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Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornets at Meiringen Air Base
Filmed by our friend Dafydd Phillips on Oct. 18, 2023 the unique video in this post features Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets operations at the picturesque Meiringen Air Base, in Switzerland.
Phillips explains;
‘Meiringen Air Base, also known as the Unterbach Military Airfield, is a Swiss military airbase located near the hamlet of Unterbach and the town of Meiringen, in the canton of Bern. It is one of three main airbases of the Swiss Air Force.
‘I’ve captured some resident F/A-18 Hornets taxiing, taking off and landing in and around the base. Included are some other aircraft using the base along with one content bovine resident.’
Road crossing taxi track
According to Scramble website, Meiringen is located in a small valley between spectacular high mountains. This valley is so deep and narrow that in the winter period the sun will not even reach the airbase. As the video in this post shows, the view from the base is breathtaking and spots to take pictures can be found everywhere around the base. There is no real base fence, and it is possible to drive over the field.
Moreover, given that the base has road crossing taxi track it happens that you can find a road in the middle of a village where fighters cross… Can you imagine walking to the grocery shop in the morning and an F/A-18 crosses your way?
Quite something!
Meiringen Air Base today
Meiringen airfield officially began operations on Dec. 1, 1941. The opening coincided with the war year 1941, when things did not look at all rosy for Switzerland continued existence.
Today Meiringen Air Base Command is responsible for the permanent operational readiness of the Swiss Air Force.
Most of its 200 employees work in Meiringen, while some are stationed at Bern Belp airport. They use the latest technology to meet their daily challenges, working precisely and to the highest standards on the front line and contributing significantly to Switzerland’s security by managing flight operations, maintaining the extensive infrastructure and monitoring the airspace. In addition, the air base employs 30 apprentices, training as polymechanics, automotive technicians and operational maintenance engineers.
Photo credit: Dafydd Phillips
