When Hans-Georg Friebe founded his company for aviation supplies in 1951, powered flight was still prohibited in Germany, and gliding was only slowly beginning to develop again. The range of products, the number of employees, and the company’s location—a backyard in Dossenheim near Heidelberg—were still very modest.

Within a few years, the business expanded significantly, and the first relocation within Dossenheim to larger premises became necessary. In addition to trading in aviation equipment, the company began producing mechanical onboard instruments, mainly variometers, in the mid-1950s. This instrument production, employing up to 20 people at times, continued into the 1970s. FRIEBE variometers can still be found in some older gliders today.

Advertising was given great importance. A partly illustrated FRIEBE catalog was already published in 1956. From the 1960s onwards, numerous special catalogs were produced in the in-house print shop in addition to the annual catalogs. Monthly brochures with new products and special offers, Christmas flyers, and catalogs in English and French were also printed.


In the early 1960s, FRIEBE moved into a larger company building in Heidelberg. A dedicated sewing workshop was set up for producing tow banners. To directly supply customers in Austria, Switzerland, and France, branches were established in Bregenz and Cannes.

FRIEBE has participated in aviation exhibitions, trade fairs, and air shows at home and abroad with its own display and sales booths since the beginning. FRIEBE was one of the first exhibitors in 1957 at the ILA in Hanover—later also in Berlin, in 1971 at the IGM in Baden-Baden, and particularly at the AERO in Friedrichshafen since 1980.

In 1977, the company moved to Mannheim at Neuostheim Airport, today's City Airport.

In 1987, Steffen Friebe joined the company and took over management two years later. This marked the generational change in the family business.

The continuous growth of the business made a move to new, expanded premises at the airport necessary in 1993.

FRIEBE AVIATION SUPPLIES is today one of the leading European providers of aviation accessories. The extensive product range consists of several thousand different items. Our customers include private and professional pilots, aviation clubs, flight schools, aviation companies, authorities, and industry both domestically and abroad. We are especially proud of our long-standing customers, many of whom have remained loyal for two or three generations.
For 70 years, FRIEBE has been closely connected to aviation. We are aware of this tradition and see it as both an inspiration and an obligation to continue providing high-quality products with fast delivery service and expert advice to our many customers in Germany and Europe.


Hans-Georg Friebe was born in 1925 near Breslau in Silesia. He developed a passion for aviation early on, starting with model building and progressing to gliding at the age of 14.
In 1942, he volunteered for the Luftwaffe and became one of the youngest flight instructors at the age of 19. Shortly before the end of the war, he was trained on the Messerschmitt ME 262 before being taken as a prisoner of war by the Americans. He survived the difficult post-war years as a displaced person, performing various jobs before moving to Heidelberg.
In 1949, he founded the Aeroclub Heidelberg with other aviation enthusiasts and initially procured materials for his fellow pilots, later also supplying other clubs in northern Baden. This was the beginning of FRIEBE AVIATION SUPPLIES, the first company of its kind in post-war Germany. Hans-Georg Friebe was a passionate glider pilot with a Gold-C and three diamonds, competing successfully in many contests in the 1950s. Later, he was also active in ultralight, motor-glider, and powered flight. He remained involved in the company well into old age and also assisted with organizing and conducting trade fairs. Our founder and senior manager passed away on January 20, 2011. His courage to explore new paths, his ability to bring people together, and his entrepreneurial acumen remain unforgettable.