ALFRED RITTER von PISCHOFF
1882-1922

AKA Alfred de Pischof
 
 
Pischoff
 
 
ALFRED de PISCHOFF
Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers
 

 
 
Pischoff
 
 
Le Monoplan A. de Pischoff-Kochlin
Collection of Jean-Pierre Lauwers
 

 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES - 1
via email from Sophie de Pischoff, 11-2-05
Dear Mr Cooper,
My name is Sophie de Pischoff and I am the great great grand daughter of Alfred de Pischoff. I was delighted to find all the information on a site mostly dedicated to his achievement. I only have a very old picture of him in a aviation book and until yesterday I didn't realise that his plane would be regarded as a limousin of the sky. I was told sometime ago that he fell out of his plane because he forgot to attach himself to his machine. Could you confirm this information? I thank you again for your time and hope to hear from you soon.
Sophie
 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES - 2
via email from Sophie de Pischoff, 12-11-05
Dear Ralph
     I have been in touch with my father, who to my surprise, apparently owns a large quantity of newspapers cuttings and various other documents. I have never seen them personally, but would love to forward copies of them when possible.
     Thank you for forwarding the e-mail address of Jean de Pischof. I was surprised to find out that my grand-grand father had a child from a previous relationship to my grand-grand mother. My father also confirmed that Alfred fell out of his plane and died forgetting to attach himself to his invention.
     I unfortunately do not have anything to help Fia out with the flycycle. When of course I visit my dad, I will be able to look into it. A while to go yet, as I just started a new job in London which I am sure will keep me there for quite a few months to start with.
     She also wanted to make sure the spelling de Pischoff was correct but as far as I know when my grand-grand mother went to have the birth certificate written out for her new born baby, the town hall employee added an extra "F" at the end... for Fun maybe... or out of Foolishness... well the result of it is: I have a large quantity of people in the UK who remember my name quite easily!!!
Best Regards
Sophie
 

 
 
Pischoff
 
 
PISCHOFF'S AEROPLANE
Anzani Motor, 25 HP - 3 Cylinders
Collection of Bob Henderson, 11-6-04
MOVIEBILIA
 

 
 
The Very Earliest Early Birds
by ERNEST JONES

Number 12 - M. DE PISCHOFF,
France

     After experimenting with gliders, Pischoff began construction of a power biplane. The main planes were curved in an arc laterally. Rudder and elevator aft on outriggers. An Anzani 25 h.p. air-cooled engine drove tractor screw.
     December 5-6, 1907---First flights of some meters.
     December 12, 1907---Flights of 50 and 100m. at Issy. On January 15, 1908, flights of 30, 40 and 80m.
     He then joined with Koechlin and built a tractor monoplane with three pairs of wings tandem, stepped up toward the front to a closed fuselage. Dutheil-Chalmers 20 h.p. engine.
     October 29, 1908---Flights with this machine commenced at Villacoublay, up to 500m.
     The machine never became prominent nor did Pischoff attain fame as a pilot.
 

 
 
AVIATION SCHOOL
     He ran a flying school at Porte Aviation in France, using Koechlin and Pischof aircraft, from 1 May 1909 to about August 1910, when he moved to Mourmelon for his new school.
Biographical note from Dave Lam, 7-2-03
 

 
 
ONLINE RESOURCES
     If you search for "Alfred de Pischoff +aviation", using the Google search engine, (11-13-04), you will find about 43 links. Perhaps the most helpful are the following.
 
 
Pischoff
 
 
PISCHOFF REPLICA
By permission from Markus Keller
     To see this photograph in full size, as well as others, follow the links below.
 
