MILAVIA > Air Shows > AirPower 16 Zeltweg Last updated: 4 January 2017
MILAVIA Air Shows

Air Show Report : AirPower 16 Zeltweg

AIRPOWER 16 - Zeltweg, Austria

Photo report by Helmut Richter from the AirPower airshow at Zeltweg Air Base, or Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser, hosted by the Austrian armed forces in September 2016.

EF2000 7L-WN
EF2000 7L-WN
EF2000 7L-WN
EF2000 7L-WF
EF2000 7L-WF
EF2000 7L-WF

The Airpower show at the Austrian fighter base of Zeltweg in the Bundesland Steiermark is one of the “must see” events for the airshow season, both because of its sheer size and variety of displays and of the beauty of the mountains giving a perfect background for photography. It had been held bi-annually until 2013, but it has turned to a three-year interval since.

While I had not managed to visit any Airpower before, I wanted to make sure that I get the most out of it this year and I booked the 5-day spotter ticket for two arrival days (of which I attended only the second), two show days and the departure day. While not cheap, it provided full catering and an effective shuttle service between 14(!) spotting locations around the airfield. The benefit of this variety was somewhat limited during the two show days however, because of the huge number of regular visitors and photographers which made it impossible to get a place at one of the crowd line spotter locations later in the day.

One of my personal objectives for the show was to get best possible coverage of Bundesheer aircraft and, indeed, I was not disappointed. On the second arrival day, it was even possible to get escorted access to the OH-58 and Alouette III flightlines and the Alouette III SAR helicopters at their dispersal.

The Austrian Bundesheer presentations included several tactical demos including a spectacular interception of a C-130 by two EF2000s taking off head-on. A very nice 4-ship SAAB 105Ö formation could have come straight from the 1970s when the similar “Karo As” team toured the European airshows.

Probably the most unique display was the Austrian heritage jet formation including such rare participants like the J 29 Tunnan, J 35 Draken, DH115 Vampire T.55 and CM170 Magister.

The wide variety of other solo and team presentations as well as aircraft in the static display and for support can best be taken from the set of images provided with this report.

With the weather showing a friendly face during most of the time, Airpower 2016 scored again in comparison with other less lucky European shows like Florennes or Leeuwarden, making it in my view the #1 highlight of this year’s continental European airshows.

