Hi Ernesto, spoke to the pilot when he filed his flightplan. According to him "the PH-ELP was on maintenance and the D-HHTS is the spare Lifeline helo"
M2101/07 - RWY 24L 06R CLSD. 07 JAN 07:00 2008 UNTIL 25 JAN 15:45 2008. CREATED: 12 DEC
10:12 2007
M2053/07 - NO PRACT APCH, STRAIGHT IN FULL STOPS ONLY. JAN 08-09 15-16 0700-1545, FEB 12-13
0700-1545, 08 JAN 07:00 2008 UNTIL 13 FEB 15:45 2008. CREATED: 03 DEC 13:39 2007
Some additions, in the period of 7-25 Jan runway 24L-06R will be closed, so only runway 24R-06L will be in use. And during daytime no practice approaches, but during night-time operations practice approaches are allowed.
VOLKEL THURSDAY 2007-06-14 (mainly)RW24
Weather: blue sky, later increasingly cloudy, long sunny spells, clear
air, light wind, very warm, some thunderstorms in the distance
Super Etendard M 11 F 6 L17:07*
Super Etendard M 11 F 25 L17:08*
A-10A 81stFS 81-952/SP y L17:15
A-10A 81stFS 81-988/SP y L17:17
Rafale M 12 F 10 L15:56+
Rafale M 12 F 5 L17:50+
VOLKEL SATURDAY 2007-06-16 RW24
Weather: scattered/broken clouds, long sunny spells, one heavy
thunderstorm at late afternoon, clear air, mostly light wind, mild
Local flights and aerial displays:
SA.316B 300 Sqn A-247 T11:42 L12:02 ax
SA.316B 300 Sqn A-301 T11:52 L12:02 ax
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SA.316B 300 Sqn A-292 T13:34 L15:13 ax
SA.316B 300 Sqn A-247 T13:35 L15:14 ax
(these three Alouettes performed various local flights almost all day long)
Hunter F.58 SAHF SE-DXI T13:32 L13:42 a/d
Hunter F.58 SAHF SE-DXM T13:32 L13:42 a/d
(these two ex-Swiss Air Force Hunters were former J-4073 and J-4082 respectively)
PC-7 131 Sqn L-07 T13:55 L14:00 a/d
F-16AM 313 Sqn J-055 demo c/s T14:30 L14:42 a/d
EF-18A+ Ala 12 C.15-45/12-03 T14:43 L14:56 a/d
CM.170 1 Wing MT35 T14:57 L15:12 a/d
F-16AM 2 Wing FA131 demo c/s T15:15 L15:20 a/d
NF-5B 134 Filo 4005/05 demo c/s T15:30 L15:55 a/d
NF-5A 134 Filo 3027/27 demo c/s T15:30 L15:55 a/d
NF-5A 134 Filo 3016/16 demo c/s T15:30 L15:56 a/d
NF-5B 134 Filo 4019/19 demo c/s T15:30 L15:56 a/d
NF-5A 134 Filo 3039/39 demo c/s T15:30 L15:56 a/d
NF-5A 134 Filo 3042/42 demo c/s T15:30 L15:56 a/d
NF-5A 134 Filo 3013/13 demo c/s T15:30 L15:57 a/d
NF-5A 134 Filo 3055/55 demo c/s T15:30 L15:57 a/d
(these eight NF-5s formed the "Turkish Stars" display team)
Hunter T.8C DHHF N-321 T16:06 L16:21 a/d
F-16AM 313 Sqn J-055 demo c/s T16:07 L16:12 a/d
Chinook HC.2 18 Sqn ZA670/- T16:22 L16:32 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E135/1 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E158/2 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E75 /3 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E41 /4 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E117/5 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E160/6 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E165/7 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
Alpha Jet E EPAA20.300 E163/8 demo c/s T16:45 L16:55 a/d
(these Alpha Jets formed the "Patrouille de France" display team)
Additional movements (departures):
CH-53G Heer 84+73 T13:42
Hunter F.58 SAHF SE-DXI T15:26
Hunter F.58 SAHF SE-DXM T15:26
L-39C Apache Avtn ES-YLX T15:38
L-39C Apache Avtn ES-YLS T15:38
L-39C Apache Avtn ES-TLC T15:38
L-39C Apache Avtn ES-YLI T15:39
L-39C Apache Avtn ES-YLP T15:39
L-39C Apache Avtn ES-YLF T15:39
(these L-39s formed the French privatly owned "Breitling Jet Team")
Rafale M 12 F 10 T17:51
Rafale M 12 F 5 T17:54
SA.316B 300 Sqn A-247 T18:02
SA.316B 300 Sqn A-329 T18:02
SA.316B 300 Sqn A-292 T18:26
CH-47D 298 Sqn D-102 T18:07
AS.532U-2 300 Sqn S-442 T18:17
Super Etendard M 11 F 6 T18:08
Super Etendard M 11 F 25 T18:09
EF-18A+ Ala 12 C.15-45/12-03 T18:15
EF-18A+ Ala 12 C.15-60/12-18 T18:15
PC-7 131 Sqn L-12 T18:24
PC-7 131 Sqn L-07 T18:24
PC-7 131 Sqn L-02 T18:26
CM.170 Private F-GSHG T18:32
(notes: once again, the ‘KLu Open Dagen’ proved to be one of the most important military aviation events in Western Europe. In spite of a reduced quantity and quality of visiting aicraft compared to previous years, some patience and good luck made up for quite an interesting experience.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain forecasted for the arrival day plus closure of the spotters corner were not the best preconditions for a successful trip. Luckily, it stayed almost dry all day and good organization of the Spotting Group Volkel allowed me to participate in the spotters day with access to the base. There, quite a lot of patience was required until some really impressive multi-ship hardware could be logged: first the Spanish EF-18s performing breath-taking overshoots before landing, than another couple of Swiss Hornets. Two German Tornados and two Dutch Cougars were of interest too as were some single-ships of East European aicraft. After a very fast walk ahead of the official base closure, the real highlights were observed outside the base: a second Rafale, two Super Etendards and two A-10s.
As I had missed the Air Power Demo so far and due to the other aviation event at Geilenkirchen I took the risk and made another trip to Volkel on the Saturday in spite of the bad weather and the large crowds and traffic problems expected. Luckily, thanks to a very friendly Dutch family, I could park my car on private ground not far from the Runway 24 approach and spent some interesting hours quite undisturbed outside of the base together with my little son. Also, thunderstorms stayed away from the airbase until finally putting a fast end to the display of the Patrouille de France.
Highlights of this day included the mass-launch and base-attack of 15 based F-16s plus operations of two Dutch AH-64s, two CH-47s and two Cougars as well as the Turkish Stars and Hunter pair displays and departure of the Breitling team. A very nice surprise were quite a lot of departures witnessed after the thunderstorm and end of the airshow: two French Rafales and Super Etendards, two Spanish F-18s, three Dutch Alouettes and three PC-7s. All in all, some good spotting work rewarded by quite an nice log!)
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