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Exercise Orange Bull 2025
Exercise Orange Bull 2025 is a military training operation conducted by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) from March 24 to April 4, 2025. The exercise focuses on practicing tactical landings, cargo drops, and parachute operations across various locations in the Dutch provinces of North Brabant, Overijssel, Groningen, and parts of Belgium. As part of…
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Saviours of the North
In the north of Italy, nestled between the Lago Maggiore and the Lago di Como, lies the airfield of Venegono. Besides being the location where Leonardo Aircraft constructs their training aircraft, this place is also the base for the Sezione Aerea Varese of the Guardia di Finanza (Italian fiscal police). This small unit, which is…
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New Airbus H.135 design breaks cover
Earlier this summer, whilst visiting the Airbus facilities in Donauwörth, I noticed a new Airbus H.135 design in one of the hangars. This helicopter wore registration D-HEEY, but did not carry any visible construction number. Several notable enhancements are evident in the new design. Firstly, the previously four-bladed main rotor has been replaced with a…
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Hold the Line
Last September the Fallschirmjägerregiment 31 of the Bundeswehr held a week-long exercise on and near the small airfield of Karlshöfen, which is north of Bremen. During one of the days, a Super Lynx of Marinefliegergeschwader 5 joined the action in order to exercise sling operations with the Super Lynx. Purpose of the exercise on that…
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Policing Lombardia
Located at the airport of Milan Malpensa is the 2° Reparto Volo of the Polizia di Stato. This police aviation unit is responsible for police tasks in nothern Italy’s Lombardia province.
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The “new” Pilatus PC-7 MKX
On Sunday 14 November 2021 the new Pilatus PC-7 MXK trainer aircraft was reveiled. This is in fact a renewed version of the PC-7 Mk II trainer. We already saw it prior to the unveiling. Read more about it below. In 1994, at the request of the South African Air Force, Pilatus devised a new…
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The Dragon’s Den
On the 16th of June 2021 an exotic bird landed at Twente Airport after a long flight; this day saw the arrival of a Cathay Dragon Airbus 320 that will be dismantled.
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Heliport Medisch Spectrum Twente – When every second counts
This article shows some more insight on the helideck of Medisch Spectrum Twente in Enschede and the helicopters that frequent it.
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Throwback – Exercise Cerberus Guard
In March 2013 the area around the former Twenthe Airbase was the scene of a large exercise called Cerberus Guard where airmobile forces had the objective to capture the airfield.
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Exercise Blue Wings 2020 – There’s a first time for everything
In August 2020 a truly unique exercise took place in Germany: Exercise Blue Wings 2020. This exercise marked the first time that aircraft from the German Luftwaffe and Israeli Air Force (IAF) operated jointly in German skies. After the Luftwaffe had already taken part twice in Exercise Blue Flag, which took place at IAFs Ovda…
Niek van der Zande Photography – Life Through a Lense
