Greece III (2023)

Greece III 2023

Athens Flying Week

Greece III 2023

At the end of August a 4Aviation group headed for Greece again for our third visit to the Athens Flying Week at Tanagra. As during previous visits, they were treated to a number of interesting aircraft under very good conditions for photography.

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29 August 2023

On Tuesday morning (29 August 2023), a large part of the travelling group reported at Schiphol for their flight to Athens to visit the 11th edition of the Athens Flying Week. A handful of participants travelled on their own and we would meet them in Athens. With a small delay of about 45 minutes (no push-back truck) we arrived at Athens airport. Here we met other fellow participants and the 2 vans were picked up for transport. We quickly set sail for a hotel for the first night in the north of Athens. At check-in, another participant who had travelled to Athens on his own was greeted and the tour group was complete except for one.

30 August 2023

Today (Wednesday 30 August) we were up relatively early as the group was expected to report at the entrance to Tanagra no later than 8:30 AM. Checking out of the hotel went smoothly, as did the hour’s drive to the base. Along the way we stopped at a supermarket to stock up on provisions for the day, including plenty of water. Once at the base entrance, the necessary formalities were completed efficiently. Then a short wait until other visitors had completed their registration. Around 9 AM the AFW organisation escorted us onto the base. On this first day, we and the other enthusiasts present were taken to a position near the ‘contact car’ between the runway and taxiway. It must be said: this is quite a good location! A big advantage of an airshow at Tanagra is that from about 10 o’clock you basically have the sun in your back until very late in the day.

The first visitor was a C-130 from the UAE dropping off some stuff for the Fursan demo team. Furthermore, today there were mainly normal operations of the based 331M and 332M squadrons with a few local missions of the Mirage 2000s and the new Rafales. Both Saudi Typhoons, which had arrived earlier in the week, flew a display for authorisation. The demo teams Fursan El Amart and Saudi Hawks also demo’d a bit. All in all a nice day! In the evening we checked into our hotel for the next few nights just outside Eretria. Then it was time to stock up on supplies for Thursday and enjoy some local culinary delicacies.

31 August 2023

On this sunny Thursday (31 August) we reported to Tanagra relatively early. Similar to Wednesday, the group was again positioned at the ‘contact car’. Today the majority of visitors arrived for the show, both from the Hellenic Armed Forces as well as the foreigners. Today’s highlights included the arrival of one of the last flyable T-2E Buckeyes, three F-35s from Lakenheath, a German Tornado as well as the latest acquisition of the Greeks. Their first M346 arrived just before sunset.

In the evening back in Eretria, we once again enjoyed dining outside near the ferry port.

1 September 2023

Friday is traditionally rehearsal day. The photographers, including us, were positioned in a defined area in the crowdline with a grandstand on 1 September. In the morning, assets from the Hellenic Army arrived for both static and flying displays. The duo of F-16s from Team Zeus also arrived. However, most of the day was for display validation of the various acts. For example, the Hellenic Army flew several helicopters. Fursan and Team Aquila flew their routines. The Belgian ‘Viper’, the Danish ‘Danneborg’ and Zeus F-16s flew their solo displays, as well as the French Rafale, etc. Highlights for many on this cloudy(!) day were the mixed formations of the Hellenic Air Force and the subsequent full stops of two F-4 Phantoms from 338 squadron.

The day again ended at our favorite local restaurant at the port of Eretria with some roasted specialties and a number of drinks.

2 September 2023

Today, Saturday 2 September, was the first of the two show days. The group chose to get to the base in time to photograph the static without too much of an audience. This turned out to work out well as no crush barriers had yet been placed around a number of items. Today we also had access to the grandstands. The flying program started quite late to continue until sunset, allowing much of the show to be photographed in beautiful sunlight. Nice touch was the single fly-past of the special c/s C-130 out of Elefsis.

3 September 2023

Sunday (3 September) was the second show day. After checking out from our hotel we set course again for Tanagra. Apart from the fact that the flying started almost 1.5 hours earlier than on Saturday, the acts and sequence were largely identical. Due to a rather blustery crosswind, not all of the smaller acts could perform safely and therefore were forced to cancel.

After the show we drove the short but super busy stretch of motorway to the same hotel as the 1st night to be closer to Athens airport for Monday’s return flight home.

4 September 2023

In the morning, of Monday 4 September, the last stretch to Athens airport was completed and the rental vans were returned. In the departure terminal we said goodbye to a number of fellow travel companions and everyone left for their respective destination in Europe. The return flight to AMS did not entirely go according to the timetable, but so be it. At the baggage claim at Schiphol the final handshakes were exchanged and a nice trip to a relaxed airshow in predominantly sunny Greece came to an end. To enjoy the great variety of Greek military aviation one really has no option but to travel to Greece no?

Greece III 2023

Greece III 2023

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Greece III (2023)

Greece III 2023

Greece III 2023

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