastern Europe. “But I am not aware of any other glider pilot doing it.”
He always put safety first. “If I was too high, I wouldn’t pull down late but would overfly the ribbon to try again later.” Over time, he called it an inverted ribbon-cut attempt. Even when missing, he delivered a solid show.
In 1992, at the Canadian International Air Show, Radius made history performing the first inverted ribbon cut over water, flying between two yachts on Lake Ontario.
Night flights were a signature part of Radius’ act. His Night Delight featured pyrotechnics on the wing tips, choreographed to classical music, and became a highlight across North America and Australia. Michael Small, recalling a 1997 Melbourne performance, called it “absolute aerobatic and visual magic.”
His calm, precise routines reflected thousands of hours of practice and discipline.
Since his aerobatic debut at Hamilton Mount Hope Airport in 1985, Radius has performed at numerous shows from Lakeland, Florida, to Abbotsford, BC. He credits producers and volunteers alike. “Without countless volunteers donating their time and talents, my performances and most air shows wouldn’t be possible.”
His performances earned widespread praise. Spectators called them “awe-inspiring” and “mesmerizing.” USAviator magazine wrote in 1995: “He is absolutely incredible; a truly phenomenal presence in the airshow biz.” In The Cannibal Queen, New York Times bestselling Author Stephen Coonts recalled: “The most spectacular flying exhibition I have ever witnessed... the silent crowd watched, mesmerized… His mastery of craft was total.”
His performances didn’t just captivate crowds on the ground; they made their way onto screens too. Radius was featured on shows like That’s Life, Stuntmasters, Magic in the Air, and Science of Fun, showing audiences, even those far from any runway, what was possible in a glider.
Outside the cockpit, he logged over 1,100 skydives in more than 30 years.
In 2023, he was inducted into the ICAS Foundation Hall of Fame, one of the highest honours in air shows. “There were others more deserving,” he says modestly. “I was lucky the committee selected me, besides Matt Chapman.”
At 80, Radius gave his final performance in October 2024 at the Culpeper Air Fest. “It was time to quit because I started making mistakes,” he said. “I’m relieved I flew since 1985 with the same glider, still in good shape.”
Though retired, Radius’ performances remain a benchmark in glider aerobatics. “If someone remembers one of my shows,” he simply says, “I hope they enjoyed watching it.”