Wunstorf (ETNW) 2024

[Herby]

LTG 62 flew some 10.000 hours in 2023 and for 2024 12.000 are planned.

For the future, after all 53 A400M will be delivered 20.000 hours should be flown in one year.

[Herby]

As Kommodore Oberst Christian John will leave the wing shortly he made his last flight as LTG 62´s Commanding Officer in a A400M on 9.1. Oberst Markus Knoll will take over command ot the wing.

In the morning of 10.1. for the change of command ceremony the following aircrafts arrived obviously with the COs of their respective units:

55+02 C-130J BATS Rhin/Rhein
15+04 A.321-231 FBS BMVg
44+61 Tornado IDS TLwG 33
31+39 Eurofighter GS TLwG 73
31+38 Eurofighter GS TLwG 31
D-HDDL EC135P2+ operated by MFG 5
D-HNHX EC145T2 operated by HSG 64

Also making a short visit was NH90TTH 79+38 of THRgt 10 obvisously dropping the regiment´s Kommandeur from Faßberg.

[Herby]

To bring back THRgt 10’s Kommandeur NH90NTH 79+35 landed after noon.

[Herby]

A400M 54+21 will return to LTG 62 in the next days from Airbus Hannover, after maintenance. It is still in it’s „Air Defender 2023“ colours.

54+44 departed some time ago to the USA for intensive tests of the new drogue air-to-air refueling unit. It will not return until late-January.

[Herby]

A400M 54+21 was delivered as planned to LTG 62 and will fly in it’s special colourscheme until entering another check in April. Then it will loose it.

[Herby]

Late on 30.01. LTG 62 A400M 54+44 returned from NAS Patuxent River after trials to refuel US Navy Super Hornets and Growlers to get a clearance to serve this new aircraft types in the future.

21 different A400M were avtive in January 2024:

54+03, 54+05, 54+06, 54+08, 54+10, 54+13, 54+17, 54+20, 54+21, 54+22, 54+23, 54+27, 54+28, 54+30, 54+32, 54+34, 54+37, 54+39, 54+41, 54+43 and 54+44.

[GIPS]

Any clue about the 54+01?

[Herby]

54+01 will return hopefully in April.

[Herby]

On 19.02. TLwG 31 deployed twelve out of a planned fourteen Eurofighter (two went u/s) at short notice to three different bases.

Wunstorf got TALON 01 to 04 with 30+52, 31+34, 31+38 and 31+53, six further went to Laage and two to Neuburg.

[Herby]

The first ever visit of a Armee de l’Air A330MRTT Phénix was made on 27.2. by 042/F-UJCH of ERVTS 01.031.

[Herby]

Planned new arrival for LTG 62 on 1.3. should be A400M 54+45 while 54+11 is also planned to return from maintenance at Sevilla.

It is also carrying the centerline-HDU.

[Herby]

After departing to Manching on October 26th 2022 for C-Check together with retrofit A400M 54+07 arrived back at Wunstorf on March 7th 2024.

[Herby]

This week the last flight of A400M 54+21 in special „Air Defender 2023“ markings will occur, as it will enter a heavy maintenance period.

54+42 should be delivered to LTG 62 in April.

[Herby]

A400M of LTG 62 noted here on 11.04. until noon were:

54+04 (crew ferry to Getafe for 54+33 which should arrive later from maintenance), 54+07 (departed to Near East), 54+10 (replaced the mission of 54+36), 54+13 (to Manching), 54+31 (arrived from USA), 54+32 (a/a refueling to/from Poland), 54+36 (to Estonia, but returned with a problem) 54+41 (to Africa) and 54+44 (a/a refueling). 54+03 will later arrive back from Crete.

54+21 departed to Manching on 09.04. for maintenance and to loose its special „paint“.

[Herby]

As the local press wrote on Monday, 08.04. IntHubschrAusbZ from Bückeburg is using Wunstorf with five helicopters this week for some late/night flying. Unfortunately the weather was not too good until mid of the week.

Noted taking off one after another after 13.00h on 11.04. were EC135T1 82+51, 82+52, 82+55 and 82+54. The fifth should be 82+60 which took off in the morning.

They all should have arrived late on 08.04. or 09.04.