25-26 January 2018 - Meiringen airport
This year has renewed the traditional date of late January with the World Economic Forum in Davos, like all the years, the Swiss Air Force were involved in security flights to the seat of this important conference.
The missions of MIL-CAP (Military-Civil Air Patrol) this year were held, later in Payerne 2016 (see which) and Sion in 2017 (see which), from the base of Meiringen and followed the protocol tried and tested over the years. The Hornet took off and landed without a break from morning to solution 08:00 the evening at 20:00, making sure that 2 aircraft were always in flight, ready for action. Anche l’armamento “live” portato in volo era quello già visto negli anni scorsi: Hornet with a 2 Sidewinder AIM 9X e 2 Slammer under the vents, addition to the tank ventral. The other, instead AMRAAM left, aveva un pod AN/ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared (ATFLIR), used as IRST for recognition at the sight of the distant target. On the tank, in plain view, and bright red, the international emergency frequency Contact (however, now present throughout the year). Probably the Vulcan cannon ammunition drum was full of board. Note that at least one of the flare dispenser was full.
in 2 days of presence on the track are rotated the following machines:
Mc Donnell Douglas F/A 18 Hornet:
F/A 18D: J5238
F/A 18C: J5010 – J5011 (Special Color) – J5012 – J5013 – J5015 – J5016 – J5019 – J5026
Northrop F 5E Tiger II
J3073 (Special Color) – J3081 (Patrouille Suisse)
Pilatus PC 7
A913 – A925
Pilatus PC 21
A101 – A105 – A106 – A107
Clearly only the Hornet were dedicated to MIL-CAP (including the two-seater, regularly reinforced as the others) while other aircraft were engaged in training flights and had no weapons.
This year the particularly clement weather did not allow us to photograph planes in the particular scenario, usually, this season, snow (as it had happened in previous years, see which, which and which). Even the temperature, to be the end of January, It was particularly clement.
Meiringen is still one of the best places for aircraft spotters: in the 2 days when I was on board track are counted tens of movements, with the ability to resume from different positions, with absolute liberty of movement and without any obstacle. A must for all military aviation enthusiasts.
To you photos
