-Seen at Andravida during the short spotterday on 1 October:
-2x Rafale B EC4 (flew)
-2x Rafale B EC30 (flew)
-2x Rafale C EC30 (flew)
-4x JAS39C Hungarian AF (flew, more in shelterarea?)
-4x F-2000A AMI (flew, one each from each Stormo)
-6x F-16C Polish AF (four flew)
-5x F-16AM Portuguese AF (four flew)
-5x EF-2000/ 1x EF2000T Ala 11 Spanish AF (four flew, more in shelterarea?)
-5x JAS39C/1x JAS39D Swedish AF (flew, more in shelterarea?)
-5 x F-35A LN (flew, more in shelterarea?)
No Romanian F-16s, Italian F-35s or US Navy Hornets seen. Greek participants seem to fly from other bases than Andravida. It seems the Phantoms are not participating (five on big ramp; one went out on a testflight, another one flew a normal mission).
Only one wave (13:30-16:30) flown during daylight hours. Second exercise wave is in the dark. Only spot during the spotterday is the position in front of the tower (so sun in your face until 13:00ish). 'Luckily' only the two Phantoms flew in the morning.
The group of roughly 150 spotters and tourists got kicked off the base before 16:00 as an LN F-35 returned with an emergency but landed safely. A half hour before the group was also instructed to keep the cameras down as the Hungarian Gripens taxied past and two Greek Rafales performed an overshoot.....
Only one wave (13:30-16:30) flown during daylight hours. Second exercise wave is in the dark. Only spot during the spotterday is the position in front of the tower (so sun in your face until 13:00ish). 'Luckily' only the two Phantoms flew in the morning.
The group of roughly 150 spotters and tourists got kicked off the base before 16:00 as an LN F-35 returned with an emergency but landed safely. A half hour before the group was also instructed to keep the cameras down as the Hungarian Gripens taxied past and two Greek Rafales performed an overshoot.....
Really? Are MHRC Gripens that secret?
Ben Scramble member, reader & contributor since 1984
The "order" to put the cameras down was released when the USAF F-35 declared the emergency, but it was still 30 min away from the airport. When the local security realized that it was not coming in shortly, they recall the photo restriction. When the F-35 actually arrived and landed (using the hook and wire arrest as it apparently had a hydraulic issue), the airport was closed for 2 hours waiting for Usaf technicians to remove the stuck F-35. All remaining aircaft were diverted to Araxos base and all spotters were removed from the base after the mishap.
HAF aircraft operated from nearby Araxos base as there was not enough space for them at Andravida.
The lack of space at Andrivada is somewhat surprising. In the past we have seen Iniochos exercises with a similar or even higher number of aircraft and those were all operating out of Andravida.
SquAdmin wrote: ↑04 Oct 2024, 15:14
The lack of space at Andrivada is somewhat surprising. In the past we have seen Iniochos exercises with a similar or even higher number of aircraft and those were all operating out of Andravida.
Absolutely true, there would've been enough space for more units, especially because the Romanian F-16s and the French Mirages had cancelled before.
Also on Iniochos exercise (e.g 2021) HAF fighters operated from Araxos.
I suppose security restrictions around the USAF detachment limited available space.
Operating from their home base are Italian and French tankers, Romanian F-16s (not at Araxos it seems?) and the RAF RC-135 out of Souda. Today a USAF KC-135 is pinging in the same area. Not sure if it's also operating out of Aktion or home/elsewhere, may not be part of this exercise but the timing can hardly be coincidental.
Rumours are the AMI F-35s are also taking part, from their homeplate.
Noted straight from the camera, apologies up front for any typos. This in sequence of recoveries, which is slightly different than the order in which they took off (not much). The lone Greek Rafale was a surprise. It seemed no emergency was declared, maybe it had trouble with the A2A refueling.
Trabanti wrote: ↑09 Oct 2024, 13:04
And the ramps are pretty full here, the comment about space might be correct.
Still room for six jets across from the Polish F-16s, next to the Rafales. The five Portuguese F-16s are parked at the small ramp between the large ramp and the runway that normally holds 12 jets. The four Italians are parked at the ramp that held seven Tornado jets during Iniochos 23.
Plenty of room Probably the beddown plan was decided on many moons ago, before cancellations started coming in. The Turkish, for example, only cancelled their participation on the Monday evening before the exercise started.
Let's hope the 2025 edition of the exercise at Leeuwarden will see fewer cancellations!
Trabanti wrote: ↑09 Oct 2024, 17:54
The lone Greek Rafale was a surprise. It seemed no emergency was declared, maybe it had trouble with the A2A refueling.
It received a large tail sticker for the RAFL media day static display.
What does morning mission mean? 2x F-4E had T.O. 9:00 and landing around 9:45 during Check in. When was flying the Rafale on Gripen in the Morning? In RF Mission from 13:30 was Not 22-5684, 20-5596 was in the Mission, the same for the Rafale 152/30-VE was not the Mission it was 366/30-SO with it.
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Probably the beddown plan was decided on many moons ago, before cancellations started coming in. The Turkish, for example, only cancelled their participation on the Monday evening before the exercise started./luftwaffe.gif)
