Photos from Stockholm Air Show 2010 (Heavy Pictures, modem people beware)

[+JonathanRL 973]

Arrived at the Air Show at Gärdet at 9.30 in the morning, to see Helicopter No: 15 (Agusta A109) land, and a model of a JAS 39 Gripen (Nicknamed Gripen Light) beeing towed into the area. Military Staff was busy making the place in order for the guests about to arrive.

 

It was not the assigned area for this Guardsman, but it made for such a great photo.

 

 

K9 Units trained their dogs in the general area. People was understandably cautions about getting closer.

 

Nothing says "APC" like a recruiting poster....

 

 

The Helicopter 15 arriving for letting people take a closer look at it for a few hours...

 

...and it left shortly after lunch.

 

 

The big show for the day however was a fully restored Bleriot IX Aircraft - the same kind used when flying over the English Channel. It was the only Aircraft that both took off and landed at the Grass Airstrip of Gärdet and also the only one that flew lower then 300 meters.

 

 

 

Another Classic that flew over the area was a late-war Spitfire (Mk.XVIIIe). Ruddy fast thing - and at 300 meters, not a very easy thing to take a decent shot at considering the weather...

 

 

 

A Sikorsky arrived, showing off their supreme Search and Rescue skills. Its good to know that if I take to the Seas, my life will be in their skilled hands.

 

 

Do note all the grass flying around in the air, whipped up by the Helicopters Rotors.

 

 

 

Common as Gulls - at least on the few Swedish Air Shows we do have - a Four-Plane Wing of F7 Såtenäs - flying JAS 39 Gripen C. Diamond Formation.

 

 

After them came the classic Aircraft of the Airforce. SK-60, A-32 Lansen and J34 Hawker Hunter. A J29 Tunnan was supposed to have participated but was unable due to malfunction. I failed to get a decent shot of the SK-60 so only shots of Lansen and Hunter are displayed.

The Dread of the Soviet Baltic Fleet. Lansen was an Attack Aircraft, designed to wreak havoc on Soviet Invasion Fleets. Later versions carried heavy anti-ship missiles.

 

Hawker Hunter, purchased to fill the gap between J29 and J35, stayed in service for less then ten years. Said to be one of the most lovely planes possible to fly - and also the most beautiful Aircraft to serve in the Air Force to date.

 

Also on the Area was numerious (boring) Ground Vehicles and something rather less boring - A SK-60 Flight Simulator where the Pilot under instruction would try and land at former F-14 Airbase. I was the second during the day to attempt this and the first one to succeed. It was a tad tricky - I am used to a Keyboard, not numerous different controls yet at least I was familiar with the software. Most fun was the throttle and the adjusting of Airbrakes and Flaps.

 

The unit patch suggests they trained me to fly the wrong thing...

 

The first one to attempt landing. His Aircraft became as much of a smoking crater that Microsoft allows in their Flight Sims.

Last thing before this entry ends: More of this in Stockholm. Last great Air Show was 12 years ago. Unacceptable! Once every second year at least.

[+JonathanRL 973]

I have the sad duty to report that the Spitfire on my pictures crashed upon landing in Norway, killing the pilot upon impact.

[MigBuster 2,861]

I have the sad duty to report that the Spitfire on my pictures crashed upon landing in Norway, killing the pilot upon impact.

 

 

thats just shocking news