 
1910 Pischof Autoplan Replica
Information via email from Paul Dunlop, 11-28-04
     From what I can gather from the website, the Pischof Autoplan was the first successful airplane to fly in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. If the name Pischof rings bells, it may because the designer, Alfred von Pischof, was known in France as Alfred de Pischoff, and it was in France, in late 1907, that he tested the world's first tractor biplane.
     The Autoplan is somewhat unusual as its a conventional monoplane, but with a pusher propeller. Its a generously sized, well proportioned, monoplane with a substantial looking engine. Looking at the photos of the Autoplan, I keep feeling that its a "limousine of the sky".
Cheers
Paul Dunlop
Editor's Note: Paul has alerted us to a remarkable website, written in German, which offers two beautiful photographs of a replica of the Pischof Autoplan. You can enjoy the first picture of the plane, which shows it in full profile, by clicking on the title above. You can view the second one, a closeup view of the fuselage area, by clicking on:
Pischof Autoplan
     Both of these pictures were taken by Markus Keller. If time permits, I heartily recommend that you visit his Pischof homepage and enjoy the many other related images of the plane. You can access the homepage by clicking on:
Pischof Autoplan 1910
     When the page loads, you will see a large photo of the original aeroplane. To access the homepage itself, click on the phrase: "Weiter zum Pischof Autoplan"at the bottom of the page.
     If you have a lot of free time, I suggest that you will be in for a treat if you visit his main homepage which gives access to dozens and dozens of beautiful photographs he has taken. If you don't read German, and I don't, it will be a challenge to work your way through the collection, but I found it to be well worth the effort. You can access that page by clicking on:
Fotopinnwand
 

 
 
PISCHOFF REPLICA DESTROYED
Via email from Markus Keller, 12-5-04
Dear Mr Cooper,
I'm really excited that my pictures find admirers even in the United States, so far away from where they were taken. You seem to be a great fan of the Pischof Autoplan, so how could I deny you my permittance to put a copy of my picture on your page? It is really kind of you that you appreciate my photographs and I thank you for including a link to my website.
As you probably know, this beautiful airplane had an accident last year and was badly damaged. Thus I'm glad that I had the chance to see it flying, because I don't think that they can or will repair it.
Best regards,
Markus Keller
post scriptum: I hope you will enjoy all the pictures on my website. If you are interested in the photographs I'm going to take during next year's airshow season, you can easily add your email address after clicking on the "newsletter" button on my page.
 

 
 
Pischoff
 
 
PISCHOFF'S AEROPLANE
from LES PREMIERS MOTEURS D'AVIATION
 
 
LES PREMIERS MOTEURS D'AVIATION
Préface du Rapport du 1er Salon de l'Aéronautique
Grand Palais, Paris - Décembre 1908.
     This extensive pdf document, written entirely in French, is a treasure chest of information on the early aviation motors. If you can read French, you can go directly to Page 3 where you will find the story of the Anzani motor, including some information on Pischoff. For those of you who don't read the language, including me, I have extracted the paragraph which refers to Pischoff. (With the help of BabelFish)
"The engine Anzani Alfred de Pischoff sought a genious engineer, it l'a found in the person d'Alexandre Anzani. This impassioned Milanese motor mechanic of cycle races designed a very light engine of 25 CV, 3 cylinders in range and cooled by air. French L aviator immediately was allured and l'a gone up on his biplane, with a propeller out of wooden manufactured by Lucien Chauvière. Jusqu'à present, they were out of metal. L'avion of Pischoff presents another characteristic, it n'a not fuselage nor of carrying plan before adoptee by the Wright brothers. The cell is in unequal plans. The lower plan is divided into two, to carry to l'avant the engine and the pilot sitting on a strap. The first tests took place in November 1907. They disappointing, were marked by ruptures of material, and any flight n'a be possible. But, yesterday December 5, 1907 and aujourd'hui, Alfred de Pischoff was rewarded for its efforts, l'avion and its pilot could ground s'élever a few moments. A still modest flight, but which seems, in the field of the technique,"      
 

 
 
 
 
von Pischoff died in 1922
Personal communication from Dave Lam, 2-19-05
 
Editor's Note:
If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator
please contact me.
E-mail to Ralph Cooper
 

 
 
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