Swiss Air Force Live Fire Demo
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Virginia, USA
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Swiss Air Force Live Fire Demo
My family and I were in Switzerland a few days ago -- we were visiting Jungfraujoch (nicknamed "The Top of Europe"). I was up at about 12,000 feet with my wife and kids for a couple of hours.
My oldest son got altitude sickness, so we had to expedite his descent. He and I got to sit in the engineer's compartment on the cog train (which was pretty cool, in and of itself, besides the fact that my son was dry heaving all the way down).
In any case, in the course of the conversation between the engineer and myself, he told me about an annual live fire exercise held by the Swiss Air Force.
He told me that the exercise is called Axalp, and it is held near Brienz. He told me that the exercise is held in a canyon -- the aircraft fire into one side of the canyon, and the general public sits on the other side of the canyon. The spectators, in many cases, actually sit above and look down upon the aircraft during their strafing and bombing runs.
Based upon my initial research, I believe the aircraft are probably based at Meiringen-Unterbach airfield, if that makes a difference.
Does anyone here know anything about this? I would like any information about what I need to do to attend.
The train engineer told me that the event was open to the general public, with no restrictions. I believe he said it is held in October. I would love to attend this with my kids. Any advice would be appreciated.
My oldest son got altitude sickness, so we had to expedite his descent. He and I got to sit in the engineer's compartment on the cog train (which was pretty cool, in and of itself, besides the fact that my son was dry heaving all the way down).
In any case, in the course of the conversation between the engineer and myself, he told me about an annual live fire exercise held by the Swiss Air Force.
He told me that the exercise is called Axalp, and it is held near Brienz. He told me that the exercise is held in a canyon -- the aircraft fire into one side of the canyon, and the general public sits on the other side of the canyon. The spectators, in many cases, actually sit above and look down upon the aircraft during their strafing and bombing runs.
Based upon my initial research, I believe the aircraft are probably based at Meiringen-Unterbach airfield, if that makes a difference.
Does anyone here know anything about this? I would like any information about what I need to do to attend.
The train engineer told me that the event was open to the general public, with no restrictions. I believe he said it is held in October. I would love to attend this with my kids. Any advice would be appreciated.
Join Date: Feb 2003
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According to http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/asgcal/ewoct.htm show is Mon 9 Oct thru Thurs 12 Oct 2006.
Did you note the warning from the first link?
Did you note the warning from the first link?
For a visit to this GREAT airshow, you need not only good photo equipment..., but also VERY GOOD shoes and clothes..., reason : you MUST WALK !! it is 1,5 hour's walk (you are a real mountaineer..) in ice, fog, snow, water,mud, rain, stones etc. etc. from 4783 feet to 7365 feet high, and it is very..very.. cold there when no sunshine, there is not another possibility to come there, yes only by air....
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Hi guys
If anyones going to this, give me a shout if you need help finding out how to get there, locally once in CH. ie trains, bus etc
I'll be going myself, but then these days I live in Zurich, so not as much of a hike for me.
Regards Expat
If anyones going to this, give me a shout if you need help finding out how to get there, locally once in CH. ie trains, bus etc
I'll be going myself, but then these days I live in Zurich, so not as much of a hike for me.
Regards Expat
KC-10 Driver:
Back in '89 I decided to stay in Interlaken for as few nights (had my own cheap room at famous Balmer's Youth Hostel/Jugendherberge! Luckily no kids or students there on May 15th), and just by chance, pedaled a rental bike on a nice paved path near the town. Central Europe, not just the Netherlands, have many nice paved bike trail networks-and very detailed maps (Stadtplan/Landkarten). Anyway, suddenly, after taxiing from hangars which were almost hidden, some Swiss Mirage jets took off over this beautiful, lush, hilly landscape. Just an idea, but don't know whether there is still a small base there.
Grindelwald, where Eastwood filmed the movie "the Eiger Sanction", is about 1 1/2 hours up into the mountains by bus. You can ride the Seilbahn (gondola/tram) across to a mountain which is right next to the infamous Eiger (climbers are "lost" every year) and walk on some easy dirt trails for a bit.
I'm envious
....good luck and have fun!
If you need a tourguide, and this is highly recommended, I only charge for daily pizza and Weizenbier per diem.
Back in '89 I decided to stay in Interlaken for as few nights (had my own cheap room at famous Balmer's Youth Hostel/Jugendherberge! Luckily no kids or students there on May 15th), and just by chance, pedaled a rental bike on a nice paved path near the town. Central Europe, not just the Netherlands, have many nice paved bike trail networks-and very detailed maps (Stadtplan/Landkarten). Anyway, suddenly, after taxiing from hangars which were almost hidden, some Swiss Mirage jets took off over this beautiful, lush, hilly landscape. Just an idea, but don't know whether there is still a small base there.
Grindelwald, where Eastwood filmed the movie "the Eiger Sanction", is about 1 1/2 hours up into the mountains by bus. You can ride the Seilbahn (gondola/tram) across to a mountain which is right next to the infamous Eiger (climbers are "lost" every year) and walk on some easy dirt trails for a bit.
I'm envious
....good luck and have fun! If you need a tourguide, and this is highly recommended, I only charge for daily pizza and Weizenbier per diem.
