Where? Neuburg Air Base, Germany
When? 09/06/2011

Open Days of the Luftwaffe are rare and few these days, and to reduce costs the 50th anniversary of the JG74 at Neuburg has even been held on a Thursday to avoid additional work during the week-end. Though this also meant that nearly all interested visitors had to take a day off, a crowd of around 15.000 came to celebrate that day.

The highlight for sure was the special coloured Eurofighter (30+48) with a gradient of the Bavarian colours white and blue on the tail, covered by the emblem of the Fighter Wing 74 as well as the "50" to celebrate this anniversary. The good news is that these markings are painted on and said to last for at least one year.

Unfortunately the weather with a grey sky and temperatures below 20° was not what you would usually expect in a June, but at least it did not rain.
[ a small note: Photos in this report showing a blue sky have been taken during the rehersal day two days before the show.]

The flying display was quite compact with the take-off of two QRA aircraft that took off at 10h30 and returned one hour later before the lunch break.