EF2000 7L-WF
EF2000 7L-WI
EF2000 7L-WK
EF2000 7L-WK
C-130K 8T-CC EF2000 7L-WF
C-130K 8T-CC LuTSta
SAAB 105Ö RD-24
SAAB 105Ö RD-24 BA-31
SAAB 105Ö RB-22 RD-24 RH-28 BA-31
SAAB 105Ö RB-22 RD-24 RH-28 BA-31
SAAB 105Ö RB-22 RD-24 RH-28 BA-31
SAAB 105Ö RB-22
SAAB 105Ö RD-24
SAAB 105Ö RH-28
SAAB 105Ö RH-28 RD-24
SAAB 105Ö BA-31
SAAB 105Ö GD-14
SAAB 105Ö GD-14
SAAB 105Ö GD-14
SAAB 35Ö 25
PC-6B2-H2 3G-EB IluTSta
PC-6B2-H2 3G-EF IluTSta
PC-6B2-H2 3G-EH IluTSta
PC-6B2-H4 3G-EN IluTSta
PC-7 414 3H-FC
PC-7 414 3H-FC
PC-7 416 3H-FE
AB212 line-up lTHSSta
AB212 5D-HB lTHSSta
AB212 5D-HF lTHSSta
AB212 5D-HG lTHSSta
AB212 5D-HR lTHSSta
AB212 5D-HY lTHSSta
OH-58B 3C-OC MzHSSt
OH-58B 3C-OE MzHSSt
OH-58B 3C-OH MzHSSt
OH-58B 3C-OL MzHSSt
S-70A-42 6M-BA mTHSSta
S-70A-42 6M-BA mTHSSta
S-70A-42 6M-BB mTHSSta
S-70A-42 6M-BD mTHSSta
S-70A-42 6M-BG mTHSSta
S-70A-42 6M-BH mTHSSta
S-70A-42 6M-BH mTHSSta
SA316B 1377 3E-KA VeHSSta
SA316B 1419 3E-KE VeHSSta
SA316B 3E-KK KN KT VeHSSta
SA316B 1472 3E-LA VeHSSta
SA316B 2058 3E-KN VeHSSt
SA316B 2099 3E-KT VeHSSta
SA316B 2329 3E-KZ VeHSSta
SAAB 91D 455 3F-SR preserved
Cessna L-19E 3A-BM preserved
Rafale C 133 4-GL ETR03-004
Rafale C 142 4-GU ETR03-004
Rafale C 142 4-GU ETR03-004
Rafale C 142 4-GU ETR03-004
Rafale C 142 4-GU ETR03-004
C160 R205 64-GE ET64
MiG-29A 105 1.elt
MiG-29A 105 1.elt
C295M 020 8BLTr-13eltr
F-16AM FA-104
F-16AM FA-123
F-16AM FA-123
C-130H CH-01 15Wing-20Sqn
EF-18M C.15-67 15-33 Ala15
EF-18M C.15-67 15-33 Ala15
EF-18M C.15-67 15-33 Ala15
Mi-35 3370 221LtBVr
Mi-35 3370 221LtBVr
C-27J MM62115 46-80.
AN-26 406 MH59
AJ 37 37098 7-52 SE-DXN
AJ 37 37098 7-52 SE-DXN
AJ 37 37098 7-52 SE-DXN
AJ 37 37098 7-52 SE-DXN
AJ 37 37098 7-52 SE-DXN
A400M 002 EC-402
A400M 002 EC-402
Austrian Air Force Heritage Formation
CM170 79 D-IFCC
J 29F 29670 SE-DXB 10-R
J 29F 29670 SE-DXB 10-R
J 29F 29670 SE-DXB 10-R
F-5E J-3070
F-5E J-3097
Vampire .55 HB-RVJ U-1228
Vampire T.55 HB-RVJ U-1228
SK 35C 35810 SE-DXP 16-79
SK 35C 35810 SE-DXP 16-79
SK 35C 35810 SE-DXP 16-79
SK 35C 35810 SE-DXP 16-79
SK 35C 35810 SE-DXP 16-79
SK 35C 35810 SE-DXP 16-79
PC-7 Team
NCPC-7 A-931 PC-7 Team
PC-7 Team
PC-7 Team
PC-7 Team
NCPC-7 A-929 PC-7 Team
NCPC-7 A-932 PC-7 Team
Frecce Tricolori
MB339A-PAN MM54514 Frecce Tricolori 0
MB339A-PAN MM55055 Frecce Tricolori 12
P.180 MM62287 31St-93Gr
C-101EB Patrulla Aguila
C-101EB Patrulla Aguila
C-101EB E.25-13 79-13 Patrulla Aguila 5
C-101EB E.25-22 79-22 Patrulla Aguila 6 & E.25-38 79-38 Patrulla Aguila 7
C-101EB Patrulla Aguila
C-295M T.21-07 35-45 353Esc
Ce560 TR20-01 403-11 403Esc
EF2000 30+29 TaktLwG74
EF2000 30+68 TaktLwG74
EF2000 31+16 TaktLwG73
UH-1D 73+63 THR30
NH90 TTH 79+11 THR30
CH-47F D-890 298Sqn
Falcon 20 053 717Skv
JAS 39C 39310-39 59th TFW
L-39CM 5301 2,VL
L-39ZAM 4701 2.VL
Mi-17 0823 VrK
Mi-17 0823 VrK
PC-9M 638 L9-65
PC-9M 641 L9-68
Spitfire LF.XVIe G-MXVI TE184 VY
P-51D F-AZXS 414237 HO-W
Me 262A-1c D-IMTT Messerschmitt Stiftung
Yak-3 D-FYGJ white 5
AT-6D G-TXAN SNJ-5 51970
Yak-11 D-FJII6
Sea Fury FB11 F-AZXJ WH589 NW115
Sea Fury FB11 F-AZXJ WH589 NW115
T-28C D-FUMY 146246-07492S
Sycamore HR.52 OE-XSY XG545
P.149D D-ELEV 91+22
Hunter T.68 HB-RVV J-4206
Hunter T.68 HB-RVV J-4206

Report and photos by Helmut Richter ( view portfolio )



First Published: 4 January 2017
Last Modified: 4 January 2017