I will never forget my first day, back in 1995, when seeing 63(!!) different aircraft in a single day (RAF Tornado's, RAF Harriers, GAF Tornado's, USAFE A-10's, USAFE F-16's and BAF F-16's) all using the range between 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00. But also French Jaguars, Mirages F.1, Mirage 2000D & N and Dutch F-16's were frequent visitors and observed many times. In the nearly 80 times I visited the range, which is some 30km NE of the former Twente Airbase (a near 2 hour trip by bike each way), the range almost never dissapointed. Most spectacular remained the strafing Warthogs
With the dramatic defense cut backs since the end of the Cold War and the change of geographical politics / threats, along with noise / environmental complaints from locals, the current Nordhorn range presents just a small shade of what it once was. Under RAF control some 15.000 movements were logged annually. In 2019 those numbers dropped to just 860! Typically you will find Büchel and Jagel Tornado's visiting the range, and an occasional variation of RNLAF F-16's as well as Qinetiq PC-9's, GFD Lj.35's and A-4's of Top Aces. However, don't expect large numbers. Seeing an average of 2-4 aircraft at a single day is already quite a good day, considering the range is also known to be "cold" for several days a month.
Even with the entry of the digital photo era and having a car now, I haven't really tried "shooting" myself on the range before, but I did some research and found some spots which I wanted to try. On April 27th and May-6th I tried my luck at several vantage points and I thought of sharing these here, as not much has been published before on this forum. For more info, you can also visit the Flugzeugforum.de, as there are quite a few active spotters around there. Luckily the range is seeing a slight increase again in activities, and with the Tranche4 update on Eurofighters as well as the likely procurement of the Super Hornet, the range may see some more action in the future.
On with the show:
Welcoming sign near the camp area.
Main entrance
2nd tower, along the Ems-canal. From these towers (a total of 3 towers mark the northern border of the range) scores are being registered and passed on to the crews.
The official viewing area, but views into the sun unfortunately.
44+70 of TLG33 Büchel was the first movement I got on Kingsday. Low and dirty from the North, wings fully swept for a BDU-33 attack on target 1 (most eastern target).
Another run, same target, slightly different track.
After 4 runs, the crew switched to performing loft bombing. Pulling up the aircraft about 1km from the target, dropping the bomb in the climb and breaking hard to the right.
His wingman joined the pattern too after some delays to get airborne.
These pictures were all taken just south of the B213, which runs North of the range. After a long wait, a Tornado ECR was noted in the late afternoon, but that one remained at 13.000ft performing dry (simulated) bomb runs only. Needless to say that was somewhat dissapointing, but that is the risk.
A second visit was made a week later. Luckily there was a FAC-excercise ongoing, which meant a better chance for more traffic. Whilst driving up the Boerschupper Dijk (a vantage point Southwest of the range) a flight of two Büchel Tornado's was just about to enter the range.
The target of interest was Target 3, which lies somewhat middle on the range complex. The flight track runs clockwise and the attack run starts at a heading of between 080-110 degrees to the East. Unfortunately the current regulations and flight path have changed a little, meaning drops are often from higher altitudes and taking pictures remains challenging from this vantage point, even in the digital photo era.
46+10 of TLG33, pulling up for the drop.
The flight also performed some strafing runs on cloth panels, which are now also positioned in the middle of the ramge complex. Those used to be in front of the first tower (at the camp entrance). That was somewhat dissapointing, but the long missed sound of the 27mm Mauser cannon made up for it.
Not much later a flight of two Tornado ECR's relieved the 2 Büchel Tornado's. These were also working with the FAC's in the field and performing bomb runs on simulated SA-6 sites as well as on a simulated convoy (shipping containers in real life).
46+23 of TLG51 from Jagel, pulling up after a drop on target 3.
Immediatly after the lunch break, a Qinetic PC-9 showes up and performed nearly 1,5 hours of simulated runs.
Another flight of Büchel of three Tornado's showed up shortly after the PC-9 left. They were using target 1 & 3, as well as the strafe panels.
44+61, turning away over the range after a loft drop.
44+61 again in "hot" using the 27mm.
46+22 also using the cannon
44+70 with all bombs still underneath. It was manned by an Italian exchange pilot.
With a 400mm on a 1.6 crop camera, it still requires some heavily cropping and editing. So I do hope you like the report, despite the image quality, and maybe catch you there one day.
