The 12th Athens Flying Week kicked off in Greece with spectacular parachute jumps on Saturday at the Tanagra Air Base north of the capital.
Spectacular aerial displays and international participation at Athens Flying Week in Tanagra, Greece
On the first day of this year’s event, we witnessed an impressive dogfight between a Rafale fighter jet and an F-16 Viper. The event featured more than fifty jets from abroad this year. Moreover, the rich program of the Athens Flying Week included aerobatic swarms such as the Saudi Hawks with their green Bae Hawk Mk.65 and Patrulla Aguila—the “Eagles” of the Spanish Air Force, which filled the sky above Tanagra with the colors of the Spanish flag.
The Swiss PC-7 Team with PC-7 aircraft and the Polish Orlik Team with their spectacular air show were also present. The Armed Forces of Greece were represented with Rafale, F-4 Phantom, Mirage 2000-5, T-6, and the legendary Spitfire MJ-755.
Special warfare command showcases operational capabilities
The Executives of the Special Warfare Command (DEP) made an impressive appearance at the grand aviation event. In addition to the magnificent F-35, the public was able to see the legendary Antonov-30 of the Romanian Air Force for the first time in Greece.
The Special Operations Units of the DEP demonstrated their great operational capabilities with assistance from Army Aviation and Air Force air assets and crews. Specifically, they executed scenarios using Chinook and NH-90 helicopters, which were recently integrated.
Among other things, the Executives of the Faculty performed the following:
- Hostage rescue: A Chinook helicopter carried out a hostage rescue operation using the Fast Rope method. NH-90 and Huey helicopters assisted with Free Snipers. Additionally, the scenario also involved a CH-47D helicopter, which dropped a Polaris combat vehicle.
- Rescue of a wounded person: A simultaneous scenario targeted a PA fighter, with a JTAC Officer providing aid and an Apache attack helicopter offering support.
- The SPIES (Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction System) extracted a Special Operations Forces team from a Chinook helicopter. The SPIES system uses a 60-foot rope. This rope can carry up to 12 commandos into the battlefield. Furthermore, it works in both land and sea environments.
Event highlights and unique exhibitions of Athens Flying Week
Athens Flying Week 2024, the largest air show in the Balkans, drew over 500,000 fans worldwide. The event took place at Tanagra Airport on September 14th and 15th. Organizer Panos Podimatas discussed the show on Weekend From 5. He mentioned that this year’s focus has shifted to the static exhibition.
Podimatas, the event organizer, highlighted the diverse entries of various countries and aircraft types. Consequently, the variety contributed to the uniqueness of the event for aviation enthusiasts. The show concluded on Sunday at 8:30 PM.
