Dezentralisation in Alpnach

With Hornet Activity on two unusual airbases (St Stephan and Alpnach) I visited the latter for some action on March 19th, 2026

Increased Readiness of Swiss Air Force's QRA from 2 to 4 armed Hornets

The Swiss Air Force is testing the logistical and human resources needed for two more Hornets in QRA duty for two weeks.

Media release - Published on 2. May 2025

The army is temporarily testing increased readiness in the air police service

Bern, 02.05.2025 — The Swiss Army is increasing its readiness for air police operations for two weeks. For this period, the Air Force doubles the number of permanently available patrols with F/A-18 fighter aircraft from one to two. The test is intended to provide insights into the human and material resources to strengthen the army's defense capability.

Against the background of the changed security policy environment, the Army is testing permanent take-off and operational readiness within a maximum of 15 minutes with two additional armed F/A-18 fighter aircraft over two weeks. The two patrols should be able to be deployed flexibly; both as independently operating F/A-18 patrols and as double patrols. The test is carried out by Airfield Command 11 from the Payerne military airfield and lasts from Saturday, March 3rd. May to Saturday 17th. May 2025. Its aim is to gain insights into human and material resources with the intention of strengthening the defense capability of the Swiss Army.

Permanently ready for security and sovereignty in Swiss airspace

Since 2021, the Air Force has had two armed fighter jets available for air police service (Quick Reaction Alert QRA) around the clock, seven days a week. In the normal situation, the two armed F/A-18s are mainly used for «hot missions» and «live missions». «Hot missions» are «blue light missions» that are triggered when an aircraft violates Swiss air sovereignty, seriously disregards air traffic rules or is in an emergency situation. «Live Missions» are random checks of foreign state aircraft that are only allowed to fly over Switzerland with a diplomatic clearance (Diplomatic Clearance). The Air Force carries out an average of around 10 «Hot Missions» and around 200 «Live Missions» per year.

ALPHA UNO - Swiss Air Force Autobahn Exercise

Back in the dark days of the Cold War an regular exercise - but today with much, much, much more traffic an logistic mammoth project ...

Very difficult for taking not the regular pictures - but some special Grimmi-Style where made ☺

Hornets temporarly in SST

 Good news for the Fans - due an decentralisation exercise, some Hornets will fly the Axalp shooting exercise out of St. Stephan, an airbase in use 'till 1994 y the Swiss Air Force and knowed by enthousiasts for the yearly Hunterfest !

The Hornets will arrive for three days in the second week of repetition course.

Participation of the Swiss Air Force on International Exercices 2021

The Swiss Air Force will be participating on the following exercises with aircraft and/or personnel:

- NIGHTHAWK, Denmark: Special Forces Night training, 80 persons, 3 weeks.

- MAGDAYS 21, Germany: Interoperability, with Hornets flying out of there bases in Switzerland (no landings in Germany planned), 3 days.

- VOLFA 21, France: Interoperability, with Hornets flying out of there bases in Switzerland (no landings in France planned), 3 weeks.

- NATO TIGERMEET 21, Portugal: Interoperability, Hornets based in Portugal, 45 persons, 2 weeks.

- ARCTIC CHALLENGE EXERCISE 21, Sweden: Interoperability, Hornets based in Sweden, 45 persons, 2 weeks.

Source: The Federal Council

Public Open Day / Airshow: PayAIR'n 21

With this lost year 2020 for Airshows, Payerne Air Base will hoist an interesting event next year, an Open Door event;

01st May 2021: PayAIR'n 21

other events of interest in Switzerland 2021:

11-13th June, 2021: Motor Classics, Lenzerheide https://www.lenzerheide-motorclassics.ch/
26/27th June, 2021: Seefest, Zug http://www.zugerseefest.ch/
28th July, 2021: different Air Displays, Samedan (Super Puma Display Team et al) due ProAero Youth Camp
20-22nd August, 2021: Flugtage Wittinsburg http://www.flugtage-wittinsburg.ch/
21st August, 2021: Hunterfest, St. Stephan http://www.hunterverein.ch/
28/29th August, 2021: Flugtage, Dittingen http://www.flugtage.ch/

Evaluation NKF - Mission Super Hornet

The second candidate will arrive this week and includes an Omega Company Tanker as support. The test flights will start next monday april 29th and end on Mai 3rd. Eight missions are scheduled, with a total of 17 takeoffs and landings (PAY/MEI).

As support aircraft an KDC-10 Tanker aircraft is expected (N974VV, Mc Donnell Douglas DC-10-40) - due Air'04 Airshow an KC707 of the Omega company was here. 

OMEGA Air Refueling: http://www.omegaairrefueling.com

All photos taken by myself, archive.

Swiss Hornet Display Team training week schedule 2019

Weekend approaches and with it the begin of this seasons training week of our Swiss Hornet Display pilot Nicolas 'VINCENT' Rossier in his 3rd year.

Training in mid altitude will begin Monday, from Wednesday on low altitude training already:

Lundi les entraînements sont prévus à 10:00 et 14:45 au-dessus de la base de Payerne: entraînements des figures individuelles à moyenne altitude. Mardi probablement basse altitude à 10:00 et 15:00.

Hornet Display training this week (25-29.03.2019) over Payerne airbase will be : Tuesday 10h00 & 15h00 medium altitude Wednesday 10h00 & 15h00 low altitude Thursday 09h45 & 15h00 low altitude Friday 08h40 medium & 10h20 low altitude See you there 

No Display Training 27/28th of March !

