Meiringen military airfield
| Meiringen military airfield | |
|---|---|
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| Characteristics | |
| ICAO code | LSMM |
| Coordinates | |
| Start-and runway | |
| 10/28 | 2003 m × 40 m asphalt |
The military airfield Meiringen is an active military airfield of the Swiss Air Force in Unterbach west of Meiringen in the Bernese Oberland .
history
Meiringen airfield started operations on December 1, 1941. The airfield played an important role in the plane crash on the Gauli Glacier , as the rescue operation started from here. Rescuing people on a glacier by air has never been carried out before anywhere in the world.
After the Second World War, an aircraft cavern was built in Meiringen . In the 1970s, construction of another cavern tunnel began. However, since the planned acquisition of the Vought A-7 Corsair did not materialize, the construction that had been started was completed as an ammunition tunnel. With the acquisition of the F / A-18 , the aircraft cavern was rebuilt and received another tunnel, so that since then aircraft can enter the facility and leave the facility at the same time. Since then, maneuvering inside has been possible without a crane. Meiringen is the only cavern airport in Switzerland that is still in use .
Merinigen has been the home base of the militia squadron ( Buochs airfield ) "Destructors" with F-5E Tiger since 2004 and the home base of the professional squadron 11 "Tigers" with F / A-18 (previously Dübendorf military airfield ) since 2007 .
In autumn 2013, an F / A-18D (two-seater) and an F / A-18C took off from Meiringen for an air police exercise; the F / A-18D crashed a few minutes later on the Lopper .
From June 17 to 18, 2016, the 75th anniversary of the Meiringen military airfield was celebrated with a large-scale exhibition by the Air Force and the Swiss Army, as well as flight demonstrations by the Swiss Air Force, foreign forces and civil aviation and the rescue operation from the Gauli Glacier was commemorated.
On August 29, 2016, a single-seat F / A-18C crashed shortly after taking off from the Meiringen military airfield in the Susten region on the Hinter Tierberg at an altitude of approx. 3300 m above sea level. M. , where the pilot was killed. Apparently air traffic control in Meiringen had ordered an altitude that was too low for the take-off sector.
meaning
Meiringen airfield is still important for the air force. After 2016, with the elimination of the Sion jet airport, along with Payerne and Emmen, it is one of the three remaining jet airports in Switzerland. It is also the only airfield where the aircraft cavern is still in use during operations. The safety cable systems for F / A-18 and F-5 at both ends of the runway can be lowered flush with the runway so that they are not an obstacle for small aircraft.
The operation of the airfield has both positive and negative effects for the region and the municipality of Meiringen: The noise emissions from the military jets are a major burden for the affected population as well as for tourism companies. However, with around 200 jobs and 25 training positions, the airfield is an important economic factor for the region. The military airfield also attracts guests to the tourist region. The annual Axalp aviator demonstration in autumn on the Axalp is well known . Around 10,000 guests from all over Europe visit this event over two days. In addition, those interested can watch the take-offs and landings of the jets in the immediate vicinity or get to know the military jet airfield on regular visiting days. The airfield has a small museum. Various pieces of equipment are on display in this museum, as well as an Alouette III and an F-5 Tiger.
The rescue vehicles and parts of the airfield's snow removal vehicles are also used for the benefit of the communities of Meiringen and Unterbach. The unit for securing military aircraft against crash sites is also located at the Meiringen military airfield.
Web links
- Official website of the Meiringen military airfield
- David Külling, Manfred Hildebrand, Maurice Lovisa: Military monuments in the area of the air force . Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport , 2008 (PDF; 7.3 MB).
- Interest group Flugplatz Meiringen , private website
- Video about the Meiringen military airfield on YouTube
- Video "75 Years of the Meiringen Air Base"
Individual evidence
- ↑ Airfields are protected by bernerzeitung.ch
- ↑ MEIRINGEN AIRFIELD COMMANDMENT
- ↑ Manfred Hildebrand: Overview of the development and expansion of the Swiss military airfields. (PDF) (No longer available online.) In: Military monuments in the area of the Air Force. Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport , 2008, p. 11 , archived from the original on July 22, 2012 ; Retrieved on August 26, 2014 : “S. 30 “ 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.
- ↑ Swiss military justice: F / A-18 crash in the Susten region - interim results , media release from September 6, 2016.
- ↑ Airfield Command Meiringen-Unterbach ( Memento of the original from October 8, 2014 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. on the official website of the Swiss Air Force
- ↑ Fliegerschiessen Axalp ( Memento of the original from September 6, 2014 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.
