stress level. Firing live ammunition further adds
to the demands in the cockpit. The programme
flown during Axalp largely consists of the
regular parcours, with the exception of the
opening wave in which a pair of Hornets release
flares at exactly 1400hrs. Therefore, there’s little
difference between flying a live-fire parcours
without spectators and one during the Axalp.
Endangered Tigers
Gunnery was not only performed by Hornets,
but also by the pilots of Fliegerstaffel 8 flying
the F-5E Tiger II. The militia pilots flying these
venerable jets employed the aircraft’s twin
20mm cannon against the ground targets.
Although the Tiger’s career is now coming to
an end with the Swiss Air Force, as many as
six aircraft took part in the 2017 demonstration.
They were flying from Sion, where a
Fliegerstaffel 8 training course was taking place,
with a commensurate increase in low-level flying
activity. With the militia-manned Fliegerstaffel
8 due to disband at the end of the year, Axalp
2017 marked the unit’s final farewell to the
Ebenfluh range. Swiss militia pilots will continue
to fly the Tiger, but only for air policing and
adversary tasks. From 2018, just Fliegerstaffeln
6 and 19 will soldier on with mixed pilots:
militia and full-timers. It is uncertain if the
Tigers will employ their guns against ground
targets in future Axalp demonstrations.
Apart from fast jets, Swiss Air Force Cougar
and EC635 rotorcraft also took part in a
90-minute demonstration. The EC635 was
presented in its search and rescue (SAR) role,
while two AS532UL Cougars dropped water
on a simulated fire in front of the spectators.
Capt Nicolas ‘Vincent’ Rossier of Fliegerstaffel
17 made excellent use of the terrain with
his F/A-18 solo routine, as did the Super
Puma display team. The opening to the
latter involved a helicopter approaching low
over the ridge and releasing an impressive
amount of flares. The pilots then forced the
helicopter down again and kept it low over
the terrain for the rest of their display.
The future of the Swiss Air Force could
also be witnessed in the form of a display by
the PC-21, which will succeed the Tiger in
training new pilots destined for the Hornet.Flying in front of a large crowd of onlookers is
something special in its own right, as another
pilot explained: “Being able to welcome a
large crowd during the Axalp demonstration
always feels great as these people also show
their appreciation for the daily routine that we
do all year round within the air force. We were
very happy that we could stage Axalp once
again after a five-year break and I personally
enjoyed seeing the smiling faces when I
was back on the ground.” The enthusiasm
could also be seen up in the mountains,
as when spontaneous applause marked
the conclusion of the Patrouille Suisse’s
demonstration, after their jets had released
yet more flares into the deep blue Swiss sky.Above right: The shape of things to come: the
public displays at Axalp included PC-21 A-108
assigned to the Pilotenschule (Pilot School) at
Emmen.
Right: F/A-18C J-5021’s centreline tank displays
the international emergency frequency to
establish radio communications with the fi ghter.
Left: F-5E J-3094 – which wears a Fliegerstaffel
6 emblem on the nose – rolls inverted after
completing a gunnery pass. Axalp 2017 may
have been the last chance for the public to see
the Swiss Tiger II perform air-to-ground gunnery.
Below left: Axalp constitutes an additional
syllabus within the Swiss Air Force’s aerial
gunnery training programme. Around two-thirds
of squadron pilots participate.
F-5E J-3033 wears a special tail
scheme celebrating Fliegerstaffel 6/
Escadrille d’aviation 6 at Payerne. As
well as the fi ghting duck insignia it
carries the unit’s motto: ‘Jusqu’au
bout’ – ‘until the bitter end’.http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #358 JANUARY 2018 // 45
AFM