Airpower24 - Zeltweg, Austria

[capercaillie]

The new Austrian Typhoon scheme also looks sick.

Makes me queasy as well.

[Tommy]

[p2philip]

live ticker/schedule for arrivals and show will be here:

https://ticker.airpower.gv.at/

[bishbashbosh]

Looks like the Bf 109 has cancelled. Dropped off the participation list and the schedule now shows a Me 262 solo.

[wamovements]

live ticker/schedule for arrivals and show will be here:

https://ticker.airpower.gv.at/

C-17A Reach604 01-0192 arriving with F-35 demoteam support team in about an hour

[Tom105]

Looks like the Bf 109 has cancelled. Dropped off the participation list and the schedule now shows a Me 262 solo.

Interesting that the 262 is still showing, Melun are saying it technical and its dropped from there list

[p2philip]

live ticker/schedule for arrivals and show will be here:

https://ticker.airpower.gv.at/

C-17A Reach604 01-0192 arriving with F-35 demoteam support team in about an hour

KC-135 00347 landed at nearby GRZ airport.

Also a B787 of Austrian Airlines will apparently perform a flyby on Saturday.

[Leadfoot]

If someone is/was there on Tuesday or Wednesday: what's the situation with closed areas near the eastern end of the runway? Same as in 2022?

[Mictheslik]

I spent a few hours on kattigarweg today. A fair few photographers there with no issues, including in the parking fields closer to the fence. Didn’t go down the road right next to the base so not sure on access.

.mic

[p2philip]

Good to see the provisional program....Although worryingly for my own sanity, it's the prospect of shooting those Vermont Lightnings which is my highlight currently.

Don't put your hopes too high on the presence of Vermont aircraft.

4x VT jets arrived today

And yes Flatschacherstrasse the road right next to the threshold RWY26 is closed off as usual you can spot from the path/fields further back.

[Leadfoot]

And yes Flatschacherstrasse the road right next to the threshold RWY26 is closed off as usual you can spot from the path/fields further back.

There was a "no entry" sign on Flatschacher Strasse, but people ignored it, and police didn't bother them - except asking them to remove their chairs from the road. At least this was the situation on Thursday.

[PeterR]

Well, this year was my 4th consecutive visit to AIRPOWER and once again it was an enjoyable 5 days in amazing scenery with plenty of nice aeroplanes to photograph. Pleased to say the F-35s did come from Vermont (as was planned, given Austria is tied with the State of Vermont under the umbrella of the US military's State Partnership Program) and Saturday's heritage flight with three Mustangs joining the Lightning was a very impressive sight. Whilst there were plenty of high quality displays and highlights, this years show did have a number of less enjoyable moments. Notably the crowd density on Saturday which was extremely uncomfortable when trying to transit airfield, the bizarre Argonauts set-piece which ended the programme each day and the lack of individual star/rare item to elevate the show from good to excellent. In previous years I've left the airfield knowing I want to return for the next show, whereas after this year's show I'm not convinced. Images to follow in the coming weeks once edited..!

[Sall]

Whilst there were plenty of high quality displays and highlights, this years show did have a number of less enjoyable moments. Notably the crowd density on Saturday which was extremely uncomfortable when trying to transit airfield, the bizarre Argonauts set-piece which ended the programme each day and the lack of individual star/rare item to elevate the show from good to excellent. In previous years I've left the airfield knowing I want to return for the next show, whereas after this year's show I'm not convinced.

100% agree.

[Leadfoot]

Notably the crowd density on Saturday which was extremely uncomfortable when trying to transit airfield, the bizarre Argonauts set-piece which ended the programme each day and the lack of individual star/rare item to elevate the show from good to excellent. In previous years I've left the airfield knowing I want to return for the next show, whereas after this year's show I'm not convinced. Images to follow in the coming weeks once edited..!

+1

I've been to all editions of Airpower since 2009, so I expected a huge crowd on Saturday, but this was something else. I guess the weather situation tipped the scales even further in favour of the second show day. Moving around (to see the static line, etc.) was really cumbersome.

Also, I appreciate the organisers thinking about new types of displays. I really do. But the Argonauts performance just did not work. It was worth a try, but they should just stick to flying and leave the art part to other events. They could have done something much more spectacular with twenty-something aircraft in the air.

[bishbashbosh]

Ditto to the comments above, another very enjoyable edition of AirPower.

I agree that the flying display perhaps lacked that stand-out star item - still a great show by any measure, but I must admit to being a little disappointed when the participation list was published.

I found the whole Argonauts business a little odd. I enjoyed the sight of mass helicopters in formation, hovering right in front of us - which brought back memories of British shows gone by - but they should have dropped the am dram. Being in one of the spotter boxes along the crowd line I couldn't see a screen or hear the commentary so had no idea what was going on, and was not the only one puzzled by the sight of a sailing boat being towed along the taxiway, or a tractor with its front-end loader on fire. The girl in the red dress being winched into the helicopter needed a bit more to protect her modesty too! I think what summed it up was the trailer with the dancers positioned right in front of us at the climax to deafening silence. There were a flew claps, but the performers looked a bit disappointed tbh.

Of course one of the highlights of AirPower is taking advantage of the live-side spotter areas for one of the days - something not possible at UK shows. Forget the camera, just being under the displays in some positions, or at the end of the display line is always an experience to remember. Being shuttled around in the back of one of the army trucks was also a little fun

Everything else worked great. Parked next to the entrance just after opening, walked straight in with no queues. Brilliant!