SWISS backs the Swiss national team with a flying message
A student pilot, Janis Zurbriggen, and his instructor, Carsten Mangasser, flew from Grenchen and traced a giant Swiss cross with a heart in the sky — visible on Flightradar24 — to cheer on the national team ahead of their quarter-final.
Key highlights
- SWISS emphasized values of teamwork, precision, and national unity.
- The flight used the special callsign “HOPPSCHWIIZ”, Switzerland’s rallying cry.
- The figure stretched across 60 km of airspace in western Switzerland, carefully planned for safety and visibility.
- Zurbriggen, soon to become an Airbus A320 First Officer, called it a “once-in-a-lifetime mission” and predicted a 2-1 win.
- Mangasser highlighted the complexity of planning every turn and forecasted a 1-0 victory.
SWISS summed it up:
Sometimes it doesn’t take a major campaign — just passion and creativity to send a clear message: Switzerland is behind you.
This is a striking example of how aviation can be used as a canvas for national pride.
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