Airforces - Demo Hornet

W

Ger many’s

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #365 AUGUST 2018 // 55

hen the German

president, the

chancellor and her

ministers or other elected

officials go on business trips

they require special aircraft.

With VIP interiors, black, red

and gold fuselage cheat-

line and ‘Bundesrepublik

Deutschland’ titles, the ‘White

Fleet’ of the Flugbereitschaft des

Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung

(Flight Service of the German Ministry of

Defence) stands ready to transport them.

To carry high-ranking government

officials to their destinations, two long-

haul Airbus A340-300s – plus two A319CJs

and four Bombardier Global 5000s used

primarily for medium-range missions – are

based at the military section of Cologne

Bonn Airport. Shorter trips are handled

by three AS532 Cougar helicopters

stationed at Berlin Tegel Airport.

All the aircraft sport the Iron Cross, since

the Flugbereitschaft, which celebrated

its 60th anniversary last year, is an air

transport wing of the Luftwaffe.

The service also has a

component for military

missions: the ‘Grey Fleet’

comprises five A310s – one in

passenger configuration and

four outfitted as Multi-Role

Tanker Transports (MRTTs).

The diversity of types

and different performance

requirements bring very

special challenges.

Planning demands

“The demands regarding availability of

aircraft and crews have steadily increased

over the past years, while the time allowed

for flight planning is getting shorter and

shorter,” explained Global 5000 pilot

Oberst (Colonel) Stefan Neumann, the

Flugbereitschaft’s CO since May 2014. He

added that planning time varies between

several months – for state visits by the

president, for example – to a few hours, as for

emergency sessions of the Security Cabinet.

For that reason some of the flying and

technical personnel are on standby even

on weekends and public holidays. “Airlines

Ger many’s

transport specialists

Ger many’s

Flying politicians and

military troops, evacuating

wounded soldiers and providing

air-to-air refuelling – the Flight

Service of the German Ministry

of Defence is widely tasked, as

Dr Stefan Petersen discovers.

Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung

(Flight Service of the German Ministry of

component for military

missions: the ‘Grey Fleet’

comprises five A310s – one in

passenger configuration and

four outfitted as Multi-Role

Tanker Transports (MRTTs).

and different performance

requirements bring very

special challenges.

Planning demands

Above: A White/Grey Airbus formation: examples

of the A319, A310 and A340 operated by the

Flugbereitschaft. Nearest the camera is A319-133X

15+01 (c/n 3897, ex 98+46), one of two of this type

in service. All photos Dr Stefan Petersen

Insert: The badge of the Flugbereitschaft des

Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung.