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

exJordan F-5 Tiger II receives glass cockpit - in TacAir service

What a bummer .... Swiss Air Force always blocked modernisation of the cockpit of our 'obsolete' F-5 Tiger II combat aircrafts. They prefer to sell them cheap to the US Navy and Marines Corps and buy new fighters.
Now the US TacAir company includes a Garmin G3000 flight deck and boosts the capacity of 21 ex Jordan Air Foce Fighters into 21 century ....
TacAir has modernised there fleet of Tigers already with Duotech’s purpose-built Nemesis Aggressor Radar, Argus RWR gear, Mason HOTAS, Tailored Mission Computer, and Upgraded Wiring allowing Integration of Multiple Tactical Systems. They are used for Aggressor/Adversary Support, JTAC Training and Fighter-Lead-In Training.

Garmin public release
TacAir

VFR-Guide Switzerland shall not be used for operational briefings

Due multiple errors and/or possible misinterpretations, the official VFR-Guide for Switzerland shall not be used for operational briefings actually. Skyguide will inform soon.

pdf (german) via aeroclub.ch


Links:
Federal Office of Civila Aviation FOCA
Skyguide VFR Guide

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:

Air2030: Request for new aircrafts to Government Offices of Fighter Aircraft Manufacturers submitted

Dassault's Rafale is one of the european competitors for Switzerland's new fighter aircraft

Bern, 06.07.2018 - The handover of the first offer request for new fighter aircraft to the government agencies of the producer countries has taken place. armasuisse expects the offers until the end of January 2019. Official link (german)

Saab Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon are the other two european candidates. Offers for Boeing's Super Hornet and Lockheed's F-35 where also requested. All Types will be tested in Payerne Mai 'till July, 2019.

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

23/24 june 2018: Rencontre Internationale d'Oldtimers - RIO 2.3, Ecuvillens (Fribourg)

The program of the airshow some kilometers from my doorstep is very nice again - and with two Display Teams of the Swiss Air Force, Hornet and PC-7 Team !

PC-7 Team

21 Std. · Instagram · 

RIO 2.3 #ecuvillens and @rockthering are you ready?

We are flying next weekend in Ecuvillens at the oldtimer airshow.

Come and see us next friday 14:15lt in Ecuvillens. It's a training together with the #swisshornetdisplayteam 💪. And at 19:05lt in #hinwil @rockthering 🤘.

Saturday at 19:05lt in Hinwil @rockthering 🤘.

Sunday we are flying again in Ecuvillens at 15:30lt.

#pc7_team #pc7team #avgeeks #airdisplay #swissness #fa18hornet @armee.ch

official homepage

Pictures

THE airshow without cords - you can touch nearly everything

the official SURPRISE was the fabulous P-51 Mustang

11'000 visitors where enjoying the sound and the weather

SURPRISE No2 and not in the program - one of the biggest birds in europe, the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) ! He took my attention during display of the Messerschmitt Me 108 Taifun

The fabulous Corsair of La Fêrte Alais in France

SURPRISE No3 and not in the program too - the world's biggest aircraft, the Antonov AN-225 on the way to Dakar !!!

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