First Flight with Hendrik Hoppe

For hobbyist pilot Hendrik Hoppe, the journey into the skies was a long and winding one.

Growing up in Eastern Germany, achieving a dream of personal aviation simply wasn’t an option.

“I was born and grew up in Eastern Germany,” Hoppe said. “(General) aviation was not existing at all, because somebody could easily take a plane and fly over one of the borders.”

That all changed with the crumbling of the Berlin wall.

The integration of Eastern and Western Germany brought with it a new world of possibilities for Hoppe, who quickly launched himself into a new frontier.

“When the wall came down, I was 18, and the first affordable step in aviation, for me, was hang gliding,” he said. “From there, it was growing my aviation skills. I kept flying, always as a hobby, but increased my flying skills over the last (few) years to a commercial license with multi-engine and seaplane ratings.”

Though Hoppe mainly employs those skills to travel on business, he’s also taken a Trans-African flight and flown from Europe to North America.

It’s difficult, Hoppe said, to choose a favorite plane.

Still, one does separate itself from the crowd – his Mooney.

“I like my Mooney best,” he said. “Most likely, this is because I have the most impressive, memorable and exciting flights in it. If I had to answer the question, I would say it’s the Mooney, definitely.”

Cutting-Edge Technology Creating Timeless Journeys

With new Aspen Avionics devices installed by Three Wing Aviation, Hoppe took a North Atlantic flight from North America back to Europe.

“It’s a long flight over open water, but it was a perfect moment for me to experience the new devices,” he said.

In particular, Hoppe said the timer functions on his new Aspen devices assisted him in making required positional reports during his journey.

Now, with so much time in the skies under his belt, Hoppe message for dreamers like him is a simple one.

“I absolutely recommend it to everybody,” he said. “Go out, do flying, learn to fly. It’s definitely something the everybody can do. … It’s fun to share it.”

To see how Aspen Avionics is helping to inspire the next generation of pilots, click here.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Transportation Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Bitcoin
Alts Innovators: Joseph Kelly on Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency
October 6, 2025

After a year that put digital assets back in the headlines, long-term Bitcoin adoption is quietly compounding beneath the noise. Unchained reports helping “many thousands” of clients secure roughly $12B in Bitcoin via collaborative custody, while on-chain “HODL waves” data shows that ~60% of all Bitcoin typically hasn’t moved in a year or more,…

Read More
startup accelerator
Why Culture, Conscious Capitalism, and Purpose Beyond Profit Are Essential to Startup Accelerator Scalability
October 6, 2025

As the startup ecosystem continues to evolve, pitch competitions and startup accelerators are shaping the way founders connect with investors and communities. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data, U.S. entrepreneurial activity climbed to a record 19% in 2024—the highest level ever reported—highlighting just how fertile the ground is for platforms like CodeLaunch. This…

Read More
accounting
Building Careers, Balancing Life: A CFO’s Journey from Public Accounting to Pipeline Construction
October 1, 2025

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of accountants and auditors will grow by about 5 percent between 2024 and 2034. That growth is fueled by a combination of factors: companies facing increasingly complex regulatory requirements, an expanding economy that requires financial oversight at every level, and ongoing retirements and career shifts that…

Read More
future of healthcare
Leading Through Change: Dr. Kevin Stevenson on Workforce, Innovation, and the Future of Healthcare
October 1, 2025

Healthcare is at a critical turning point, where staffing pressures, shrinking reimbursements, and rising patient expectations are reshaping the future of healthcare. According to the AACN Nursing Workforce Fact Sheet, the federal government projects more than 203,000 new registered nurse positions will be created annually from 2021 to 2031, reflecting high demand from an…

Read More