This was the final airshow for me in 2001, a short drive from Herefordshire to Westphalia in Germany with Geoff (st24) to attend the 40th anniversary show for JG72 at Hopsten, JG73 at Laage and JG74 at Neuberg had held similar earlier in the year but this was the one where all the special jets came together.
A small static park attracted Italian F-104, AMX and MB339 and a pair of French Mirage F1CTs. The painted Tornados from the tigermeet were joined by JbG31's Black Thunder. The flying display was equally small, the home team put up a fourship of Phantoms and the Belgian Alpha Jet and Danish F-16 displays were also present. But it was all about Phantoms. The three special jets were pulled out of the static park, JG72 in patriotic national colours, JG73 in deep blue with yellow unit crosses across the surfaces and JG74 in Bavarian blue and white chequers.
The weather on arrivals and the spotters call on the Friday had been damp, grey and grot and the showday morning dawned with heavy rain thudding down. Luckily as we arrived at the base it began to clear and it turned into a day of long warm sunny spells interspersed with heavy thundery showers. Thankfully the special flypasts of the special jets, joined by JG73's MiG29 from the flightline were held until a weather window came over the base and from our lofty elevated position on one of the revetments the aircraft were started up and taxied out in front of us. It all came good in the end.
img322 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img329 (2) by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img334 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img333 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img319 (2) by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img330 (2) by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img323 (2) by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img325 (2) by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img331 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img327 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img328 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img324 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img326 (2) by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img332 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img320 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
img321 (2) by Paul Downes, on Flickr
Hopsten 2001 - Fancy Phantoms and a MiG
- capercaillie
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Re: Hopsten 2001 - Fancy Phantoms and a MiG
That first shot is fantastic, and the Tigermeet Tornado from 2001 was my all-time favourite paint scheme.
"You really are an oafish philistine at times!"
- Wrexham Mackem
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Re: Hopsten 2001 - Fancy Phantoms and a MiG
Mouthwateringly good. The Germans have always had the knack when it comes to special schemes, to be fair.
Re: Hopsten 2001 - Fancy Phantoms and a MiG
The MiG 29 in that colour scheme is the doggies doodahs. They do know a thing or two about special schemes.
Andy
Andy