Swiss Air Force by Grimmi

Due the temporary closure of Emmen and Meiringen during summer, nearly all available aircrafts are now in Payerne. I had the chance to test Nikon's new D5100 DSLR, amazing what this little body can do

Filmed in HD

I can proudly present the Swiss Air Force's PC-7 Team in the new coloration - welcome to 'The golden PC-7 Team'  

Ha - Got'ya

It's of course no new coloration in memory of Col Gaddaffi's Gold in our Banks - but due the late evening display over the lake of Murten we had some very special effects to enjoy

 Link Wake & Jam

For the 20th and last time, the Aerotique-Association called in a RIO on the small airfield near the city of Fribourg. With the famous Catalina and the PC-7 Team of the Swiss Air Force they announced already two top acts - and both where there on time. And due to the good connections and perfect meteo, quite a lot of Oldtimers found their way to the land of Milk and cheese 

The official Flyer - very nice artwork of the Catalina

Swiss Air Force's PC-7 Team - Perfection and very nice weather. Formation in BIG

Followed by the 2nd Team with Pilatus-manufactured aircraft - the P-3 Flyers

I learned why this a/c received her name - Maule MX-7-235 Star Rocket - very impressive !

 And of course the big fish - the Catalina with a very nice crew 

Website: Aerotique

This Weekend is the International Airshow on the Airfield of Berne.

I love Berne - and you want to know why ?

Simple - I wanna feel younger some years Mirages on Low Level !!!

 With the Hunter you can win some more years of your youth

 And last but not least - the PC-7 Team !!!

Link: http://www.ibt11.ch

Already some time ago - but I had quite a lot to do the last weeks...

 The Hornet's where now already back in Switzerland.

 Today there where the first Low level Trainings 2011 in Payerne. For his 2nd year as Display Pilot, Ralph «Deasy» Knittel made already an impressive show. You can enjoy him during those airshows listet:

SWITZERLAND

Dübendorf 25.6.
Mollis 9.7.
Dittingen 20.8.
Môtier 3.9.
Sion 16.-18.9.
Axalp 12.-13.10.


EUROPE

Cambrai (F) 14.-15.5. 
St. Dizier (F) 18.-19.6.
Zeltweg (A) 1.-2.7.
Koksijde (B) 6.-7.7.

Some impressions from today

Not that I can say I was not on a airbase lately, but the time to prepare my different homepages is not crowing from trees ....

But this video I've got to put online as fast as possible - it was incredible ! Have fun, and yes - my april-fool of this year was the Heavy Utility Helico on the last post - the vehicle was lifted by an Super Puma of course

Switzerland uses the so called Miliz-System in the Army, meaning the big part of our Army are not professionals. That means each Guy has to make a so called 'Rekrutenschule' (recruiting school) of 18-21 weeks before he can be called a soldier. After this School we have to solve each year 14 days of Army Service for some years - seven times with school of 18 weeks and six with 21.

During each school the recruits can present themself to their family and friends. This photo report is from the Family day of Fl RS 81 at Payerne.

 Heavy Utility Helicopter EC635 !!!

 Quite a difference if you know the cockpit of the Alouette III - the latter only in static

Also not visible regularly is the auxiliary tank of the Super Puma/Cougar with 475 Liters. It can be installed in the cabin.

 Super Puma Display Team - they rock !!!

And yes, 1st of April is near ... somewhere in this post I've made a small improvement with Photoshop 

Normally, the pilots of FlSt 8 fly's with Airbus around the world - but from time to time they change in the Fightercockpit af the famous F-5 Tiger II ! Enjoy some pictures from Sion on 16th of February

If you can see more than one wheel then you are drunk ! Or not

 If you wanna see Tigers - and only Tigers - then Sion is the place to be !

04th February 2011

During a short visit yesterday I've made some nice shots with sun and blue sky. Hornet '009 shows you the fascinating mechanism of gear recovery. Note also the very clean doors.

