Greece 2025

Despite different stories about the (non) use of the low flying area in Greece, most of our group decided to travel anyway and with great result! Action packed days in the valley and in Athens.

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23 March 2025

On Sunday 23 March 2025, around 05:30 in the morning, the 5 travelers for the pre-Iniochos lowfly expedition were ready at the well-known meeting point at Schiphol Plaza. Check-in, baggage drop and security all went smoothly. The flight to Athens was right on time. At the airport of Athens, we waited for 7 more participants who traveled to Athens on their own. Picking up the rental cars went smoothly. After loading the baggage and dividing the group over the vehicles, we drove towards Diakopto, where we would be staying for the coming week. The keys were already ready at the hotel, so checking in went smoothly. After a word of welcome and an explanation of the timeline for Monday (and the rest of the week), a supermarket was sought to stock up on the necessary provisions for the next day. This turned out not to be easy on Sunday afternoon. Eventually a shop was found. The return hotel was via some back roads and everyone could take a moment to relax. In the evening, the local restaurant was tested and found to be very okay.

24 March 2025

After an excellent breakfast, we left our hotel on time for the first day, Monday 24 March 2025, of the expedition. In the preceding week there had been much speculation about whether the canyon would be used at all. When we arrived at the canyon, the weather turned out to be quite cold and windy. Positions were taken up and the big wait could begin. The wait did not last too long when, just after 9am, 2 F16s came roaring through the canyon from the north. The canyon is rarely used from the north side and practically everyone had missed the passes. But: there was flying! Later in the morning, 3 more F-16s passed through the canyon. The rest of Monday was quiet, apart from an occasional overflight. At the end of the afternoon we descended to the hotel and enjoyed a good dinner and a drink together.

25 March 2025

Today, Tuesday 25 March 2025, was the celebration of Greek Independence Day. During this day there is always a military parade in Athens including an air defile. To be in Athens on time we had to get up early and head towards the capital. We were on time to avoid the various road closures and with some precision steering through the narrow streets towards Mount Lycabettus the vans were parked and walked the last bit to the viewing point. From this viewing point you have a view over the entire city centre of Athens. The air parade takes roughly an east-west route and flies south of the viewing point. At 11am the parade starts in the streets of Athens. The flying is around noon and included practically all types of the air force; army, navy, coast guard, fire brigade, etc. Very nice to experience. To everyone’s surprise the planes even flew by twice. After the parade the vans were boarded again and the return journey to the hotel was started. Despite some navigation difficulties due to closed roads in Athens, we made it to the Peloponnese quite smoothly and made a short stop at the Corinth Canal before it was back to our hotel.

26 March 2025

After yesterday’s parade in Athens, today, Wednesday 26 March 2025, we went back into the mountains to the Vouraikos canyon to enjoy the surroundings and hopefully also some low-flying jets. The weather forecast was reasonable. A lot of cloud, but not much wind and no precipitation. Just after 9am we saw some F16s diving into the canyon in the distance. Fortunately, the canyon was active again today. The usual route was also flown from the south, which makes it a lot easier to see aircraft in time. It was a day with a lot of variation, both in types, air forces and lines flown through the canyon. In addition to various Greek F16s, Slovenian PC9s, a Macedonian Bell, Spanish F-18s, French M2000s and Italian Tornados were logged. At the end of this successful day we descended back to our hotel. This evening, we also enjoyed a dinner and a drink as a group.

27 March 2025

Thursday 27 March 2025 was already the penultimate day of this low-fly expedition. Because Wednesday was successful, and there was some intel and rumors about possible flight movements, there was a real ‘buzz’ among the aviation enthusiasts in the canyon. The weather forecast was not great again: a lot of cloud, gusts of wind and an increasing chance of precipitation. The silence in the mountains was disturbed early by jets. Again, a selection of Greek units as well as foreign participants in Iniochos came for a bit of low-flying in the canyon. There were too many highlights to mention, but the most enthusiastic reactions were for Greek M2000s and F-4s. Around 4pm, a message came in from Andravida that all flight activities had stopped due to heavy rain. So one of the best low-fly days ever came to an end a bit too early. The results of this day were discussed extensively in the evening over an excellent meal.

28 March 2025

Today, Friday 28 March 2025, was already the day of the return journey. Because the return flights were not until the beginning of the evening, there was plenty of time to go up the mountain again and look at the Vouraikos canyon and hope that maybe a plane or two would make a pass. Again it was rather cold and windy at the canyon. Unfortunately it was not meant to be today and there was zero flying activity. Around 13.00 we set course for the airport of Athens for the return flights. Here we said goodbye to the people who had travelled to Athens on their own. The return flight to Schiphol was routine and the luggage also appeared fairly quickly. The last hands were shaken. Until next time. We’ll be back!

Greece 2025

Greece 2025

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Greece 2025

Greece 2025

Greece 2025

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