two times 25 - Grimmi is now 50 Years

 Yes, those years went by unnoticed and I will be there in 50 years still I hope 🎉

Limited edition batch with many themes included - and some pictures made in those years of those legends om the sky or on railroad tracks, nature and cyvling/hiking

Flight schedule Payerne 2026

 

Yes, guests from France whould be a very welcomed thing again - but there are more chances for F35 Fightes in 2026 in preparation of the future flight activity. Who knows ... anyway, you waited a long time for the flight schedule 2026 and here it is 👍

Final Call FlSt 17 - December 09th, 2025

With the new Fighter F-35 there is also a new organisation needed, Swiss Air Force will have only two squadrons in the future.

Fighter Squadron 11 needs its status for the Nato Tiger Association, so it is the Squadrons 17 and 18 wh will be transmorphed in the new Fighter Squadron 35 (equals 17+18).

The day of the dissolution began bright and sunny, until I arrived in Corcelles Village just near the Payerne Base. Fog, Fog and did I say it already ? Fog.

Lucky me I was able to see some movements , other photographers only heard them. Lucky us - the event will be repeated in better conditions next year - if possible.

Flight schedules 2026 - Meiringen and Emmen

The end of the year means always a new schedule too - this year Meiringen and Emmen where the first to publish them 💕

Flight schedule 2026 - Emmen (LSME)

Flight schedule 2026 - Meiringen (LSMM)

YORKNITE 2025 - annual migration of Swiss Air Force's Hornet for Nightflying

 

Like every year in mid-November, our Hornets migrates to the north for regular nightflying exercises above the training areas of the north sea. It began with Sweden and Norge, since a couple of years it's now in the UK Yorkshire area with the RAF Leeming as host.

Helvetic Airlines will be arriving for transportation/logistic purpose with the Embraer E190 HB-AZE as SUI591 today sunday evening to Payerne, scheduled departure tomorrow monday at 0900h Local Time to Leeming.

Some photos from earlier exercises out of my archive

The most switzerland train ? Chocolate and Fondue !

More Switzerland is not possible !

Swiss Railway TPF (Transports publics fribourgeois) painted (ok, foiled) three older RBDe 560 “Domino” 3 Trains in typical swiss design:

Callier Chocolat Express: 235 and 245
Fondue moitié-moitié: 242

 
Today 242 and 235 where put together on the regular service in between Bern and Broc Fabrique (Caillier Chocolat Facility that you can visit)

Patrouille Suisse above Autigny - June 27th, 2025

This year there are not many aviation events in my area, but with the withdrawal of the Tiger F-5 Jets in the near future I've taken one of the Patrouille Suisse Displays in my area very serious.

Giron de Jeunesse de la Sarine

Patrouille Suisse will end in 2027, if they will fly further on another aircraft type is not sure yet. No F-18 or F-35 Jet anyway.

Hoher Kasten Airshow 2025, Mai 30th

 After last years one-night visit in Appenzell due my biketrip from Fribourg to Schaffhausen it was clear - I've got to revisit this area again. So I planned one week in Appenzell, this time the Fully EMTB was taken with.

One of the booked visits was the training day to the Airshow Hoher Kasten, a 1794m high mountain  above the Rhein River and at the border to Lichtenstein, Austria and Germany near the lake of constance. The aircrafts are flying around the peak, sometimes a bit lower for nice pictures.

Hoher Kasten: https://www.hoherkasten.ch/en/

Appenzell Tourism: https://www.appenzell.ch/en/home.html

The event and the location was well organised, only the traffic jam on the cable cabin because of very much people with this nice weather was a bit a downfall and a lot of people missed the last public transport to the railway. We informed the organisators and this will not happen again.

The price for the cablecar is quite high, also for Switzerland. I was happy to have the Appenzeller Holiday Card of Appenzell Tourism (if you are booking your stay for more than 3 nights its included), with many goodies like free transport in the area and on Hoher Kasten, Ebenalp and Kronberg mountain.

Next time I will probably bike up to Kamor/Trestenkopf for the Show 🚵

More Power for RAFALE

 

In an surprising move, SAFRAN announced a 20% thrust improvement to the M88 engines on Rafale Fighter Jet

As far as I remember, Dassault Jet's like Mirage III, Mirage F1, Mirage 2000 and Rafale have never seen an improvement of the engine thrust in there service live. Once installed, nothing will be made - never change an working system.

Until now - the French Doubledelta Fighter will receive new engines called M88 T-REX with 20% more thrust and maximum compatibility to the actual M88 engine. The upgraded engine will be implemented on Rafale Standard F5, beginning in 2030.

First user will be the French Navy, with 12 Rafale F5 Marine in the 6th command for delivery in between 2030-2034. India will receive there first Rafale M in 2028, actually it's not clear if it will also be F5 standard - expected is an integration as fast as possible. 

External changes to actual Rafales are expected on the air inlet. With the production of more electricity on the new engine, internal systems can be optimized and improvements on radar, electronic countermeasures and other systems are possible. The F5 version has a lot of internal improvements already, for example another wiring and more capable computers and systems. Rafales of the future will be the 'old' F4.1 and the new F5 type - the new engine can be used on the old version (possibility exists, but it's not planned for French Armed Forces yet) but some other modifications of the F5 standard are not possible.

The new engine will also be of interest for Gripen and Tejas - especially to cancel all US parts in those aircrafts.

Link: https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/safran-unveils-higher-thrust-version-m88-future-rafale-upgrades-2025-06-17

Be aware - be very aware .... somebody is watching you

When you travel - especially by bike or by foot and in a forest - you can bet that you've been seen. The other way around ? Sometimes you catch some specimen, and when the autofocus of your camera is not jammed then the small possiblility exists of an catch of the day 👏

Introducing - the Little Owl (Athene noctua, Steinkauz)

21-23 cm, 140-200g