Good News for tomorrow Friday:

Tomorrow Friday 2 trainings planned : 

08h40 medium altitude

10h20 probably first low altitude for this year😁

#swisshornetdisplayteam #swissairforce



New week, more fun ;)

Dés lundi, les entraînements de démonstration à basse altitude du Hornet Solo Display vont continuer au-dessus de Payerne:

Lundi 8.4 à 10h & 15h15. 

Mardi 9.4 à 10h & 15h15. 

Vendredi 12.4 à 14h. 

Les horaires des entraînements peuvent être adaptés à tout moment sans préavis.

#swisshornetdisplayteam

#swissairforce

Demain mardi 9.4 deux entraînements du Swiss Hornet Display Team au-dessus de la base de Payerne:
10:00 Full show (programme beau temps, 3D)
15:15 Flat Show (programme mauvais temps, à plat)

Demain vendredi 12.4 à 13h30 (⚠️ nouveau timing): entraînement du Swiss Hornet Display Team au-dessus de Payerne pour la «Journée des Parents de l’école de recrue d’aviation».

Dernier entraînement avant les vols de validation du 18.4.

#swisshornetdisplayteam

#swissairforce

Next week, Thursday, the Patrouille Suisse training course starts in Emmen. Team 2019 is looking forward to a great season! ------------------ Programm Trainingskurs (p. 2): https://buff.ly/2YoAY14

Super Puma and Hornet Display Team Schedule for 2019

The shows are risking getting famous ;)

Super Puma Display Team

Hornet Display Team

The return of the Fighters

After a month in central Switzerland, the active Hornet and Tigerfleet came back to Payerne this morning. Payerne was closed due runway maintenance, a fate now the runway in Emmen will have for one month.
Patrouille Suisse and the Pilot School on PC-21 are also operating out of Payerne, some Infos for the flightschedule in the coming days:


Swiss Air Force's Hornet Display Team

En août le SWISS HORNET DISPLAY TEAM sera visible à divers endroits en Suisse

03.08.2018
Payerne Airbase (VD)
08:45 & 13:45 (horaires à confirmer)
2 entraînements en remplacement des “Fêtes de Genève” annulées
24.08.2018
11:15 Dittingen (BL) : Dittinger Flugtag
17:00 Villeneuve (VD) : Acro Show
25.08.2018
14:00 Villeneuve (VD) : Acro Show
17:00 Dittingen (BL) : Dittinger Flugtag
Les démonstrations à Villeneuve comprendront des Flares si les conditions le permettent.

Patrouille Suisse

Vom 10.08 bis 11.08.2018 Flugvorführung
LW | Display Teams | Rapperswil-JonaSeenachfest Rapperswil-Jona 2018
Vom 17.08 bis 19.08.2018
Flugvorführung
LW | Patrouille Suisse | GachnangMXGP Switzerland 2018
Vom 23.08 bis 27.08.2018
Flugvorführung
LW | Patrouille Suisse | Radom (POL)Polish Air Force's 100th Anniversary Celebration
Vom 30.08 bis 01.09.2018
Flugvorführung
LW | Patrouille Suisse | Flughafen ZürichErlebnistage 2018

Super Puma Display Team

Swiss Air Force's PC-7 Team

Swiss Air Force scrambled for British Airways July 5th

Last thursday, two Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornet on QRA duty had to scramble for flight BA610 due missing radio contact of the flight.

Source: http://avherald.com/h?article=4bac50fa&opt=0

Swiss QRA called Luftpolizeidienst24 (LPD24) is based in Emmen this month. The following picture shows the contrails of the 'EYEBALL' visiting the intercepted aircraft - in this case a Portuguese Air Force Falcon Businessjet - and the 'SHOOTER' a few miles behind for cover a few days ago:

Revue Militaire Suisse with the yearly Aviation Special Edition

Beginning mid last year, I've scanned some old negatives and diapositives for the yearly aviation edition of swiss magazine Revue Militaire Suisse, a french speaking magazine about military tactics, history and future developments.
In the actual magazine you can find some of my pictures and text about the russian strategic bomber force (past and future), the last repetition courses of Turtmann Airfield with F-5E Tiger II 2002/2003 and an article about the German Naval Aviation and the actual status of the Tornado Fleet in our northern neighbour country.
Together with my fellow co-Authors Peter Lewis, Loïc Roulin, Lionel Charlet and Pascal Kümmerling you will find many more nice pictures and articles like Air-to-Air shots of our Air Force and the famous Papyrus Hunter too.
It's a must have for your personal aviation corner ;)

http://www.revuemilitairesuisse.ch/fr/

Summer break in Payerne

A month earlier then other years, the Swiss Air Force is flying out of Emmen for a month. Meiringen and Payerne are closed down for Runway repairs and/or touristic reasons.

Some shots from Payerne I've taken the last few weeks ...

Also the new special colour of the Swiss Air Force Hornet Fleet, J-5017, has left Payerne for Emmen. Picture via  Julien Meister/VBS

From the aircraft carrier to the mountain base - french Rafale's visiting Meiringen tomorrow 20th

EDIT June 21st - scroll down to see yesterdays pictures ;)

Nearly one year after there last visit, french Marine Nationale Rafales visiting Meiringen again tomorrow. The Fighter Squadron 11 and Flottille 11F are good buddys in the NATO Tigers Association.

Flottille 11F on Rafale M and based at BAN Landivisiau is a full member (since 1979) of the NATO Tigers Association. Created in October 1921 it is the oldest and most prestigious squadron in the French Marine Nationale, flying the famous Dassault Super Etendard in the past.

Hope to catch them better than last year this time ;)

Some of my pictures of those 'KIMONO's (Callsign) made in Meiringen on June 20th:

Lineup in 1200px

 all but one made the same pictures and one Rafale had to stay due technical problems