Four Hornets flew over Länsi Pakila – A touching reason in the background –

The Air Force carried out a flyover of four F/A-18 Hornet fighters in Helsinki today, October 23, captain evp. Mauri Maunulan during the blessing ceremony. Maunula died at the age of 103 on September 14. He was the last surviving military pilot who served in the war and also belonged to the military pilots’ own Pilvenveikot association.

Maunula’s funeral was held today, Wednesday, at the Pakila Hyvän Paimene church in Länsi-Pakila, Helsinki.

The overflight of the fighters was carried out from south to north at an altitude of about 300 meters.

A long career as a pilot

Captain evp Mauri Maunula served in the wars as a reconnaissance and fighter pilot. He was also the co-pilot on the flight in 1951 that brought Marshal Mannerheim’s coffin from Geneva, Switzerland to Finland. Jussi Eskola / Mauri Maunula’s home album

Maunula served in the Air Force between 1940‒1947 as a fighter and reconnaissance pilot. After this, he also had a long career as a pilot on the civil side, first with Aero, Finnair’s predecessor, and then as a pilot for Kone Oyj.

Maunula’s career in the Air Force began on April 29, 1940, with war instructor course 4, where he applied as a volunteer in the fall of 1939. Maunula completed reserve officer course 51, and in December 1941 he was awarded the Finnish pilot badge no. 828. After the reserve officer course, he attended Cadet course 26 in 1942–1943. .

During the Continuation War and the Lapland War, Maunula served as a reconnaissance and fighter pilot. He flew a total of 20 different types of aircraft in the Air Force, from Smolik to Bristol Blenheim. He flew a total of 69 military flights.

Maunula entered civil aviation in 1948 when he started Aero’s flight attendant course. He had a long career in aviation as a transport pilot, trainer and inspection pilot.

Maunula also served as a co-pilot on a flight in 1951 that was used to search for a marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim trunk from Geneva, Switzerland to Finland. Maunula accumulated a total of 21,473 flight hours from military and civil aviation.

According to the Lentoposti magazine, Maunula still managed to fly future planes of the Air Force, i.e. F-35 fighters, in a simulator the other summer at the age of 102.