When an aviation enthusiast becomes a design engineer
Jindřich Leinweber was born on 14 May 1938 in Bystrá. While attending a secondary technical school in Chrudim he learnt to fly gliders and light sport aircraft at the local aero club. He went on to study at the Faculty of Aviation of Brno Military Academy, where he specialised in aircraft design. From 1962 he worked at Aero Vodochody and took part in the development of planes L-39 and L-159. In the 1960s and 70s he worked on the design of the first small civilian hovercraft of Czechoslovak provenance. At about seventy years of age he left to teach at a secondary technical school. He is now retired, but continues to work on occasion.