With a little luck, one of the Hornets made some technical errors during startup and the pilot had to change into the spare-aircraft for the mission - the special decorated J-5018

 During there mission over the canton of Wallis I had time to catch some Helicopters. No more Alouette III in duty of the Swis Air Force means more Eurocopters in Payerne - here T-358 and 366 on the Tarmac.

In the background an interesting sight - two Hunter's and a not modernized PC-7 ! 

Hunter J-4003 was used for training the mechanics - but missing a lot of parts and better not to be seen from near . The other two aircrafts belonging to the Museum Clin d'Ailes.

And with the returning Hornets I was also leaving. C u next time

Saturday, 29th January

Oh yes - after nearly a week in the fog, the sun came back also to Payerne. But the first departures where again in the fog

The Sun came with the Tigers - here you can see 'the Which' during taxiing for the flight behind the seven mountains 

J-5005 in BIG (1400px)

A Picture possible during WEF nearly every hour at X:40h LT - Hornets and Tigers taking off for their mission.

Tiger J-3030 also in BIG (1400px)

 I was standing there again 'till late in the evening. But with very good company with some of the best photographers in Swiss Military Aviation Photography it's never too cold to go home

Friday, 28th January

Each year at the end of January, when you can see hundreds of photographers/Spotters hanging around Swiss Airfields, it is time for the WEF. Not a Fan of civil aircrafts, Grimmi can be found on the actual military base supporting the WEF - this year it's Payerne (LSMP).

Also for the pilots it must be a special kick to see so many 'Powerlovers'  around the field - this year I've seen people from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy and from the United Kingdom ! Apart from all the Swiss Fanatics of course

J-5023 departs Payerne in the early morning for another mission over Davos.

 The Tiger-Hornet of Fighter Squadron 11 was also transferred to Payerne - unfortunately he had technical problems and so not seen flying with real ammunition.

The Hornets flies with Live Ammunition,  AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120B Amraam. Training Rounds have Blue stripes, Live ones Yellow.

 Three of the Hornets where flying with the new ATFLIR-Pod

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Swiss Tigers flies with AIM-9P5 Sidewinder

 Sorry Folks, end of the pictures from Friday - but Payerne is ready and tomorrow you can find here some pictures from sunny Saturday !

Like every year,  some people called themself 'World Leaders' held a summit high up in the Swiss Alps. Davos is the name of the small city and for the security of that group of politicians and CEO's the Swiss Air Force installs a temporars 'No Fly-Zone' in the area.

This year the Fighters, including F-5 Tiger and F/A-18 Hornet, are flying out of Payerne for the summit.

Today 'till Monday nearly every traffic around Davos is quite forbidden and the Fighters are flying with real armament (canons loaded, AIM-9P5 (F-5) and AIM-9X (F/A-18) Sidewinder, AIM-120B Amraam (F/A-18)). Our F-5's are flying during daytime from 0800-1800h, and the Hornets during Day and Night.

I've managed to catch some regular traffic in Payerne last Monday - not yet armed but on Training Missions above Davos. Have Fun with my Pictures !

The Swiss AF's Cessna Citation played a 'Targed' for an exercise above Davos

Finally - after nearly a half month of xmas holiday the action had begun again on 3rd of January. And because of Ice on the runway in Meiringen, Fighter Squadron 11 had to fly also from Payerne for some days. Remember, the runway in Meiringen receive no sunlight in between November 'till February - too many mountains around.

In this movie I tried to show you the 'Mirage-Feeling' every older Swiss Guy is talking 'bout when you ask him for the nicest memories with Swiss Air Force's fleet. For the script I used some Preparation/Take-Off and Taxi-shots of former Jet Bases Dübendorf and Buochs too - but also the real action on Axalp shooting Range in between 2000 'till 2009. Don't forget that I'm a Photographer - Video is only a 'sidekick' - and I do not have the real expensive material there. Enjoy some real Fighters like the Mirage III RS in their natural habitat