A Falco builder once told us this story. His Falco project was due for an inspection and by chance the head of the local FAA office arrived to check the plane. After a few minutes of quietly looking over the plane, the salty old inspector suddenly broke off the inspection, got in his car and drove off. In a few minutes, he was back again with the entire FAA office in tow. He said he wanted them "to see how an airplane should be designed and how an airplane should be built."

That says it all about the Falco. This is no ordinary airplane. No ordinary engineering. No ordinary design.

The Falco was designed by Stelio Frati, the legendary Italian designer and aeronautical engineer. In addition to his formal education in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, Stelio Frati has been designing aircraft for nearly 50 years. The Falco was certified in Italy, and with the FAA. In the Aerobatic category -- the toughest of them all. Then the Falco was produced by three companies in Italy, with many refinements to the original design. These aircraft have a history of over 40 years of use and abuse by European pilots.