GFD Society for flight target display
| GFD GmbH | |
|---|---|
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|
|
| IATA code : | - |
| ICAO code : | GFD |
| Call sign : | KITE |
| Founding: | 1989 |
| Seat: |
Mockery , Germany
|
| Home airport : | Hohn Air Base |
| Company form: | GmbH |
| Management: | Stefan Müller |
| Number of employees: | 174 (2017) |
| Sales: | € 49 million (2017) |
| Balance sheet total: | € 30 million (2017) |
| Fleet size: | 13 |
| Aims: | individually |
| Website: | gfd.de |
The GFD GmbH (formerly GFD Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung mbH) is a German airline based in derision and based on the Hohn Air Base . It is a subsidiary of Airbus Defense and Space and mainly performs exercises for the German armed forces .
history
On October 1, 1966, the Lufthansa subsidiary Condor was the first to commission a private company to simulate air targets using jet-powered aircraft . For this purpose six Canadair Saber Mk. 6 were used, which took off from Sylt Airport with towed targets made of cardboard, textile or plastic . In 1974 the machines were replaced by 24 Fiat G.91s and in 1976 the machines were moved to the Hohn Air Base .
On May 24, 1989 the GFD was founded as a subsidiary of Condor and Aero-Dienst Nürnberg in order to fly with a more economical civilian target display. After signing a corresponding contract, four Learjet 35 and 36 were initially purchased, which could accommodate two instead of one towed target. In 1997, the company signed a long-term contract with the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement , which made it possible to increase the number of Learjets to seven.
In 2002 EADS took over the company.
In 2011, 4,928 target display flight hours with the Learjets and 1,513 simulator hours with the ASTA training simulators of the Eurofighter weapon system were completed .
Services
GFD mainly performs flight target representations with and without tow targets as well as EloKa training flights for the Bundeswehr .
She also takes on assignments for research institutions such as the German Weather Service and some universities , for the armaments industry, public authorities and foreign armed forces.
fleet
As of July 2019, the GFD fleet consists of 14 aircraft:
| Aircraft type | number | ordered | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learjet 35A | 12 | ||
| Learjet 36A | 2 | ||
| total | 14th | - |
Incidents
On June 23, 2014, a GFD Learjet 35 involved in a maneuver crashed near the town of Elpe in the Sauerland , which occurred after a collision in the air with a Eurofighter of the Tactical Air Force Wing 31 “Boelcke” . The two inmates had a fatal accident. The Eurofighter, however, landed safely.
See also
Web links
- GFD website (German, English)
- Short information film by the Bundeswehr about the GFD
Individual evidence
- ↑ FliegerRevue May 2009, pp. 19–20, From tow bag to electronics pod: 20 years GFD
- ↑ gfd.de - Services ( Memento of the original from January 29, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. accessed on March 4, 2017
- ↑ About GFD , accessed on July 2, 2019
- ↑ Plane crash in the Sauerland: Last doubts about the death of the Learjet pilots dispelled. In: Spiegel Online . July 2, 2014, accessed July 4, 2014 .
- ^ FAZ - "Target aircraft" crashed after colliding with a fighter jet, 23 June 2014
- ↑ Der Spiegel - Sauerland: Learjet crashed after collision with "Eurofighter", 23 June 2014
- ^ Investigation report on a collision between a Learjet 35A and a Eurofighter during a military exercise. In: BFU . June 23, 2014, accessed July 3, 2019 .
