Biancotto was a French test pilot and great aerobatic champion. He died in 1960 in Bratislava while training for the WAC, when his Nord 3202 pitch control broke in flight.
On the Jungmann's fuselage is written the names of the airfields where he displayed the Jungmann, and the trophies he won in Coventry in 1955, 1956 and 1958. There is a special mention for his record of 1 hour and 16 minutes of inverted flight in 1957, a record which was only beaten in 1974 (by John Legatt, over Arizona).
The registration was F-BCSY. After he died his Jungmann was (and still is) owned by Lucien Canu, who has been my aerobatic instructor. The Hirth engine once failed and Lucien succeeded in landing on the best place he could find under his wings, which happened to be works in progress for making a large runway: the Jungmann then became the very first airplane to land at Charles de Gaulle airport! The engine was replaced by a 180 HP Lycoming, and the registration changed to F-PCSY (where F-P is for Experimental). This is as you can see her in my story "Restoring F-PGLT" (Note the front seat covering on both pictures, to make it a one-seater).
Both of the following pictures were taken on a particular occasion: September 19th, 1959 in Etrepagny (Normandy). For his homebuilt Bébé Jodel's maiden flight party, Julien Selosse-Gougeon hardly dared to invite his idol Léon Biancotto and did not even think he would accept. When he arrived at the airfield for the party, Léon and his wife Lucienne had already landed there with the jugmann! When they removed their flight suits they appeared dressed Leon in a diner jacket with bow tie, and Lucinnne in a white skirt suit and pearl necklace. Julien was deeply honored and moved. (You can see him behind the Jungmann with the headset, and bowing to Lucienne while Léon is talking to the parish priest). After her husband died Lucienne became a famous journalist for Aviation Magazine International. She recently died in a car crash.
These pictures have been kindly sent by Régine Selosse, Julien's daughter, who was then 7. When she read my article in the French "Cahiers du RSA" (translated as "Restoring F-PGLT" for Bucker.info) she was shot by a strong rush of adrenaline as it made this wonderful kid's memory come vividly alve.
She offered me the pictures and her father's book, posthumously dedicated through her hand:
"For having rebuilt the most beautiful of my memories... and also for your career as a pilot, which I wanted so much for myself.
From the paradise of pilots, where I rest.
Julien"
The Jungmann colors were orange and black, as repainted after recovering (without Binacotto's hand-written script), as for my first solo flight:
