Publisher:AirShowsReviewLLC.

Contributingmembers:
NorthAmerica:SteveHornetBigg,NormanGraf,
Europe:PeterThivessen,WolfgangJarisch,RayPace,RobertKysela

Additionalcontributesforthisissue:TakashiShinodaandYoshiakiWakana

The Aviation Magazine formerly The Magazine is published six

times a year. It is available for a FREE download from our website
www.TheAviationMagazine.cominAcrobat.pdfformat.Wearedevotedtocovera
widerangeofaviationeventsrangingfromairshows,airbasevisits,militaryex
ercises,civilianspotting,pilotandveteraninterviewsallwithexceptionalphotog
raphy. The Aviation Magazine is leader in the emagazine format
since2009,bringingexclusiveinterviewsandfascinatingreportstoourglobalavia
tionenthusiastdigitally.

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Advertising:Pleasecontactusatinfo@theaviationmagazine.com

Copyright 2014 Air Shows Review LLC. The Aviation Magazine name and web
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andtextualworksusedinthispublication,arethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.

Change is good! Sogoesthesaying,andwiththisissuewehave!Wechangedthenameofthemaga

zine to The Aviation Magazine, to reflect more what we are all about, not just about air
showsbutamuchwiderfieldofaviationinterests.

Wealsochangedlocationandmanagement,fromNewYorktotheGreaterTorontoRegion,namelyMissis
sauga. Additionally, we consolidated our staff of contributing photographers, with more changes coming
laterthisyearorearlynextyear.Thewebsitewasupdateddatedtoreflectnotjustthenamechangeto
The Aviation Magazine,buttoreorganizeitwithasleekerinterface.

In this current issue we have a great variety of reports and images from our staff covering not only air
showsandairbasevisitsbutseveralmilitaryexercisessuchasthelargestoneintheworld:the24thBien
nialRIMPAC2014.Twentytwonationsparticipatedwith49ships,includingseveralaircraftcarriers,6sub
marinesandmorethan200aircraft.

ForthoseinterestedincivilianairlinerswehaveaselectionofspottingimagesfromMalta,thatfeatures
rarelyseenliveriesinNorthAmerica.WealsosplitourcoverageoftheRoyalInternationalAirTattoo,aka
RIAT,intotwopartstogiveamuchbettercoverageandfromdifferentcontributorstoourmagazine.

InournextissuewewillhaveRIATpart2,aswellasanexclusiveridewiththeBreitlingSuperConstellation.
Visit our new site www.TheAviationMagazine.com to sign up for free notification when the next issue is
available.Wewillhaveadditionalsurprisesaswell!Sostayconnectedwithus!

The4thMarrakechInternationalAerospaceExhibitionandAirShowwereheldfromApril23rdto26th under
thehighpatronageofHisMajestyKingMohammedVIonthemilitarysectionoftheMarrakechMenaraair
port.TheshowwasorganizedbytheIECGroupundersupportoftheFRA(ForcesRoyalesAir=RoyalAirForce
Morocco)andotherofficialinstitutionsofMoroccoandtheRoyalAirMaroc.

Afteronlythreepreviousevents,theMarrakechAirShowbecamethetopcontendermeetingplaceforthe
civilandmilitaryaerospaceindustryontheAfricancontinent.TheleadingAircraftEquipmentManufactures
alongsideasignificantnumberofBusinessAviationServices,CommercialAviationandtheDefenseIndustry
participatedinthe4thbiennialMarrakeshAirShowtoestablishanddeveloptheirbusinessrelationshipson
thegrowingAfricanmarket.

TheshowopenedonApril23rd,bythePrimeMinisterAbdelilahBenkirane,inthepresenceofhighranking
governmentandmilitarydelegationsalongsidetheCEOSandemployeesoftheexhibitorsandvisitors.

TheopeningceremonywasfollowedbyaparadeofamilitarybrassbandandflypastoftwoSA330FPumas,
eachwithoneflag(theMoroccanflagandtheAirShowLogo)underthefuselage.

NextcameashortflyingdisplaywithvariousformationsofaircraftfromtheRoyalAirForceofMoroccowith
onlyoneflyby.ThemostinterestingformationwaswhenaKC130HtankerflewbywithtwoNorthropF5s,
dockedontherefuelingsystem(thisisrarelyperformedatairshows),andtwoMirageF1MsandtwoF16s
beneath.AfirefightingdemowasperformedbytwoCanadairCL415thatusedwatercoloredwithdyeto
enhancethevisibility.ThehelicopterdemosconsistedofasingleAgustaBell205,andacombinedattack
demo with four AB206Bs and four SA. 342L Gazelles. The Moroccan Marche Verte and the Spanish
PatrouilleAguilanationalteamscompletedtheflyingprogram.

The real show of course was not performed in the air, but it was on the ground: conducting business. Em
braer,oneoftheworldsleadingexecutivejetmanufacturers,broughtacompletefleettoMarrakech,from
thePhenom300,Legacy500tothenewexecutiveflagshipLieneage1000.

DassaultpresentedtheirlargecabinandlongrangeFalcon7X,whichisaverysuccessfulseries.About200
ofthistypeenteredserviceinthepastsevenyears,and70oftheminAfrica.

TheFrenchmanufacturerLHAviationshowedtheirfirstcompletelyinMoroccoassembledaircraft,theLH
10MEllipse.Thistwinseaterlightaircraftcanbeusedinawiderangeofmissions.IngeneraltheAfrican
continentisamarketforsmallaircraftwithmultiroleusebyPolice,Militaryorotherinstitutions.

ForthepotentialmilitarycustomersAleniaAeronauticabroughttheirlightgunshiptheMC27Jwithsidefiring
ATKguninstalledattheexhibition.ThisisaveryfastRollOn/RollOffweaponsystem.ATKstatedthat,the
MC27Jisnotjustagunship,itisabattlefieldtestedplatformequippedwithprovenmissionsystem.

AgustaWestlandbroughttheirnewAW139MwhichisinservicewiththeItalianNavytoMarrakech.Agusta
Westlandhas200ofthistypeofhelicopteronorderforvariousAfricangovernmentsandcommercialcustom
ers.BechcraftpromotedtheirupgradedversionoftheT6,theAT6whichhasthesamemissionsystemasthe
F16. This aircraft attracted many visitors. The Chinese manufacture CATIC (China National AeroTechnology
Import&ExportCorporation)hadalargestandintheexhibitiontopromotetheirrangeofproducts.Thefocus
wasonthe1:10scalemodeloftheirmultiroleUAVWingLoongIbymanymilitarydelegations.TheUAVcan
beusedfordifferentmissionshowever,CATICdidntwanttoreleaseanyfurtherinformationtothepress.The
EuropeandefensemanufacturerMBDAshowedmodelsoftheprovenMICAmissileswhichcanbecarriedby
theMirageF1,RafaleorMirage2000s,alsoaversionoftheExcocetMMBlock3ontheirstand.

ThestaticdisplaywasdominatedbyalltheaircrafttypesinusebytheRoyalAirForceofMorocco,theGendar
merieRoyal,andtheMoroccanNavy.TheonlyforeignmilitaryvisitorinthestaticdisplayareawasbytheUSAF
withoneC130JandoneKC135R.

The Magazine would like to express our thanks and sincere appreciation to the Media and Communications
organizationoftheIECgroup,andtoAmalfortheoutstandinghospitalityandassistance.

2014PeterThivessen

(4)MirageF1Ms2014WolfgangJarisch

Andthebandmarcheson...

2014PeterThivessen

MICA missiles 2014WolfgangJarisch

2014WolfgangJarisch

AirtoairrefuellingdemowithaKC130and(2)
F5ETigerII,(2)MirageF1Mand(2)F16,
above.CanadairCL415waterbomberbelow.

AgustaBell206BinthefrontwithanSA342L
Gazelleinbackground2014WolfgangJarisch

2014WolfgangJarisch
2014PeterThivessen

TheMoroccanMarcheVerte
TheSpanishPatrouilleAguila

TravisAFBinvitedthepublictoitsfirstAirExpoand
OpenHousesince2011ontheweekendofMay34.
The base is the largest in Air Mobility Command,
withtheactiveduty60thAirMobilityWingandthe
AirForceReserve349thAirMobilityWingproviding
airlift, air refuelling and aeromedical evacuation
anywhereintheworldinamatterofhours.

Thunder Over Solano allowed hundreds of thou

sands of people to visit the base, see its assets up
close, interact with the many dedicated Airmen,
and watch an air show with a broad spectrum of
aerialactsandperformers.Thetwodayeventfea
turedflybysoftheresidentC17,KC10andC5s,a
brief tactical demonstration by the F16, the Heri
tage Flight composed of the F16 with a P51, the
US Army Golden Knights parachute demonstration
team, a number of civilian aerobatic performers,
and finally the USAF Thunderbirds. Sadly, Sundays
showwasmarredbythetragiclossofoneoftheair
showcommunitysmostadmiredperformers.

Theexpansiverampwasfilledwithawideselection
ofaircraftonstaticdisplay.LocalTravisstatics,the
C17GlobemasterIII,KC10ExtenderandC5BGal
axy,werelocatedatbothendsofthetarmac,witha
B52 Stratofortress located right at show center. A
nice collection of Boeing 707 derivatives, namely
the KC135R Stratotanker, E3 Sentry AWACS and
RC135 Rivet Joint, were lined up together on the
southendoftherunwaynexttotheTravisaircraft.
All of the large aircraft except the Stratofortress
wereopenforviewing,drawinglonglinesofvisitors
eagertoexplorethecockpits,marvelattheexpan
sivecargoholds,andclimbdownintothetailofthe
tankerstopeerthroughthewindowsattherearof
theaircraftandgetaboomersviewoftheworld.
The Heritage Area featured quite a few warbirds,
theP51MustangJellyBellyandtheB25Mitchell
Tondelayoamongthem.FighterAlleycon
tained a complete lineup of current USAF

fighters, namely the F15 Eagle, F15E Strike Eagle,

F16FightingFalconandF22Raptor,withtheA10
ThunderboltIIthrowninforgoodmeasure.Fillingin
theremainderoftheapronwasanicecollectionof
USAFtrainerandsurveillanceaircraft,includingaU
2DragonLadyfromnearbyBealeAFB.

TheUSArmysparachutedemonstrationteam,the
GoldenKnights,startedofftheairshowbyjumping
in the US flag as the national anthem played, then
put on their full demonstration. A parade of
heaviesleftnodoubtaboutwhatwasupnext,as
the resident C17, KC10, C5B and a C5M Super
GalaxyfromDoverAFBtaxiedbyincloseformation.
Theyquicklytooktotheskies,takingoffsteeplyand
banking sharply to return and pass in front of the
crowds.ThesuperiorperformanceoftheSuperGal
axy compared to the C5B was remarkable, taking
off in a much shorter distance and climbing more
steeply. The distinctive whine of the Galaxys en
gines was noticeably absent from the modernized
C5M.TheC17andSuperGalaxysoonlanded;the
KC10 and Galaxy departed for an aerial refueling
training mission which would take them north to
Oregon before returning for a flyby and landing
later in the afternoon. Maj Mark Juice Whisler
fired up the crowd when he took off using after
burnerintheF16.Althoughhedidnotperformthe
full tactical demonstration that was the norm in
years past, he did make several high speed passes
andgeneratedenoughjetnoisetoexcitethemany
spectators. He was soon joined by Charlie Tuna
Hainline,flyingtheP51DMustangBumSteer,for
theHeritageFlight.

SpencerSudermanandBillCornickputonindividual
aerobaticperformancesintheirPittsbiplanes,then
latercompetedinanAcroracewheretheyracedto
complete the same set of routines side by side in
the sky. As Rex Pemberton descended in his wing
suit,hiswifeMelissaPembertonflewcirclesaround

him in her Edge 540.

Melissa then per
formed a very im
pressive aerobatic
show, including her
doubleribbon cut.
Inthismaneuvershe
first flies between
two
r i b b o n s
stretched between
thesamesetofpoles,
returns to fly under and cut
thelowerribbonwiththetailof
heraircraftandfinallyfliesoverand
cuts the upper ribbon in an inverted
attitude. Steve Stavrakakis put on a
graceful display in his Romanianbuilt IAR
823 and Kent Pietsch amused the spectators
with his usual routines in his bright yellow Inter
state Cadet. Greg Wired Colyer flew his T33 Ace
Makerthroughaseriesofpowerfulmaneuvers,dem
onstratingwhytheShootingStarwasonceusedbythe
Thunderbirds.

Early in the day Eddie Andreini performed an excep

tional aerobatic routine in his recently acquired and
restoredP51DMustangPrimoBranco.Thelongtime
air show performer was wellknown and revered in
the air show community. The International Council of
Air Shows (ICAS) presented him with its Sword of Ex
cellenceAward,thehighesthonoranairshowpilotcan
receive,in2004.LastyearEddiewasinductedintothe
ICAS Hall of Fame. Tragedy struck later in the after
noon during his Stearman routine. While attempting
hissignatureinvertedribboncut,thebiplaneimpacted
the runway. He did not survive the crash. Officials
quicklysecuredtheareaandcancelledtheremainder
of the air show; Open House visitors were requested
to leave the base. We left shocked and deeply sad
dened.

We would like to express our thanks and sincere

appreciationtothe60thAirMobilityWing
Public Affairs Office in particular 1st Lt Jessica
Clark, for their outstanding hospitality and assis
tanceduringtheAirExpoandlookforwardtore
turningunderbettercircumstances.

EddieAndreiniinhisStearman,beforehisfatal
accidentabove,theC5MSuperGalaxylanding
inthemiddleandaB52H,below.

MajMarkJuiceWhislerintheF16C

KentPietsch,InterstateCadet

MelissaPembertoninherEdge540

HeritageFlightP51andtheF16C
C5MSuperGalaxy

May1st,2014

AerialrefuelingisanintegralpartofUSairpower,andtheKC10Extenderisthelargestandmostcapable
tanker in the Air Forces inventory. The 59 Extenders in the USAF are based at Joint Base McGuireDix
Lakehurst,NJandTravisAirForceBase,CA.AspartoftheoutreachactivitiespriortothisyearsThunder
Over Solano Open House and Air Show, media flights were arranged for members of the press. We were
privilegedtobeinvitedtoridealongonarefuelingtrainingmissionandobservethemembersofTeamTravis
in action. In addition to the media representatives, a number of airmen were also participating. These
incentiveflightsareofferedasarewardtoindividualsforexemplaryperformance.Wewereingoodcom
pany.

Our day started with a briefing at 08:30 by Lt Col Thad Middleton, Commander of the 9th Air Refueling
Squadron.TwoKC10swouldbetakingoffinquicksuccession,onefromthe9thARS,theotherfromthe6th
ARSfollowingaminutelater.WeweretoproceedtoclearedairspaceinsouthernNevada.Therewewould
rendezvous with three F35s and refuel them. We would then be meeting up with the Thunderbirds who
weretoformateontheleadtanker.Thunderbird#7wouldbejoiningustotakesomepictures,afterwhich
theywouldberefueling.FlyingfromNellisAFB,theThunderbirdswouldspendroughlyanhourengagedin
orientationflightsaroundTravisAFB,soitwasimportantthattheyhavesufficientfuelfortheirmission.Yes
thisisamediaflight.Itisanincentiveflight.Butwhatwe'redoingtodayisoperational.Wedothesethings
operationally:whetherit'sformationanchorAR,receiverAR,tankerAR.Allthesethingsyougettoseetoday
arethingsthatourguysdoandtraintosowecanactuallyexecuteitintheAORoronanoperationalmis
sion, explained Lt Col Middleton. He then turned the safety portion of the briefing over to the sharpest
boomoperatorIhaveinthe9thAirRefuelingSquadron,SergeantDurham.Allthesethingshe'sgoingtotalk
aboutarethingsIdonotexpecttoseetoday.Buthe'sgoingtohaveyouprepped,briefedandreadytogo.
At09:00weproceededtothetarmacandmadeourwayuptoKC10A,850033.Wewereonceagainbriefed
on the safety procedures and allowed to tour the plane before takeoff. The aircraft was arranged in the
Deltaconfiguration,meaningithadextrapassengerseatsinstalled.Inadditiontoitsrefuelingcapabilities,
the Extender can also transport up to 75 people and nearly 170,000 pounds of cargo a distance of about
4,400milesunrefueled.Wecanloadcargo,carrypassengersandtakejets.Wecanmoveanentiresquadron
atonce:fighteraircraftwiththeirpersonnel,theircargo,theirmaintenanceequipment.That'swhatmakes
usuniquecomparedtotheKC135ortheC17andC5thatcanonlytakethecargo.We'reaonestopshop.
That'swhatmakesussogreat,explainedSSgtMikeDurham.Behindthepassengersectionwastheexpan
sivecargohold,whicheveninthisconfigurationcouldstillhold145,000poundsofequipment.Theonlyre
quirementonthecargoisitmustconformtothecontourofthefuselage.Ifitfits,itsits.

Bythenitwastimetogetreadyfortakeoff.ThepilotincommandwasCaptainBenMiddlebrooksofthe9th
ARS,andthecopilot,orrightseat,wasCaptainColinEamesofthe6thARS.Becauseofthecomplexityin
volvedinloadingcargoandtransferringfuelbetweenthemanyfueltanksinboththefuselageandwings,the
KC10crewincludesaflightengineer,ajobperformedbyTSgtBrianFowleronthisflight.Ijoinedthetrioin
thecockpit,takingtheseatnormallyreservedfortheboomer.Wetaxiedoutontotherunwayat10:05.Af
terrotating,weclimbedsteeplyandbankedleft,providinganiceviewofthebaseandtheTravisHeritage
CentersMuseumofMilitaryAviationHistory.Welevelledoffat24,000feetandstartedourlegtoLakeTa
hoe,afterwhichweproceededsoutheasttoourrefuelinganchor,AR625H,locatedjusteastofDeathValley.
OnceinthepatternpairsofmediaandairmenwereallowedtoproceedtotheAirRefuelingOperatorSta
tion,orARO,locatedattherearoftheaircraft.UnlikethecrampedquartersoftheKC135,whichrequires
theboomertolieonhisbelly,andobserverstosimilarlyreclineandcontortthemselvestogetaviewoutthe
smallwindow,theAROoftheKC10isquitespacious.Theboomersitsinacomfortablypaddedchairfacing
backwards. On either side is a similar chair for an instructor or observer. There is a large, flat
windowfacingaft,providingawidefieldofviewnotonlyoftherefuelingboombutalsobroad

Oneithersideofhisseatisajoystick,similartoafighteraircraftstick.Theboomeractuallyfliestheboom:
left, right, up, and down with the right hand joystick, while the left hand extends and retracts the boom.
SinceI'mflyingbackwardsIsayleftwhenImeanrightandrightwhenImeanleft,explainedSergeantDur
ham.

Onceintheanchor,webegantoflyourpattern.Sinceseveralaircraftwerescheduledforourtanker,we
weregoingtoemploythefighterturnon.Rightontime,asmalldotinthedistancegrewandapproached
ourplane.ItwasntlongbeforeitbecameclearthatthiswasthefirstoftheF35sweweretorefuel.Excite
mentgrewasthestealthyfighterapproached,maneuveringintopositionevenaswewereinabankingturn
at300knots.SergeantDurhamsmoothlyextendedtheboomtotheopenrefuelingreceptacleontheLight
ningIIanddockedit.8,000poundsoffuelweresoontransferred.Asthefighterundocked,SergeantDurham
turnedtomeandsaidthatsthefirsttimeIverefueledtheF35.Itcouldnthavebeendoneanybetter,
provingthatareceiverisareceiver.Thelevelofprofessionalismwasquiteimpressive,oneonlyachieved
bycontinuoustraining.Toldthattherewerephotographersonboard,theLightningIIpilothungaroundfora
while,approachingcloselyforafewmorephotosbeforedeparting.Itwasnowtimetoreturntothecabin
andallowotherstoenjoytheexperienceofseeingtheneweststealthfighterintheUSAFinventorybeingre
fueled.

SoonenoughwesawtheThunderbirdsinthedistance,theirwhitefuselagesstandingoutoverthestarkde
sertlandscape.TheDiamondapproachedinformation,withthesolosquicklyjoiningthem.TheDeltaforma
tionsoonfilledthefieldofview.Ontheirleft(ourright),Thunderbird#7closedin.StaffSergeantLarryReid,
Jr.,Thunderbirdsphotographer,wasinthebackseatphotographingtheformationflight.MSgtErnestValles,
a Reserve boomer with the 70th ARS, raised the boom to give us an unobstructed view of the seven red,
whiteandblueF16s.JustthenitwasSmokeon.Inperfectunison,fivecontrailsstartedtorecedeintothe
distance.Smokeoffand#4and#7werenowheretobeseen:theyweresotuckedupintotheformation
thattheywerecompletelyhiddenbytheleadViper.Stillinformation,webeganournorthleg.Inthedis
tancewerethesnowcappedWhiteMountainsandSierraNevadas,separatedbytheOwensValley.Whata
sight!Afterthephotoshoot,theThunderbirdformationgracefullydispersed.TheysplitupbetweenGucci
09andExtender06torefuel.EachVipertookonroughly6,000poundsoffuel,slidinginfrombothright
andleftaswecruisedat310knots.Afterrefueling,theboomwasstowedandtheThunderbirdsonceagain
formeduponourKC10togiveusaprivateshowandengageinsomerandomARaswedraggedthemback
to Travis. Lt Col Middleton mimicked the captains voices in the commercial airliners heading towards Bay
Areaairports:Ladiesandgentlemen,offyourrighthandsideare2KC10srefuelingF16s.Oh!Ladiesand
Gentlemenit'stheThunderbirds!Noextracostforthisspecialshowtoday.Webeganourdescentandbeat
feetbacktobase.WehavetolandbeforetheThunderbirds.WewilldescendintoTravisinatwoshiparri
val.Thatsanoperationalnecessitytoexpeditethearrivaloftwoaircraft.Wewillhaveahalfmilespacing
with500feetstackedupwhencomingover.Welldoanoverhead,breakup,comebackaroundandlandon
twodifferentrunways.WeneedtogetofftherunwaybecausetheThunderbirdswillbescreaminginand
startdoing theirpractice.AfterlandingandexitingtheaircraftColonelMiddletonspokewitheachofthe
incentiveflightairmen,presentingthemwithasquadronchallengecoinandsomewordsofappreciation.We
thankedourcrewandheadedtowardsthesidelines:theThunderbirdswereonapproach.

Wewouldliketoexpressourthanksandsincereappreciationtothe60thAirMobilityWingPublicAffairs
OfficeandLtColThadMiddleton,Commanderofthe9thAirRefuelingSquadron,fortheiroutstandinghospi
talityandassistanceinarrangingthismediaflight.ThanksalsotothecrewofflightGucci09:CaptainBen
Middlebrooks(9ARS),CaptainColinEames(6ARS),TSgtBrianFowler(9ARS),SSgtMikeDurham(9ARS)and
MSgtErnestValles(70ARS).

Allimages2014PeterThivessen

WerereportingfromtheGreenShield2014exerciseheldattheNancyOcheyBaseArienne(BA133).
BA133hostedin2014thisrecurringexercisefromMarch29thtoApril17th.TheNancyOcheyAirBaseis
locatedinthenortheastpartofFrance,20kmsouthwestofNancy(whichisontheUNESCOworldheritage
list),neartothesmallvillageofOchey.

ForthefourtheditionoftheGreenShieldthepreparationbeganinthesecondhalfoflastyear,whena
SaudidelegationvisitedtheCDAOA(CommandementdelaDfenseArienneetdesOprationsAriennes=
AirDefenseandOperationsCommand)inParis

ThelasttimetheRSAF(RoyalSaudiAirForceorAlQuwwatalJawwiyaasSaudiya)participatedwiththeir
French counterparts was in 2009 at BA102 DijonLongvic. This was the third deployment for the RSAF to
Europeforthisexercise.ForthisthisyearsexercisetheSaudisbrought(6)F15Eagles(4xC/2xD)fromthe
2sqn from Tabuk, King Faisal Airbase, to France, ( 4) of them were former US Air Force aircraft based in
Europe.

TheFrenchcontingentoftheexercisewasmadeupof(4)Mirage2000Dfromthehostbase133,(6)Mirage
20005FfromBaseArienne116Luxeil,(4)RafalefromBaseArienne113St.Dizier.(2)AlphaJets,(1)E3F
and(2)EurocopterEC725R2Caracalwerealsoinvolvedintheexercise.

ThescenarioforthiseditionofGreenShieldwasthattheSaudiF15swouldintercepttheFrenchfighters.
Theexercisewasspreadoveratwoweekperiod,keepingbothpartiesverybusywithaminimumoftwosor
tiesperday.Inadditiontothedailyscheduledexercise,theFrenchAirForcecontinuedwiththeirdailyrou
tinewiththeirMirages2000D,basedatBA133.SIRPAheadquarteredinParis,organizedamediadayfor
MondayApril14th.Initiallytheweatherwasovercastbutsoonitclearedupandthephotographershadper
fect light conditions. For the afternoon a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) was scheduled with the EC
725R2 helicopters. After all the fighters returned to base in the afternoon, one of the Caracal helicopters
gaveabriefCSARdemonstration.Whenthisendeditwasasignalforallthemediaandspotterstoleavethe
BA133.Overallitwasanexcellentday.

TheMagazinewouldliketothanktheMediaandCommunicationsOfficerCapitaineLaetitiaLaGrandeand
herteamfromBA133NancyOcheyandtheFrenchpresscenterSIRPAinParisfortheirgenerouscoopera
tionandhospitality

RSAFF15C

FrenchMirage2000D

2014WolfgangJarisch

2014PeterThivessen

2014PeterThivessen

2014PeterThivessen

FrenchMirage2000F5,above
EurocopterEC725R2Caracal,topleft
FrenchRafaleB,toleftbotton
RSAFF15C,rightbottom

Allimages2014PeterThivessen

RSAFF15C,topandbottom

Clickonimagetodownloadouraffordablerates!


CannonAFBheldits2014OpenHouseandAirShowonMemorialDay
weekend, May 2425. Headlining the show were the USAF Thunder
birds and the USAF Academys Wings of Blue Parachute Team, but
what brought us to Air Commandos on the High Plains was the op
portunity to see the many Special Operations aircraft both in the air
andonstaticdisplay.

ThelargeweathersystemwhichplaguedtheUSovertheMemorialDay
weekenddidnotsparethehighplainsofeasternNewMexico.Infact,
the opening of the airshow on Saturday morning was postponed by
twohourstoallowastormsystemtoclear.Sundaydawnedclearandbrightandthegatesopenedassched
uled at 0800. Parking was as close as you could get, right on the tarmac. Security was conducted expedi
tiously,leavingplentyoftimetovisitsomeofthemanyinformationalboothssetupontheapron.Therewas
plenty of room along the very long flightline to set up folding chairs, and several free bleachers provided
someelevatedvantagepoints.ThestaticrampcontainednolessthanfourC130USAFSpecialOperations
variantsaswellasaC17GlobemasterIIIandKC135RStratotankerfromAltusAFB.JoiningthetwoAC130
aircraftwasthevenerableAC47,thefirstoftheSpookygunships.ItwasstrangenottoseetheThunder
birdsontheramp.TheovernightweatherhadbeenforecasttobesevereenoughthatallsixoftheF16shad
beentowedintoahangarforsafekeeping.Unfortunatelytheskiessooncloudedover,aharbingerofworse
weathertocome.TheUSAFAcademysWingsofBlueparachutedemonstrationteamtookoffinanMC
130Jbutwereforcedtoaborttheirjumpduetohighwinds.BillBraackdrewthecrowdincloseashelitthe
afterburnerontheSmokeNThunderjetcarandilluminatedhiscloudsofsmokewithtremendousflames.By
nowitwastheonlybrightpointleftonbase.Buthishighspeedflightdowntherunwaywasinterrupted
whenthewindsshiftedtoacrosswind.

The27thSpecialOperationsWingstartedtolaunchitsaircraftjustbeforenooninasteadyrain.Inclement
weatherisnohindrancetotheseAirmen,butmostofthecrowdhadbynow
soughtshelterunderthewings ofthelargeraircraftorintheopenhan
gars.IwastheonlyoneleftinthebleachersandIwasthankfulforthe
weathersealingonmycamerabodyandlens.Ihadtrav elled a
longwaytobethere,includingathreeandahalfhour
drivethroughthunderstormsandhailthedaybefore,
andIwasnotgoingtomissthis!TheCapabilities
Exercise simulated the rescue of a pilot downed
behind enemy lines and
being threatened
by ground troops.
It involved aerial
assets from a num
berofthespecialopera
tions squadrons based at Can
non as well as members from
therecentlyactivated26thSpe
cialTacticsSquadron.

AnMC130JCombatTalonIIsoonappeared,trailingitsrefuelingdrogues.ApairofCV22Ospreys,probes
extended,followedclosebehindsimulatinganaerialrefuelingmission.Bynowenemyforceshadtakenno
ticeofthedownedpilotandbeganclosingin.TwoAC130gunshipswhichhadbeencirclingabovetheclouds
nowdescendedthroughthelowceilingandbegancirclingthepilotsposition.Theirangleofbankandcon
stantradiusofturnmeantthattheirgunscouldbeconstantlyheldontarget.Theseattackaircraftareincon
stantdemandtoprotecttroopsonthegroundinAfghanistan,soseeingthematanairshow,evenonstatic
display,isveryrare.Seeingthemperformacloseairsupportdemonstrationisevenrarer.Havingboththe
workhorse AC130H Spectre and the testbed for its replacement, the AC130W Stinger II, performing to
gether was unique to this airshow. With the enemy ground threat eliminated, Airmen riding dune buggies
swiftlymovedintosecurethepilot,coveringhimcloselytomakesureitwasnotatrapusingadecoy.The
twocirclingOspreysnowswoopedintotakethetroopsonboardanddepartedthearea.

Bynowtheweatherhaddeterioratedtosuchanextentthatvisitorsshelteringinandunderthelargerair
craft were instructed to move to the hangars. Lightning strikes wererecorded within five miles and safety
wasparamount.TheU.S.AirForceAcademyBand,BlueSteel,performedinoneofthehangars.Theypro
videdwelcomeentertainmenttothecrowdswaitingforthestormtopass.

MostofthepeoplehadcometoseetheThunderbirds,soitwasfortunatethatthestormhadpassedbythe
timetheywerescheduledtoperform,leavingbehindblueskiesandpuffywhiteclouds.TheThunderbirdsdid
notdisappoint,puttingontheirusualhighenergyshow.Themoistureintheairprovidedlotsofvaporduring
theirhighgturns.Aftertheshow,themembersoftheteamcameforwardtoanswerquestions,signauto
graphs and pose for photographs with their many fans. Bill Braack was finally able to return for his high
speedrundowntherunway,providingentertainmenttothosewhodecidedtostaybehindandnotmakea
runfortheircars.

Despitetheweather,approximately25,000people,mostlyfromthesurroundingarea,turnedoutfortheair
show.Therainhadforceddeviationsfromtheoriginalparkingplansandasaresultlongdelayswereexperi
encedgettingoffbaseaftertheshow.Overall,theairshowandopenhousewasaresoundingsuccessand
hadastrongimpactonboththelocalsurroundingcommunitiesaswellasthevariousouterlyingcommuni
tieswhoseresidentstravelledtoCannontoenjoytheairshow,concludedCol.TonyBauernfeind,27thSpe
cial Operations Wing commander. The isolated location and limited list of performers made this an easy
showtooverlook,butbeingabletoseetheuniqueaerialassetsoftheUSAFSpecialOperationssquadronsin
actionmadeitworthwhileforthisreviewer.

Wewouldliketoexpressourthanksandsincereappreciationtothe27thSpecialOperationsWingPublicAf
fairsOffice,inparticularCaptAnastasiaWasem,fortheirhospitalityandassistanceduringtheOpenHouse
andtoalltheAirCommandosatCannonAirForceBasefortheirservice.

MC130JCombatTalonIIrefuelingMV22Ospreys
AC130WStingerII

MC130JCombatTalonII

MC130JCombatTalonII

The 3rd International Exhibition of

Weapons Systems and Military Equip
ment, KADEX 2014, was held from May
2225, 2014, in the beautiful city and
emerging metropolis, Astana, which is
the capital of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is
the ninth largest and the biggest land
lockedcountryonearth.Theeventtookpart
in the military section of the Astana Interna
tionalAirport.

The exhibition was opened on May 22nd with

the presence of highlevel Kazakh dignitaries,
includingSecretaryofStateAdilbekDzhaksybe
kov, Minister of Defence Serik Akhmetov
andFirstDeputyPrimeMinisterBakytz
han Sagintaev. After the parade of dif
ferent military music and brass bands
from various departments of the govern
ment and independent states the flag for
KADEX 2014 was hoisted and with that the
eventopened.

KADEX (Kazakhstan Defence Expo) has grown to

be an event for the Whos Who of the weapons
and defence industries. The international charac
terofthiseventisauniqueopportunityformanu
facturersandbuyerstostudyandinvestigatethe
market and bring a view in the future of military
technology.

SukhoiSu30SM2014WolfgangJarisch

2014PeterThivessen

Anotherlargeplaneinthe
outdoor exhibition was
the Airbus A400M Atlas,
beside the two Russian
top fighters, the Sukhoi
SU30SM and the MiG
35UB.TheSU30SM(first
flight of red 16 was in
February 2014). Also in
the static display were
two different versions of
the multi role transport
aircraftAntonovAn74.OnewasanAn74TK200andtheotheranAn74T200Amodel,bothareinservice
bytheKazakhstanAirForce.OneofthetwobrandnewCASAC295MfromtheKazakhstanAirForcewas
alsointhestaticdisplay.

Interestingforthevisitorswerethedifferenthelicopters.TherewereseveralversionsfromthefamousMil
familyinthestaticarea.ThenewMilMi171Einawonderfultwotonegreenandbrowncamouflage,andthe
oldermodelsMilMi17V5andMilMi171ShfromtheBorderService.TheEuropeanhelicoptersinthestatic
weretwodifferentEurocopterEC145s,butthehelicopterswerebuiltbyEurcopterKazakhstanEngineering
oppositeAstanaairport.TheUkrainiancompany,MotorSichhadanoldMilMi8whichwasupgradedtoa
MilMI8MSBondisplay.

Theotherforeignaircraftinthestaticdisplaywere
the US Hawker Beechcraft AT6 Texan, from the
CzechRepublicaZlinZ242LGuruandaLetL410
UVPE 20 (this aircraft wore a Russian registration)
andtheAustrianDiamondDA42Guardian.

Theflyingdisplaywasverysmall,butitwasanexhi
bition and was not an air show. Every day the fol
lowingflewinademonstration:theAirbusA400M
Atlas, and the 4++ generation fighter RAC MiG35
prototyp piloted by testpilot Stanislav Gorbunov
andnavigatorNikolayMurmilov.ThisMiGversionis
a derived of the MiG29K/KUB and MiG29M/M2
family.

2014WolfgangJarisch

Theoutdoorareawasdomi
nated by the worlds largest
helicopter, the Mil Mi26T
Halo,whichisinservicewith
the Kazakh emergencies
ministry. The helicopter re
ceived an upgrade to a T
modelafter20yearsinstor
age. It is definitely a huge
helicopter. The model on
displayhadtwointernalfueltankseachwith7500literscapacity.

2014PeterThivessen

2014PeterThivessen

MainsectionsoftheexhibitionKADEX2014were:

LandForcesandNavyweaponssystemsandmilitaryequipment
Aviationandaircraftweapons,airdefencesystems
Specialpurposeweaponsandequipment
ITtechnologiesandcommunications
Logisticandtechnicalsupportequipment.

Nearly300companiesfrom27countriesfollowedtheinvitationfromtheorganizertodemonstratetheirlat
estadvanceandtechnicalsolutionsofmilitarytechnology.Thismassofmilitarytechnologywasofinterest
to many ofthe visitors. And so official delegations from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO
membersArmenia,Belarus,Kazakhstan,RussiaandTajikistan/observersareAfghanistanandSerbia)aswell
asdelegationsfromIndia,Israel,Pakistan,LithuaniaTurkey,UkraineandtheU.Kcamealsoasambassadors
andmilitaryattachesfromAzerbaijan,Belarus,Germany,Russia,Ukraine,theU.K.,theUnitedStates,China,
France,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,India,Turkey,Lithuania,Poland,Italy,Iran,Romania,Pakistan,Canada,Bel
gium, Switzerland, Japan, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Spain, Greece, Austria, the Netherlands, Finland,
GeorgiaandSweden.

Insixpavilions,underfirstrateconditions,theexhibitorspresentedtheirproductswhichconsistedofavia
tionandaviationweapons,drones,airdefencesystems,informationtechnology,communicationsandlogis
ticssolutionsandtechnicalsupportfortroops,weaponsandequipmentforarmies,airforcesandnavies.The
Kazakhindustryhad80standsinthehallwaysforexhibition.Exhibitorscouldalsouseahugeoutdoorarea.
ThisyearseditionisthefirsttimefortheKazakhindustrytopresenttheiraerospaceproducts.TheTurkish
industryhadPavilion4foritsowntogiveanoverviewoftheirproductsextendingfromtheseatothespace.

AlsointhedailyflyingprogramweretheSu30SMfighterwhichwasbeingpilotedbythechieftestpilotof
Irkut Corporation, Hero of Russia, Vyacheslav Averyanov, and the head of department instructor pilot of
theStateAircraftStaffTrainingandOperationalTestingCenteroftheMinistryofDefence(Lipetsk),Lieuten
antColonel,AshotArustamov.TheSukhoiwasdefinitelythestaroftheshow.Thecrewdemonstratedeach
daytheuniquecapabilitiesofthisthrustvectorcontrolledfighter.Impressivealsothedailydisplaysofthe
powerfulAT6TexanandthebasictrainerZlinZ242LGuru.TheKazakhstanAirForceshowedhelicopterdis
plays from different types and formation flights or rather flybys of six Sukhoi Su27 M/UBM Flankers, five
SukhoiSu25FrogfootsandfourMiG29Fulcrums.

VisitorsandparticipantswitnessedaverypowerfulandnoisydemonstrationbyKazakhstansgroundforces
andairdefenceforces.Thescenariowasthatacombinedcommandoverwhelmedaterroristcamp.Different
helicopterswereinuseforthiscommandalsoastanks,militaryvehiclesandotherequipment.Lookingback,
itmustbesaidthatitwasafantasticandsuccessfulevent.Around45,000visitorscame,dailybusinesscon
ferences were organized (nearly 20 a day) and over the event contracts for orders and agreements were
signedinavalueofapproximately$2.6billion.

ForjournalistsandvisitorswhowaitedonSundaytotheendoftheevent,theygotararelookfortheireyes
orlens;theAntonovAn12fromtheIrkutskAircraftProductionAssociation(IAPO)topickupthetechnicians
oftheSu30SM.

ASRMediawishestothanktheMediaandCommunicationsorganizationoftheMinistryofDefence,Kazakh
stanwithspecialappreciationtotheOfficerofthepressserviceoftheMinistryofDefence,ZhansayaOma
rovaandherteamfortheirhospitalityandperfectorganizationandsupport.

Su30SMaboveandtotherightbottom2014WolfgangJarisch

DemonstrationofKazakhstanmilitarypowerasSpecialForcesattackaterroristcamp

AN74TK2002014WolfgangJarisch
MilMi171Sh2014WolfgangJarisch

AntonovAn12fromtheIrkutskAircraftProductionAssocia
tion(IAPO)2014WolfgangJarisch

FormationofSukhoiSu25Frogfoot2014WolfgangJarisch

FormationofSukhoiSu27MandUBMFlanker2014PeterThivessen

MiG35DFulcrumF2014WolfgangJarisch

F/A18Hornet

TheSwissAirforcefromApril28toMay16conductedtheirWiederholungskurs,WK(refreshercourse)exerciseat
AirBaseMeiringen,Switzerland.200Airforcepersonneland700militiamen(reserve)tookpartintheexercise.

Participantsincluded(8)F/A18AHornetsfromtheFliegerstaffel11,and(8)F5E/FTigersfromtheFliegerstaffel
8.

AlltheSwissHornetswereflownbythefulltimeairforcepilots,whiletheTigerspilotswerefromthereserve.The
runwayinMeiringenisfromeasttowestandfollowsthecontoursofthevalley.Thetaxiwaysarequiteunusual,
oneofthemroutesaircrafttoandfromthecavernonthesouthside,crossesapublicroad.

AnessentialpartoftheexerciseinMeiringenwastherelocationexerciseREVITA2014fromMay13.15,2014.
FourHornetsandfourTigersweremovedfromMeiringenAirBasetotheairbaseofBuochs,astandbynonper
manentairbase.Toseeiftheairforceisabletomovequicklyduringacrisisallthematerialsrequiredforthisnon
permanentandonlyminimallyequippedairfield,inorderthattheflightoperationscanbeperformedwithout
restrictions.Duetothebadweather,only56movementswerecarriedfromthe82planned.Nevertheless,the
exerciseleaderwasverysatisfiedwiththeresultsaccordingtoColonel,PeterMerz,AirBaseCommanderMeir
ingenoftheSwissAirforce.

TheF5Tigerswillnotbeseenformuchlonger.Thefleetconsistsof 54aircraftandtheyhavebeeninservice
since1978.TheTigersareonlyusedduringthedayandingoodweather,therefore,thereisanurgentneedfor
modernization.In2016,theTigerswillbedecommissionedandwillbereplacedby(22)SaabGripenEs.Delivery
willtakeplaceintheyears20182021.

TheAviationMagazinewishestothanktheMediaandCommunicationorganization,especiallytheofficerofthe
pressservice,Mr.JrgNussbaumforhishospitalityandassistancewhichwasmuchappreciated.

F/A18Hornet

F5Tiger

F/A18BHornet
BuochsAirBase

F5Tiger

Clearblueskies,warmoceanwaters,sunnybeachesandairplanesmadeforaperfectweekendthisyearat
theOCAirShowinOceanCity,Maryland.TheairshowcoincidedwithbothFlagDayandFathersDayand
wascloseenoughtothestartofsummertoensurelargecrowdsonbothdays.Althoughsomewhatsparse,
thelineupincludedalittlebitofeverything:parachutists,warbirdflybys,civilianaerobaticdemonstrations,
amodernmilitarytacticaldemonstration,and,finally,theUSAFThunderbirds.

TheLeapFrogsstartedtheaction,jumpingfromanAirForceC130JSuperHercules.Thefirstparachutistflew
in the national flag then narrated the rest of the demonstration. The next jumper dangled a long line of
smoke canisters below him, sketching a corkscrew of color on the bright blue canvas of the sky. The next
threejumpersjoinedupinaverticalstack,theupperflyerssittingonthecanopyofthemanunderneath.The
lowertwojumpersthenlinkedlegsandsoon thethreewerestreakingearthwardina spirallinghorizontal
lineup,breakingapartseeminglyatthelastminute.Allofthejumpersmadepinpointlandingsonthebeach
justinfrontoftheVIPchalet.GaryWardinhisMX2andGregConnellinhisPittsradialenginedModel12
biplaneprovidedplentyofhighenergyaerobatics,bothsinglyandinatandemdemonstration.

Warbirdswerenextontheagenda,featuringbothafighterandbomberfromWorldWarII.SeanCarrollflew
anumberofverynicehighspeedandbankingpassesinhisYak9U.Similarly,theB25JMitchellPanchito
madeseveralbeautifulpassesbothfromtherightandleft.Bombingrunsweresimulatedwiththebombbay
doorsopenandthemanoeuvrabilityoftheaircraftwasdemonstratedwithseveralzoomclimbsandbanking
turns,nicelyshowingofftheplanviewoftheairframe.ThisaircraftwassponsoredbytheDisabledAmerican
Veteransandwasraisingmoneybysellingridesoutofalocalairportduringtheweekend.

Thenitgotloud.Realloud!TheMarinesHarrierIIjetfromMCASCherryPointarrivedwithahighspeedpass
anddelightedthecrownwithbothitsfastandslowaction.Slowingtoahalt,itpirouettedaboutitsownaxis,
thendescendedinhoveringflight,whippingupcloudsofseaspray.Afterafewmoredemonstrationsofthis
aircraftsamazingcapabilitiesitrosestraightupondualcolumnsofsootyexhaustanddepartedtoapplause
andcheersfromthecrowds.TheMarinesotherV/STOLaircraft,theMV22,didnotmakeanappearance,
butanumberoffeatheredOspreysentertainedthespectatorsbyrepeatedlycatchinglargefishandflying
directlyoverthecrowdlineonthereturnflighttotheirnests.

The Red Bull Air Force parachute demonstration team showed off their skills next. They first flew their
wingsuits for an extended period before deploying their chutes and whistling in for highspeed landings
right alongside the crowdline fence. Normally employed to type out messages in the sky, the GEICO
Skytypersinsteadputonaverynicedemonstrationofprecisionformationflyingintheirvintagewarbirds.
TheteamofsixSNJ2aircraftputonaseriesofmaneuversdesignedtoshowcasethecapabilitiesofthe
SecondWorldWartrainer.Theiruseofsmokeonthecrystalcleardaywasmosteffective.

Then, before you knew it, it was time for the headline act, the Thunderbirds. Their highspeed entrance
frombehindandovertheheadsofthespectatorsbroughteveryonetotheirfeetwheretheyremainedfor
thedurationoftheperformance.ManyofthemaneuversweresimilartothoseexecutedbytheSkytypers,
butnowwithafterburneratspeedsofseveralhundredmilesperhour!Therewassufficientmoistureinthe
airfromstormsthepreviousweekthateachhighgmaneuverresultedinbillowingstreaksofvaporover
thewingsandvorticesstreamingfromthewingtipmissilerails.Sundayshighshowusedeveryinchofthe
aerobaticboxandsomenewadditionstotheroutinetookevenveteranviewersbysurprise.Tomakeup
forthelackofaccessduringtheshow,teammembersappearedduringtheTakeOffPartyFridaynightto
minglewiththecrowds,answerquestions,takephotographsandsignautographs.

TheairshowisvisibleallalongtheBoardwalk,althoughVIPseatingandchaletsareavailableatshowcen
terat16thStreet.ThereisevenaVIPSkyboxonasecondstoryterracedirectlyatshowcenterforthose
desiringanelevatedviewandasandandsaltwaterfreeenvironmentfortheircameraequipment.Beinga
public beach show, there is no formal opening time and, being on the Boardwalk, there are no security
checks.Visitorsareabletoarriveasearlyoraslateastheywant,drivenmostlybyparkingconsiderations.
Oneverynicefeatureofthisshowisthatpeopleareallowedonthebeach,andeveninthewater,during
theshow.Thiswasalsotrueinfrontofthechaletsatshowcenter,aslongaspeoplemaintainedareason
able distance from the seating areas. And, of course, the drop zone for the parachutists was kept clear!
FoodanddrinkswereavailablefromstoresalongtheBoardwalkorfromvendorsonthebeach.Airplanes
towingbannersadvertisinglocalrestaurantsandshopsareastapleofsummeratthebeach.Theorganizers
decidedtoincorporatethemintotheshowbyschedulingtwobreaksintheaction,allowingthebannersto
beflown overheadandspectatorstotakeabreakandpatronizesomeoftheadvertisedestablishments.
Winwin.

Thankstotheorganizers,sponsors,volunteersandperformersforanothergreatstarttosummeronthe
beach.

TheNavyLeapfrogs,leapingfromaC130,above
andtotheright.
RedBullAirForceinaction,inthemiddle.
GeicoSkytypersintheirT6s,below.

GaryWard,MX2Aerobatics,topleft
AV8BHarrierII,VMAT203Hawks,MCASCherryPoint,leftbelow
F16softheUSAFThunderbirdsrestofthepages

TheWarriorsOverTheWasatchOpenHouseandAirShowatHillAFBtookplaceovertheweekendofJune
2829.ThisbiennialeventcelebratesthePowerofAirmenandcombinesmilitarydemonstrationswithcivil
ianaerobaticperformances.TheUSAFThunderbirdsonceagainhighlightedtheshowthisyear.Othermilitary
performersincludedtheUSArmysParachuteDemonstrationTeam,theGoldenKnights,theF16Heritage
Flightdemonstrationandasimulatedairfieldattackbythelocal388thFighterWing.Alargearrayofmilitary
aircraft was also on static display. Civilian performers ranged the gamut from hang glider to jet car, with
parachutes,jetplanes,biplanesandwarbirdsinbetween.

Theflyingshowopenedpromptlyat1000withtheGoldenKnightsbringingintheUSandtheUtahstateflags
circledallthewhilebyBillStein,MattChapmanandRobHolland.Thetrio,callingthemselvesTheForce,
thenputonanicedemonstrationofformationaerobaticflying,madeallthemoreinterestingasitwasadis
similarflightofanEagle580(Chapman,lead),Edge540(BillStein,leftwing)andMXS(Holland,rightwing).
Eachwouldalsoreturnlaterforasolodemonstration.Likewise,BuckRoetmaninhisPittsS2SSpecialand
GaryRowerinhisPT17Stearmanputonaformationaerobaticdemonstration.Herethedifferenceinper
formance between the two biplanes was much greater, but the synchrony was just as harmonious. Bucks
solo performance was later interrupted by the launch of Dan Buchanans hang glider. Dan paid for this
(feigned)intrusionoftheairspacebyhavinghisstreamerschoppedoffbyBuckspropeller.Itwasallingood
funandtotheamusementofthecrowd. Oncealoft, Dan putonanimpressivedisplayofenergymanage
ment,coaxingthegliderthroughmanyintricatemaneuversincludingthelaunchoffireworksfromthecan
opy.DavidErickson,whoactuallyworksatHillAFB,enjoyedperformingforthehometowncrowdinhisZlin
50LS.RedBullsKirbyChamblissputonhisusualhighenergyriproaringdemonstrationinhisEdge540,be
ginningandendingwithhisjawdroppingCobramaneuver.

TheskieswereonceagainfilledwithparachuteswhentheGoldenKnightsreturnedfortheirfulldemonstra
tion.Thiswascomposedofanumberofintricatemaneuversincludingasimulatedfouledchute,wherethe
jumperreleasedhismainchutebeforedeployinghisbackup.ThankstotheeffortsofthePublicAffairsOffice,
ASRwasfortunatetogoupwiththeteamintheirC31Troopship(militaryvariantoftheFokkerF27Friend
ship)towitnesstheirjumpsfromauniqueanglehighabovethecrowds.Readallaboutitinanupcomingis
sueofTheAviationMagazine.TheskydiversoftheRedBullAirForcealsoputonbreathtakingdisplays:one
pair freefalling, another pair gliding in their wingsuits before deploying their chutes and screaming in at
amazingspeedstopinpointlandingsinfrontofthecrowd.

MarkPetersonputontwoverynicedemonstrationsoftheaerobaticcapabilitiesofwarbirds,thefirstinhis
WorldWarIIP51DMustangfighterDiamondbackandlaterinhiscontemporaryDassault/DornierAlpha
Jettrainerandlightattackaircraft.AnotherjetwarbirdperformancewasputonbyGregWiredColyerin
hisT33ShootingStarAceMaker.Heseemstotakepleasureinusingthefullextentoftheaerobaticbox,
descendingsolowthat hedisappearedbehindthetailsoftheThunderbirdsF16sparkedatshowcenter.
Despitenotgainingeventhatmuchaltitude,BillBraacktookfirstplaceintheafterburnercategory.Hisstac
catoburstsofsmokeandthunderinthejetcarbroughtthecrowdsrunningtothefenceforbothhishigh
speedrunandhisracewithRobHollandlaterintheday(whichhewon,atleastonSaturday).

Many in attendance were looking forward to seeing tactical demonstrations from modern military aircraft
andthe421stFighterSquadrondidnotdisappointthem.InrapidsuccessionfourF16CsoftheBlackWid
owslaunched,loadedwithmissilesanddroptanks,employingfullafterburnertotakeoffandquicklygain
altitudewiththeirexternalstores.FlightsSpiderOneandSpiderTwosplitapart,onetoattacktheairfield
fromthenorth,theotherthesouth.Theaircraftsimulatedbothbombingandstrafingruns,socameinatdif
ferent altitudes and attitudes. These passes were accompanied with welltimed ground pyrotechnics pro
videdbythelocalEODteams.Theirhighgmaneuversextractedlotsofvaporfromthemoistairandtheir
banking turns provided beautiful topside views into the cockpits for the multitude of photographers. The
grandfinalewasawalloffirewhichexplodedbehindtheparkedThunderbirdsafterthefinalbombingrun.
ThefourVipersthenpassedinreviewincloseformation,peelingoffinonesecondintervalstoland.Major
MarkJuiceWhisleralsoperformedashorttacticaldemonstrationoftheFightingFalconscapabilitiesbe
forebeingjoinedbyGregAndersintheP51DMustangDiamondbackfortheHeritageFlight.Andfinally,of
course,cametheThunderbirds,performingtheirhighshowinthebeautifulblueskiesovertheWasatch.It
wastheperfectendingtoapictureperfectairshow.Thecrowdsbarelythinnedsincemanywerewaitingto
getanautographoraphotowithoneoftheThunderbirdteammembers.

Afterthecessationofflyingtherewasanhourtogobeforethegatesclosedandtherewasstillmuchtosee.
HillAFBishosttotheOgdenAirLogisticsComplexwhichprovidesmaintenancefortheF35LightningII,F22
Raptor,F16FightingFalcon,A10ThunderboltIIandtheC130Hercules.Traditionally,aDepotFlightcom
posedoftheseaircrafthasbeenflownduringtheairshow.Thatwasunfortunatelynotthecasethisyear,
althoughaverynicegroupingoftheseaircraftwasonstaticdisplay.ThebaremetalHerculeswasparticularly
impressive,gleaminginthebrightsunlight.Therewerealsoplentyofmaintenancepersonnelon

handtoanswerthemyriadquestionsfromthecrowds.

Mostofthelargeraircraftwereopenfortoursandmanyofthefightersandtrainershadtheircockpitsopen
forviewing.ThelinefortheB1BLancercockpittourstretchedthelengthofitsfuselagefromearlymorning
untilthesecurityforcesstartedtheirsweepoftheareaat5PM.

Weatherconditionswereidealandanestimatedhalfamillionvisitorsattendedthetwodayshow,farsur
passingthe85,000hardyfanswhobravedthecoldandrainin2012.Parkingwascloseinonbasewithboth
parkandwalkandparkandshuttleoptionsavailable.Trafficwashandledverywellandsecuritycheckspro
ceededquickly.VIPchaletsweresetupjusttotherightofshowcenterbuttherewasplentyofopenspaceto
setupfoldingchairsorstakeoutaspotonthefence.Withthegatesopeningat0800,visitorshadplentyof
timetoviewtheextensivelineupofaircraftonstaticdisplayandinteractwiththeaircrewsandairmenbe
fore the flying began. The website had both detailed access and ramp layout maps as well as uptodate
scheduleandperformerinformation.Anareawassetasideforthehearingimpairedandagroupofvolun
teers provided signed interpretations of the narration during the air show. We had never seen this before
andwereveryimpressedbythisinnovation. Hopefullythiswillcatchonatothershows.Photographywas
challenginginthemorninglight,butbytheafternoonthesunhadmovedbehindtheflightline,providingnice
overtheshoulderlighting.Themountainsinthedistanceandbrightpuffycloudsprovidedabeautifulback
droptotheflyingaction.Foodcourts,restrooms,waterandfirstaidstationswereconvenientlydistributed
throughout the grounds. Lines were therefore short. Prices for beer and food were quite reasonable and
manyoftheboothsweremannedbybaseunitsorsquadrons.

Wewouldliketoexpressourthanksandsincereappreciationtothe75thAirBaseWingPublicAffairsOffice
for their outstanding hospitality and assistance during the Open House, in particular Mr. Richard Essary in
MediaRelationsforarrangingmediaaccessandSSgtMichaelMcCoolforhissupportduringtheshow.

GoldenKnights,topleft
RedBullAirForce,topmiddle
JonDeVore,RedBullAirForce
skydiver,topright
TheForce:RobHolland,Bill
Stein&MattChapman,lower
left
EuroNATOJointJetPilotTrain
ingProgramInstructorPilot,
lowermiddle
USAFThunderbirdsparkedon
theapron.

Dan Buchanan

Dassault/DornierAlphaJet,above
B52HinfrontoftheControlTower,bottomleft
F16softhe421stFSBlackWidows
PT17Stearman,bottomright

USAFThunderbirds

HeritageFlight:P51DMustangDiamondback&F16C

MXS,RobHolland

RedBullEdge540,KirbyChambliss

Eagle580,MattChapman

T33ShootingStarAceMaker

C130

Every two years, A10 squadrons from around the

USAFThunderbirds

MXS,RobHolland

Eagle580,MattChapman

world come together for several days to share in

thecamaraderieandfellowshipoftheworldspre
mierCloseAirSupportfightercommunity.Anum
berofsocialeventsareorganizedtoreinforcetheir
espritdecorps,includingremembranceceremonies
for fallen comrades. But the primary reason to as
sembleaircraftandcrewsistoengageinanintense
round of bombing, missile, and tactical gunnery
competitions.Theeventishostedbythesquadron
which won the previous competition and, as the
357th Fighter Squadron won in 2012, this years
meetingwasheldatDavisMonthanAFBfromJuly9
to12.

The US Air Force used to hold a series of airto

groundgunneryandbombingcompetitionsatNellis
AFBcalledGunsmoke,thelastofwhichtookplace
RedBullEdge540,KirbyChambliss
in 1995. In 2000 the A10 community decided to
revivethetraditionofsuchabiennialcompetition,
but, unlike Gunsmoke, which included multiple
airframes, this would be limited to the A10. Al
thoughofficiallyknownastheThunderboltII,theA
10isalmostuniversallyreferredtoastheWarthog,
orHawgforshort.HenceHawgsmoke.

Invitations go out to every A10 squadron, and ex

cept for those actively deployed, most squadrons
sendateamoffouraircraftplussupportcrews.We
were privileged to be invited on base to observe
arrivalsonJuly9.Itwasauniqueopportunitytosee
aircraft from so many different units gathered to
getheronthetarmac.Thecompetitionstookplace
the next day at the Barry M. Goldwater Range
(BMGR).Thisvasttrainingrangeconsistsofalmost
twomillionacresandislocatedintheSonoranDe
sert in southwestern Arizona between Yuma and
Tucsonandisdividedintotwosections,oneforthe
AirForce,theotherusedbytheNavyandMarines.
The 56th Range Management Office, located at
LukeAFB,managestheeasternsectoroftherange,
known as BMGREast. Marine Corps Air Station
Yuma oversees operations on the western portion
of the range known as BMGRWest. The 355th
Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office had arranged an
opportunity for the media to observe the gunnery
portionofthecompetition.Wewereheadingoutto
RangeII,locatedjustsouthofGilaBend,AZ.

Since this is roughly a threehour drive we needed

togetanearlystart:thebuslefttheparkinglotat
0630.Evenso,bythetimewearrived,thecompeti
tionhadalreadybegun.Afterashortsafetybriefing
wewereallowedtoclimbupthestairsonthesmall
controltowerandprepareforthenextteam.
HeritageFlight:P51DMustangDiamondback&F16C

ThisyearsHawgsmokecompetitionfocusedonfor
wardfiring:theparticipantscompetedinhigh,me
dium, and lowangle strafes. Each team is com
posedoffourpilots,andeachaircrafthasthesame
number of rounds of ammunition. Although the
highangle strafing took place in the distance and
was difficult to photograph, the lowangle range
was remarkably close to the tower. For the low
angle strafing, a large cloth target is strung up be
tweentwoposts;camerasandacousticpanelswere
set up nearby to accurately calculate each pilots
hits.
During our time on the range we observed a
T33ShootingStarAceMaker
number of strafing passes by several of the teams.
Theaircraftorbitedtherangeinalargecircle.Each
individual aircraft was then cleared hot by the
Range Control Officer (RCO), meaning that the tar
get was clear and the pilot was authorized to fire
live ammunition. Lining up on the targetline, the
pilotleveledout,descendedtowardsthetargetand
firedoffashortburst.Itreallyisasighttoseeand
thesoundoftheGAU8Avengercannonisunmis
takeable.Itisatfirstsomewhatdisorientingtosee
the muzzle smoke, then see the impact of the
30mmroundsnearthetarget,thenheartheimpact
oftheroundsandonlylastofallhearthebuzzsaw
reportfromthecannonontheaircraft.

Itsafinelessoninthetheoryofrelativity:themuz
zlevelocityoftheroundsisthreetimesthespeedof
sound, meaning that the sound of their impact ar
rives much quicker than the sound of their firing.
Afterfiring,eachpilotquicklyflippedtheaircrafton
itssideandengagedinatight,climbingturn,giving
us a beautiful view into the cockpit. Occasionally
thepilotwouldwaveorotherwiseacknowledgethe
presenceoftheRCO.

AccompanyingusonourtourwasagroupofAirmen
trainingtobeAirTrafficControllers.Theyspentmost
oftheirtimeinthetoweritself,payingcloseattention
totheactivitiesoftheRCOashevisuallytrackedthe
positionofeachaircraft,inspectedtherangetomake
sureitwasclearatalltimes,andensuredthattheair
craft finished their strafing before crossing the foul
line. It was a perfect lesson in realtime, fastaction
airtrafficcontrolling.

Alltoosoonitwastimetoboardthebusforthethree
hourridebacktoTucson.Despitethelongdriveand
the100plusdegreeheatstandingoutintheSonoran
Desert, it was a fantastic opportunity to observe the
A10 do what it does best, engage in Close Air Sup
port.Duetobudgetcuts,theUSAFhasseveraltimes
proposedretiringsinglemissionclosesupportaircraft
liketheA10,butjustliketheWarthogitself,thepro
gramseemstotakealotofpunishmentbutsurvivein
theend.Fornow,atleast,itsimmediatefutureseems
tobesecure.

The winner of this years Hawgsmoke competition

was the 47th Fighter Squadron, which just recently
moved from Barksdale AFB to DavisMonthan AFB,
exchangingtheirBDtailcodesforDP.Congratulations
totheTerribleTermites!

ASRMediawouldliketothankthestaffofthe355th
FighterWingPublicAffairsOfficefortheirhospitality
and all of their support during our visit, in particular
2d Lt. Ranaweera and SSgt Ruiz. Thanks also to the
Dragonsforhostingsuchafantasticmeet.Wellsee
youbackinTucsonin2016.

Theexerciseincludedteamsfrom:
45FS,DavisMonthanAFB
47FS,DavisMonthanAFB
66WPS,NellisAFB
74FS,MoodyAFB
75FS,MoodyAFB
76FS,MoodyAFB
104FS,MarylandANG
107FS,MichiganANG
163FS,IndianaANG
190FS,IdahoANG
303FS,WhitemanAFB
354FS,DavisMonthanAFB
357FS,DavisMonthanAFB
AATC/422TES,NellisAFB

BelowaremoreresultsfromHawgsmoke2014:

OverallTopRangeteams
1.104FS
2.190FS
3.76FS

OverallTopMaverickteams
1.104FS
2.47FS
3.75FS

TopTacticalTeam
1.47FS
2.66WPS
3.AATC/422TES

TurkishF4E/2020s

TheAnatolianEagleTrainingisconductedatthe3rdMainJetBaseatKonya.ThecityofKonyaislocatedin
thecentralregionofTurkey,1200mabovesealevelwithapopulationofapproximately1.700000persons.

SimilarinscopetoRedFlagandMapleFlagexercisesAnatolianEagleistheonlytacticaltrainingcen
terbetweenEuropeandAsiaminor.Theoperationalenvironmentcoversanareaof300x400kmandwith
outanyrestrictionsovertheairspace.TheTrainingCenterdevelopsscenariosinlinewiththeparticipant
countriesandarrangesmissionsaccordingtotheirtrainingneeds.

SincethebeginningofAnatolianEaglefromJune2001until2013,13countrieswereinvitedandparticipated
intheseimportantexercises.Inthisperiod2,376aircraftand28,250personnelmadeitpossibletoper
form20,258missions.

Inthisyearsevent1640personnelweredeployedwith1,122national,494internationaland24fromthe
NATO.Atotalof78aircraftwereinvolvedinAnatolianEagle20142.Qatarwasthe14thnationtoattend
forthismajorexercise.

TheelementsofAnatolianEaglearesplitintotheWhiteHQtheRedandtheBlueForce.TheWhiteHQ
does the operation for the training scenarios, monitoring and commanding, evaluating and analyzing the
training.TheRedForceisthetrainingaidfortheBluefighterswith16sandF4Es.TheBlueForceisthepri
marytargetaudience.

AnotherelementofAnatolianEagleistheuseofdifferentgroundthreatsystemsliketheSA6Gainful,
SA8Gecko,SA11A/BGadfly,ZSU234Gundis,SkyguardSparrowandHawk.

2014PeterThivessen

2014PeterThivessen

AnatolianEaglesintendtoprovide:

aninternationaltrainingenvironmenttodisplaythetraininglevelandcapabilitytootherparticipant
countries
thefighterpilotstheopportunitytoapplytheirowntacticsinjointmultiaircraftmissions
aforumenablingexchangeofideasandlessonslearned

AccordingtotheTrainingCentretheirfunctionisaimedtotraintheparticipantsastheyfightonvarious
missiontypesandtrainthemtosurvive,andmaintaintheircombatreadiness.

AnatolianEagle20142participatingcountries:

TurkishAirForce:
40xF16fromtheairbasesKonya(132FiloDagger),Ankara/Akinci(141FiloWulfand142FiloGazelleand
143Filo),Merzifon/Amasya(151FiloBronzeand152FiloRaiders),Diyarbakir(182FiloHawk),Balikesir(191
FiloCobraand192FiloTiger).
11xF4E/2020sfromtheairbasesMalatya/Erhac(171FiloPirates)andEskisehir(112FiloDevil)
1xKC135R
SpanishEF2000
1xC160
1xCN235
1xEW7T(Boeing7377ES)

RoyalAirForce,UK
6xTyphoonFGR4,3.SqnandXISqn.,Conningsby

SpanishAirForce
6xEF18M,Ala12,Madrid/Torrejon
6xEF2000,Ala11,Sevilla/Moron
CN235SpanishEF18MTurkishF4E/2020sQuatarsMirage20005F5

QuatarAirForce
Filmstripimages2014WolfgangJarisch
4xMirage20005,1stFW,Doha

JordanAirForce
3xF16AlAzraq,AsShaheedMuwaffraqalSaltiAB

Nato
3xE3AGeilenkirchen,Germany

TheAviationMagazine(formerlyASRMedia)wouldliketoexpressourthanksandappreciationtotheTurk
ishEmbassiesinGermanyandAustria,especiallytotheOperationsCommanderMajorHasanSaffetCelikel,
theheadquartersoftheTurkishAirForceinAnkara,MajorMesutYurtan,1stLt.MehmetAslan,1stLt.Umut
Uskupandallthepersonnelonthebasewhoassistedusfortheirsupportandhospitality.
Hopetoseeyouagainnextyear!

TurkishF16

2014WolfgangJarisch

2014WolfgangJarisch

JordanianF16

TurkishF16

QuatarsMirage20005JordanianF16sQuatarsMirage20005TurkishF16TurkishEW7TNATOE3AAirbusA400MAtlas
Filmstripimages#7to10A2014PeterThivessen#11142014WolfgangJarisch

2014PeterThivessen

2014PeterThivessen

RAFTyphoonFGR4

F4E/2020s

Netherland
5xF16,313Sq.,Volkel
Belgium
5xF16,31Sq.,KleineBrogel
Czech
4xJAS39C/D,211Sq.,Caslav
2xMi24V,231Sq.,NamestnadOslavou
1xMi171s,231Sq.,NamestnadOslavou
France
3xRafaleM,11.Fotille,Landiviseau
3xRafale,EC01/007,SaintDizier
2xMirage20005,EC05/330,MontdeMarsan
Hungary
5xJAS39Gripen,59/1Sq.,Kecskemt,
Poland
5xF16,6.ELT,PoznanKrzesiny
Turkey
5xF16,192Filo,Balikesir
UK
1xMerlinHM2,814Sq.,NASCuldrose
Austria
3xSaabJ105OE,Dsentrainerstaffel,LinzHrsching
Nato
1xE3ASentry,operatingfromOrland,Norway

2014WolfgangJarisch

Rafale,EC01/0072014WolfgangJarisch

NATOTigerMeet2014washeldfromJune16th27thJuneatSchleswigJagelairbaseinnorthernGermany,
about 100km north of Hamburg. This years meet included all types of airtoair and airtoground and a
widevarietyofsupportmissions,comprisingCSARandlargeCOMAOs(CompositeAirOperations).

Forthesecondtimesince2004,theTacticalAirForceSquadron(TaktLwG)51Immelmannwasthehost
squadronforEuropeslargestairexercise.Morethan70aircraftandhelicoptersfrom18squadronsand
from11nationswereinvolvedinthisyearsexercise.

Thetrainingareacoveredanairspace300kmby300km,fromtheDutchNorthSeacoastintheNorthWest
ofAmsterdamtotheGermanNorthSeabayshorelinesallthewaytotheDanishairspace.
Thelargescaleinternationalairexerciseshelpstostandardizetheoperationalprocedures.toimprovethe
interactionsofarmedforcesandminimizeanypotentialfrictionpoints.Airoperationsthatcoveranareaof
900 square kilometres need perfect planning. The Planning Staff and the team from TaktLw 51 I were
praisedfortheirfantasticworkintheWhiteCell(PlanningCell)astheyensuredthesafetyofallthepar
ticipantsinvolved.

Allparticipantswerebriefedthoroughlyaboutthelocalregulationsbeforetheaircraftwerelaunchedtwice
adaytofulfilltheirdifferenttasksinjointmissions.

Participantcountriesandaircraft:
Germany
4xTornado,TaktLwG51Immelmann,Jagel
6xEurofighter,TaktLwG74,Neuburg
1xEC665Tiger,Kampfhubschrauberregiment36Kurhessen,Fritzlar
Swizerland
5xF18,Fliegerstaffel11,Meiringen

Atthebeginningoftheexercise,the6thFighterSquadronfromPoznanKrzesiny,Polandandthe59/1Puma
Squadron from Kecskemt,,Hungary wereadded as full members of the NATO Tiger Association. The Tak
tischeLuftwaffengeschwader(TaktLwG)74fromNeuburg/GermanywiththeEurofighterswasacceptedas
provisionalmembertotheNTA.InadditiontothehostsquadrontheBavarianTigerswerethesecondGer
manTigerSquadron.Currentlythereare23squadronsfrom16nationsintheNTAAssociation.

Wewouldliketocongratulate"STAFFEL11"fromSwitzerlandforwinningtheSilverTiger2014.

The Bavarian Tigers, TaktLwG 74, Neuburg, won the award for the Best
Paintscheme,fortheirEurofighterTyphoonincompleteTigerlivery.

The NATO Tiger Squadrons will reconvene next year in May at Konya AB,
whereNTM15willbehostedby192FilooftheTurkishAirForce.

The Aviation Magazine (formerly ASR Media) would like to thank the the
Press Office from the (TaktLwG) 51 Immelmann, for all of their support
andhospitalityduringourvisit,inparticularOberstabsgefreiterRoberStock
forhisoutstandingassistance..

Eurofighter,TaktLwG742014PeterThivessen

F162014WolfgangJarisch

F16,31Sq2014PeterThivessen
F18,Fliegerstaffel112014WolfgangJarisch

RafaleM,11.Fotille,2014WolfgangJarisch
Mirage20005,EC05/3302014WolfgangJarisch

Tornado,TaktLwG512014PeterThivessen

SaabJ105OE2014WolfgangJarisch

ighters
F15Eaglef
i
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is
b
u
s
it
M

Falco
n10

BckerB131"Jungmann",2014PeterThivessen
2014
Pete

rThiv
e

RafaleM

ssen

2014PeterThivessen

Eurocopter Dauphin AS365N1

Shizuoka Prefectural Police

EC665Tiger2014PeterThivessen

FujiT7

2014PeterThivessen

RafaleM

Mitsu
bishi
H60
Czech
JAS3
9C
2

014P
eter
Th

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UH
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16C

MitsubishiH60UH60JF16C

T6Texan

2014TakeshiShinoda

FujiT7

TheRoyalInternationalAirTattoo(RIAT)iswellknowntomanyofourreaders,sothereisnorealneedfora
moredetailedintroductiontoEurope'sbiggestannualairshow.RIAT2014washeldovertheweekendofthe
11thto13thofJuly2014atRAFFairford.

Asusual,othercelebrationswerealsotakingplaceincludingtheanniversaryofthe50thdisplayseasonofthe
famous RAF aerobatic team, the Red Arrows. To help commemorate this special event several other aero
baticteamswerealsoinattendanceincludingthePatrouilleSuisse,thePatrouilledeFrance,theOrlikTeam
fromPoland,theBreitlingJetTeamandlastbutnotleasttheFrecceTricolorioftheItalianAirForce.Intotal,
some240aircraftwereinattendanceatRIAT,includingtheveryrareparticipation(andverylastappearance
at an air show) of an Hellenic Air Force Chance Vought A7 Corsair II (unfortunately on static display only)
while the incredible Polish Sukhoi Su22M3 Fitter display team delivered a great performance that was
definitelythehighlightforfansofmilitaryfastjets.Whilenotaveryagileaircraft,thePolishpilotsneverthe
lessmanagedtoprovideastunningdisplayofcloseformationflying(oneaircraftwithwingsfullysweptback
ward,theotherwithwingsfullyextended)andaseriesoffastcrossovermaneuvers.Someoftheotherfast
jetdisplaysweredefinitelynotasgoodasinpreviousyearswhichwasquiteadisappointment,forexample
theSwissAirForceBoeingF/A18HornetdisplayandevenworsetheflyingdisplayoftheBoeingF/A18FSu
perHornet.Bothaircraftnotonlyperformedtoohighandtoofaraway,buttheirentireprogramwasnot
whatmanyairshowspectatorshadcometoexpectfromseeingthisextremelyagileaircraftflyoverthepast
manyyears.

The RIAT organizers did however manage yet again to bring a wide range of fast jets to Fairford, some of
whichhavebeenseenonlyquiterarelyatdisplaysoverthepastfewyears.Apartfromtheaforementioned
Su22 performance another big surprise was a fantastic display of a Panavia A200 Tornado and Aeritalia/
AermacchiA11oftheItalianAirForce.

Tornadoswerequiteacommonsightatmanyairshowsupuntil2010,howeversincetheBritishAirDefense
Variant(ADV)wasreplacedbytheEurofighterEF2000Typhoon,theTornadoGrMk1sandGrMk4sareno
longerperformingdisplayssotheycannowbeseenonstaticdisplayonly,whichisabigshameastheTor
nadoalwayswasagreatcrowdpleaser.

AnotherhighlightatRIATwastheAirbusA400M,whichonceagaindisplayeditscapabilitieswitharemark
ableperformance.ThefirstA400MshavealreadybeenhandedovertotheArmedelAirandtheTurkHaha
Kvvetleriwithanother14aircrafttobedeliveredin2014totheRoyalAirForce,whileothercustomersin
cludetheLuftwaffe,theTurkHavaKvvetleri,andtheRoyalMalaysianAirForce.

AlthoughmuchsmallerandevenmoreagileistheAleniaC27JSpartanoftheItalianAirForce.Theloopsand
barrelrollsflownbythismediumsizedcargoaircraftarestillanextremelyimpressivesight,eventhoughits
forerunner,theAeritaliaG222,couldalsodothismanyyearsprior.Apartfromthefastjetandcargoplane
actionatRIAT2014therewerealsoacoupleofoutstandinghelicopterdisplaysincludingonefromanAero
spatialeAS332M1SuperPumaoftheSwissAirForceandanotherfromtheverypopularBoeingH.C2AChi
nookoftheRoyalAirForce.

Conclusion:TheRIATorganizers,theRoyalAirForceCharitableTrustEnterprises,onceagainwereabletoput
onagreatshowdespitesomeconsiderabledifficulties.Themainattraction,theLockheedMartinF35Light
eningII,whichwashighlightedontheRIATwebsite,postersandalmosteverywhereneveractuallyeventu
ated, but nevertheless the Royal International Air Tattoo show still holds the leading position within the
worldwideairshowbusiness.

A400M,above
RedArrows,BAESystemsHawkT1,below

Bothimages2014RobertKysela

Bothimages2014RobertKysela

BreitlingL39slefttop2014RobertKysela
Saab105OEfromtheAustrianAirForce,leftbottom2014RobertKysela
AvroLancasterandaSpitfire,RAFrighttop2014PeterThivessen
AN26,HungarianAirForce,rightbottom2014TakeshiShinoda

CC130ToftheRCAF

Whatdogetwhenyoucombine49navysurfaceshipsrangingfromsmallsupportshipsuptotheUSSRonald
ReganNimitzclassaircraftcarrier,6submarines,over200aircraftandacombinedtroopstrengthinexcessof
25,000people?TheanswerisRIMPAC2014.RIMPACstandsfor"RimofthePacific"andit'sabiennialnaval
exerciseheldon,overandaroundtheHawaiianislands.Asthenumbersinfer,itisindeedtheworld'slargest
naval exercise. The 2014 exercise had 22 nations participating with others joining as observers to ready
themselvesfortheopportunitytojoinfutureeditionsoftheexercise.

RIMPACwasfirstheldin1971andbecameabiennialexercisein1974;primarilydrawingparticipantsfrom
countriesthatsharetheshoresofthePacificOcean.Asithasgrown,theNavies,AirForcesandgroundforces
fromaroundtheglobehavereapedthebenefitsofattendingRIMPACoverthe44yearsit'sbeenrunning.
Australia,CanadaandtheUnitedStatesallvaluetheexerciseenoughtohavebeenatall24editionsofthe
exercise.ByfarthemostsignificantfirsttimeparticipantatRIMPACin2014wasthePeoplesLiberationArmy
Navy(PLA(N))ofChina.ThePLA(N)officiallybrought4surfaceshipssupportedby2helicopterstotheexer
cisebutcreatedsomecontroversywhena5thintelligencecollectionshiparrivedandremainednearthewa
terstheexercisewasbeingconductedin.

The full list of participant countries includes: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia,
France,India,Indonesia,Japan,Malaysia,Mexico,Netherlands,NewZealand,Norway,
People'sRepublicofChina,Peru,RepublicofKorea,RepublicofthePhilippines,Sin
gapore,Tonga,UnitedKingdom,UnitedStates.

BrowsingthroughthelistofassetstheUnitedStatesbroughttotheexerciseit'sveryeasy
toseejusthowsignificantRIMPACistotheirforces.Thelistisevenmoresignificantinlight
ofthefiscalrestraintstheUSmilitarycurrentlyfindthemselvesworkingwithin.Forafulllist
ofwhobroughtwhattoRIMPACyoucanvisitthewebsiteoftheCommander,U.S.PacificFleet
athttp://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac/2014/participants/

Theexerciseisprimarilyanavalexercisebuttherealityofalmostallmodernmilitaryoperationsis
thatmorethanjustonecomponent,sea,air,groundorspecialforces,isgoingtobeinvolved.RIMPAC
is no different and therefore includes a substantial air warfare component referred to as the
CombinedForcesAirComponent(CFAC).In2014the"CombinedForces"referstothecombi
nationofover200aircraftbroughttoRIMPACby13oftheparticipants.Responsibilityforthe
operationsofalltheseaircraftfellunderthecommandoftheCFACCommander,AirCom
modoreChrisWestwoodfromtheRoyalAustralianAirforce(RAAF)andhisDeputyCom
mander Colonel David Lowthian of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Together Air
CommodoreWestwoodandCol.Lowthianledroughly4000people,some200ofwhom
werelocatedinjusttheAirOperationsCenter(AOC).Theirmissionwastoensurethat
theobjectivessetoutbyeachcountryduringtheplanningforRIMPACcouldbecom
pletedduringtheroughly3weekaircampaignelementoftheexercise.

Whiletrainingobjectivesaretheprimaryreasonparticipantscometoanexercise
likeRIMPAC,whenyouaskthosewhohavehadtheopportunitytoattendsev
eral such exercises what the most significant benefit they have taken away
with them is, the answer is routinely the building of new relationships. On
thispointCol.Lowthiansaid"Oneofthebyproductsofthesetypesofop
erations or exercises is that, and this is what I portray to those who are
participating in RIMPAC, is that you are going to leave here and you're
goingtobeabletosolveproblemsandfacechallengesanddevelopsolu
tionsthatonlyyouasanindividualcanbringtothetableandit'sbyvirtueof
theconnectionsthatyoumadeinternationally."Arealitythatbearsit'sfruitdur
ingcoalitionoperations.

TheexerciseisheldinanUnclassifiedenvironment.Whenaskedhowthearmed
forcesof22nationscanbringtheirtroopsandequipmenttogetherandoperateasacombined
force without having to share classified information about how they operate, Col. Lowthian
said "every participating nation (is permitted) to do what they need to do without being
boundbywhatwouldotherwisebecaveatsthatyouwouldexperienceonoperations.Ithink
theunclassifiednatureoftheexerciseallowseachnationtobenefitgreatly,andatthesame
timelookaftertheirownoperationalsecurityareas.With22nations,that'sgoingtohap
pen.AndanotherimportantaspectI'velearnedaswellwhenyouhaveanunclassifiedex
ercise, is the lessons learned and the best practices that come out when you publish
them.They'remoreavailable.That'swhatwehavetobemindfulofisthatwe'regetting
muchbetteratsharingbestpractices,lessonslearned,andhavinganunclassifiedenvi
ronmenttoalsoenhancethat."

Justseveraldaysintotheflyingoperations,ColonelDavidMoaroftheRCAFexplainedhowthingsrampup
duringtheexercisewithrespecttothespecifictraininggoals"We'regoingtoflytheentirescopeofmissions
that we would train to over a course of an entire year. It's a graduated sort of approach we're taking a
crawl/walk/runapproachtoflyingoperations.Soforthefirstfourtofivedays,allwewerefocussedonis
BFMBasicFireManoeuvreswhichisdogfighting,aircombatmanoeuvres.Thosearealittlebitmoresim
plemissions;they'reeitheronevsoneaircraft,maybetwovsone,ortwovstwo.Andwhatwe'redoingto
getthemostoutofRIMPACiswe'reoperatingwithourAmericanbrothers.SowehavetheF22unitthat's
here,theF15Eagleunit,andanF16unit,aswell.We'redoingdissimilaraircombattogetsomeexposure
fightingdifferentplatforms.Sothat'swhatwe'vebeendoingthusfar."Astheexerciseprogresses"we'rego
ingtobeshootingsomeairtoairmissilesinaboutaweek,andthenafterthatisdone,whatwe'regoingto
doisrunintoafreeplaystageoftheexercises,andduringthatfreeplaystageoftheexercise,it'smorelike
whatwewouldseeinarealscenarioorconflictwherethesquadronwillbetaskedtodoavarietyofdifferent
missions.We'llgetataskingmessagetofindoutwhatwe'redoingthenextdayandwe'll
prepareforthatmissionandthenwe'llgooutandsupportthecommanders'intentbyfly
ing that mission. Again, it could be any range of missions from protecting the boat, to
maybe doing some air to surface type of interdiction, something like that depending on
what the scenario is. So that's going to be the ultimate end force of this exercise is that
freeplaystage,whereweexercisethefullrangeofourcapabilities,butwithverylittleno
tice."

EarlyintheexerciseelementsoftheCFACweretaskedwithsupportingaHumanitarianAssistance,Disaster
Relief(HA/DR)operationthatwasrolledintotheoverallRIMPACoperations.TheHA/DRscenariowasmod
eled on the aftermath of a category 3 hurricane hitting a set of islands represented by Hawaii. Over the
courseofseveraldaysacoalitionofforcesandlocalHawaiiancivilianagenciesrespondedtothescenario.A
fieldhospitalwassetuponFordIslandinPearlHarborandpreparedformanagingthewounded.Volunteers
wereinflictedwithfakeinjuriesrangingfromseverecutstomultiplecompoundfracturesandforeignobject
impalementsusingveryrealisticmakeupandspecialeffecttechniquescalled"moulage"toprovideanalmost
disturbingdegreeofrealismtothescene.U.S.ArmyBlackhawkandChinookhelicoptersofthe25thCombat
AviationBrigadewereusedtoairliftthemostseriouslyinjuredtohospitalsthroughout5oftheHawaiianis
lands.SupportwasprovidedbytheJapaneseSelfDefenceForceintheformofsuppliesdeliverybyanSH60K
Seahawkhelicopterwhileoverhead,unseenintheskiesabovePearlHarbour,anRCAFCP140Aurorapro
videdsurveillancedatatoensurethesafetyandsecurityofthefieldhospitalandit'stemporaryairfield.The
airfieldallowfordeliveryofsuppliesandevacuationofwoundedwhilefacilitiesdamagedbythehurricane
wererepaired.

USSRonaldReagan(CVN76),forward,andJapanMaritimeSelfDefenseForceHyuga
classhelicopterdestroyerIse(DDH182)travelinformationforwardofamphibiousas
saultshipUSSPeleliu(LHA5)duringRIMPACExercise2014.(U.S.Navyphoto)

TheUSArmysnewAN/MSQ135MobileTowerSystem(MOTS)wasdeployedattheairfieldtoprovideair
trafficcontrolservicestotheoperation.

JointBasePearlHarborHickam(JBPHH)sawthemajorityofthe"fastair"orfighterjettrafficatRIMPACwith
the exception of the U.S. Navy F/A18 Hornets and Growlers that were operating aboard the USS Ronald
Regan. Tanker and transport traffic was also focused at

JBPHH.OnthenortheastshoreofOahu,CombinedTaskForce
172 flew from Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay.
CTF172 exclusively operated all the Long Range Patrol (LRP)
aircraftatRIMPACandplayedauniquecrosscomponentrole.
Tasked with many duties including antisubmarine warfare,
Colonel Iain Huddelston, Deputy Commander of CTF172 ex
plains how the task force fit into the bigger RIMPAC picture;
"So what the maritime component commander has done is
he's divided his battle space into these task forces, and he's
divided his responsibilities for certain parts of the battle to
these various CTFs (air, land, maritime and special forces).
Buttheinterestingthingaboutmaritimepatrolledaircraft,or
longrangepatrolaircraft,isthatweareheretoserviceeach
andeverytask.Sothat'swhywehavethewholeCTF172to
ourselves.Sowe'reataskforceofourownsupportingallthe
othermaritimetaskforces(inthemaritimecomponent),and
thenwe'llalsostepoutandsupporttheaircomponentcom
mander,landcomponentcommanderandthespecialopera
tions component commander when and if required, or di
rected."ForthisreasonCTF172hadmembersembeddedinto
each component at the exercise to coordinate the individual
requirements for LRP so CTF172 assets could be tasked ac
cordingly.

With over 200 aircraft from 13 countries all working to meet significant training
goalswithinlessthanamonth'stimeframewhiledeployedawayfromtheirhome
bases,thelevelofeffortandcoordinationrequiredtopulloffasuccessfulexercise
like RIMPAC 2014 is almost unbelievable. The fact that those goals are met and
everyoneleavesconsideringtheirparticipationwellworthwhileisatestamentto
theleveloftraining,skillsandprofessionalismbroughttotheexercisebyitspartici
pants.

TheAviationMagazinewouldliketoextendoursincerestthankstotheUSNavy'sLieutenantLenayaRotklein
andEnsignAshleyNekouiandtheRCAF'sCaptainJefferyNoelforalltheirefforttomakecoveringRIMPAC
2014anoutstandingexperience.

RCAFAirbusA310CC150Ttanker,righttop
USNGrummanC2Greyhound,below

RCAFHornetrefuelling

RCAFCC188BandAUSArmyUH60BlackHawkJapaneseMitsubishiH60RAAFP3COrion

USNEA18Gabouttolandonthe
USSGeorgeWashingtonaircraft
carrier,notetheLittoralcombat
shipUSSIndependence(LCS2)in
thebackground
USNphoto

HawaiianAirLinesAirbus
A330,top
USAFC17,middle
USArmyBlackhawkbottom,
all2014SteveBigg

USNphoto

TheRoyalAustralianNavyCollinsclasssubmarineHMASSheean(SSGT77)TheUSSPeleliu(LHA5)isaTarawaclassamphibiousassaultshipoftheUnitedStatesNavy.

USNphoto

AircraftmovementsinMaltainthefirst8monthsoftheyearprovedtobeyetagainveryinterestingwitha
goodmixtureofaircraftvisitingusbetheycivil,businessjets,cargoormilitary.

UndoubtedlythemostawaitedarrivalthisyearwasthatofthenationalairlineAirmaltaA320214registra
tion9HAEIinRetroliveryonthe16thAprilbrandingtheoriginalcolourssincetheairlinestartedoperatingin
1974.TheaircrafthadarrivedfromtheleasedcompanywithInterjetcoloursonthe7thAprilbeforetravel
lingtoOstravaforthenewpaintjob.AircraftarrivingformaintenanceinthevariousMaltamaintenancefa
cilitieswerealsoontheincrease.MostwerefromLufthansaandEasyjetbutairlinessuchasBrusselsAir
lines,AirAfrique,Vueling,VirginAtlantic,andTAPalsosenttheiraircraftformaintenanceinMalta.

AirMaltaA320214reg9HAEI(inAirmaltaretroliveryafterthepaintjobabove,andthesamebelowbefore)

Militarymovementsarealwaysgreetedwiththeusualgreatenthusiasm.TheSaudiAirForceTyphoonscon
tinuedtodominatemilitarymovementsflyinginfromWartonbaseintheUKondeliverytoSaudiArabiaon
deliveryflightsforanightstopattheMaltaInternationalAirport.Performingsometouchandgosandlow
flypasts are an added bonus for the Maltese spotters. Other military movements included the US Navy
DroneN17whichenteredtheMaltaGrandHarbourontheUSSimpson;theRoyalNetherlandsNavyNH90
helicopter;theKoreanNavyLynxMK99;theBelgianAirForceAlouetteIII;theVenezuelanC130H;theUSAir
ForceandtheRoyalAirForceC17s.
TherewasasteadyincreaseofPrivateBusinessJetsandotherprivateaircraftarrivinginMalta,notablyin
conjunction with the Maltese Government Residential Scheme aimed for investments in Malta by foreign
businessman.VariousGovernmentBusinessJetsalsomadeanappearanceinMaltaamongstthesewere
theKingdomofSaudiArabiaGulfstreamIVwiththeSaudiArabianFinanceMinisteronboard.

AirMaltaA320214reg9HAEIpriortothenewlivery

OtherrecentinterestingmovementsstillongoingareduetothenewLibyaCrisis,wherevariousgovernments
areusingMaltatoevacuatetheirnationalsworkinginwartornLibyaviaseaportsthenthroughMaltaInter
nationalAirport.InjuredpeoplearealsobeingbroughttoMaltaviaAirAmbulances.Aircrafthitbymortar
alsomanagedtoescapeTripoliforrepairsinMaltaandfortheirownsafetyandoperations.
The forthcoming Malta International Airshow 2014 which is being held on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th
Septemberwill,asusualbethemainhighlightforMalteseSpottersthisyear.ThisyearsAirshowwillseea
record4aerobaticflyingteamsparticipatingTheRedArrows,FrecceTricolori,SpanishPatrullaAguilaand
theTurkishStars.OtherflyingaircraftwillbetheSwissAirForceF18CHornet,TheBelgianAirForceF16AM
andtheCzechAirForceAlcaL159.InterestingstaticaircraftincludetheGermanAirForceTornadoIDS,the
HellenicAirForceF4EPhantomII,theItalianAirForceAW139helicopter,andtheNATOE3ASentry.More
informationcanbeobtainedfromtheAirshowwebsitehttp://maltairshow.com/whilstafullreportwillbe
publishedinthenextissueofTheAviationMagazine.
BackgroundimageSaudiArabiaAirForceTyphoonregZK390

AirBalticB73736QregYLBBJ

BelgianAirForceC130HregCH08AventAVCargoMD11regZBAM

Go2SkyB734regOMGTA,above.LufthansaA340300regDAIFE,below.EmiratesB777331regA6EMG,above.PetroAirEmbraer170/175reg5APAB,below.

NIKIEmbraerERJ190100LRregOEIXGTravelServiceB7378FN(WL)regOYTVL

RAFC17regZZ174above.RyanairB7378ASregEIDCL(Retrolivery)TurkmenistanIL76regEZF247,above.WizzAirA320232(W)regHALWY,below.

2014KeithPisani

2014KeithPisani

PhilippinesB747400regRPC7471,above.RoyalNetherlandsNavyNH90atMaltaGrandHarbour,below.

2014RayPace

2014Mr.Moose

VenezuelaAirForceC130HregFAV4951