Meppen Range 2015

[Argus 01]

Exercise EMBOW will take place at the Meppen Range in october, duration 3 weeks. No more info yet....

[Thijs]

Nice one! Last editions at the meppen range saw some extra activity at Wittmund, including foreign fighters. Also some helicopters were noted at the heliport near the range.

[AK01]

Found Notam :
E2564/15 - ED-R34 SECTOR C (MEPPEN) ACTIVE. GND - 5000FT AMSL, OCT 12 - OCT 15 DAILY 0600-1500,
OCT 16 0600-1200, 12 OCT 06:00 2015 UNTIL 16 OCT 12:00 2015. CREATED: 20 AUG
07:26 2015
E2563/15 - ED-R34 SECTOR C (MEPPEN) ACTIVE. GND - 5000FT AMSL, OCT 05 - OCT 08 DAILY 0600-1500,
OCT 09 0600-1200, 05 OCT 06:00 2015 UNTIL 09 OCT 12:00 2015. CREATED: 20 AUG
07:25 2015
E2562/15 - ED-R34 SECTOR C (MEPPEN) ACTIVE. GND - 5000FT AMSL, SEP 28 - OCT 01 DAILY 0600-1500,
OCT 02 0600-1200, 28 SEP 06:00 2015 UNTIL 02 OCT 12:00 2015. CREATED: 20 AUG
07:22 2015
So perhaps related to Embow XV, if so from 28 September till the 15th of October.
Regards Pieter,

[68-0037UH]

EMBOW is a MANPAD exercise. That's why it is held at a range full of telemetry and other equipment, like the WTD91 range or the Biscarosse range. During the 2009 edition i went to the Meppen range. Expect aircraft to fly low over the range and drop tons of flares, for those into photography it might be challenging..... In 2012 they held a Manpad exercise at the range and best chances then were somewhere at the road between Sogel and Lathen although they were fairly high then (Eurofighter and A320). You might get a little closer if they don't close off the road to Stavern over the Sprakelrn Heide (ignore all the signs, only stop when the road is really closed by a barrier)... In 2009 i saw the Italian NH90 parked at the Heliport, but photography hasn't improved over the last years since a lot of new trees have been planted there....I have never seen a helo land there, but it seem their approach is from the east so that might be good news for photographers....
Just my 2 cents

[Argus 01]

Found Notam :
E2564/15 - ED-R34 SECTOR C (MEPPEN) ACTIVE. GND - 5000FT AMSL, OCT 12 - OCT 15 DAILY 0600-1500,
OCT 16 0600-1200, 12 OCT 06:00 2015 UNTIL 16 OCT 12:00 2015. CREATED: 20 AUG
07:26 2015
E2563/15 - ED-R34 SECTOR C (MEPPEN) ACTIVE. GND - 5000FT AMSL, OCT 05 - OCT 08 DAILY 0600-1500,
OCT 09 0600-1200, 05 OCT 06:00 2015 UNTIL 09 OCT 12:00 2015. CREATED: 20 AUG
07:25 2015
E2562/15 - ED-R34 SECTOR C (MEPPEN) ACTIVE. GND - 5000FT AMSL, SEP 28 - OCT 01 DAILY 0600-1500,
OCT 02 0600-1200, 28 SEP 06:00 2015 UNTIL 02 OCT 12:00 2015. CREATED: 20 AUG
07:22 2015
So perhaps related to Embow XV, if so from 28 Septmeber till the 15th of October.
Regards Pieter,

The centre of the Meppen Range where a/c can drop bombs/flares is EDR 34-A. The area mentioned in the NOTAM is EDR 34-C, the eastern part of the Meppen range where lot's off villages are situated and a/c are not able to drop anything. Maybe they will use EDR 34-C as a holding for the "real" range. Was there also a NOTAM about EDR 34-A in the same period? The man I spoke on the WTD-91 open house last Saturday told me that the EMBOW exercise will take place in the EDR 34-A area.

[AK01]

M1207/15 - DUE TO MIL EXERCISE EMBOW 2015 INTENSIVE TRAFFIC HAS TO BE
EXPECTED ACCORDING VFR IN VMC WITHIN FOLLOWING AREA:
530228N0071227E-530314N0074320E-523148N0074517E
523037N0070004E-523832N065956E-ALONG GE/NL BORDER TO
530228N0071227E EDR ARE EXCLUDED. GND - 5000FT AGL, MON-THU 0600-1500,FRI
0600-1200, 28 SEP 06:00 2015 UNTIL 16 OCT 12:00 2015. CREATED: 07 SEP 09:09 2015

[Sjoerd]

Maybe unrelated, but yesterday saw an Italian C-130J at Wittmund. In the past editions Italian helicopters have been noted before. Any news yet on any participants?

[Oscar01]

Italians will operate out of WTM, Spanish and Czech out of Norvenich

[68-0037UH]

EHLW will most likely see French participants. Any news on type of a/c involved ?

[Oscar01]

Czech L-159s
Spanish eufies
Italians unknown
French 2000s

[Sjoerd]

Noted today (saturday) on the helipad; 85+12 CH-53GS HSG64

[Sjoerd]

According to reliable source on Panoravia Messageboard, today also saw 2x AB.412 Royal Norwegian AF and 1x CH-47 Spanish Army.

Any clues on where these helicopters reside (Bentlage, Diepholz)?

[belenos]

According to reliable source on Panoravia Messageboard, today also saw 2x AB.412 Royal Norwegian AF and 1x CH-47 Spanish Army.

Any clues on where these helicopters reside (Bentlage, Diepholz)?

I think the NOW's arrived Monday afternoon at Meppen, so they might be their for some days.

[AK01]

According to reliable source on Panoravia Messageboard, today also saw 2x AB.412 Royal Norwegian AF and 1x CH-47 Spanish Army.

Any clues on where these helicopters reside (Bentlage, Diepholz)?

Flugzuegforum reports CH-47D HT.17-19/ET-419 yesterday afternoon over Köln in a southern direction, so i guess he went home.
It looks like most participants of this week (Czech and Spanish at ETNN, and choppers in Meppen area) are going home.
Perhaps next week will see new participants, (Roumours Italians at Norvenich) and my guess is perhaps Italian choppers in the Meppen area.
Also read that Sweden will participate with helicopter(s) and an aircraft form F7 (S100 /TP84?), so perhaps these will show up somewhere as well.
Previous editions also involved New Zealand C130 (out of Nordholz), haven't seen anything from them, but you'll never know.
Pieter

[erik_kamphuis]

Norwegian Bell.412 141 and 163 stayed overnight and I photographed them easy from the fence this morning while the sun rised at 07.45h
Unfortunately no Chinook, but that one left Meppen yesterday around 16.00u...
So far this morning a FAF C-160 and 1 AME EF-2000....

Erik