Greece 2026 II

Exercise Iniochos 2026 – spottersday

Greece II 2026

A regular tour for our tour schedule is a visit to the spottersday for the Iniochos exercise at Andravida in Greece. This year, the spottersday was held on Monday 16 March 2026. 4Aviation visited with a group of over 30 photographers.

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15 March 2026

KLM Delays

Although it was clear beforehand that the number of international participants for the 2026 edition of Iniochos would be considerably smaller than last year, 32 travellers – almost a small army worthy of Ares itself – still opted for the 4Aviation tour to Andravida.

With the exception of six participants, everyone flew with KLM from Amsterdam to Athens on this Sunday (15 March 2026). Take-off was scheduled for 12:25. Unfortunately, the intended KLM Boeing 737 proved unwilling to cooperate. To make a long story short; we had to switch to another Boeing 737 (which actually belongs to Transavia) and set off for the south nearly two hours late.

As a result, we naturally arrived in Athens much later than planned. The hotel had already been informed by the 4A home front, and they indicated they would keep the kitchen open for our group. After everyone had stocked up on provisions for Monday, we sought out the familiar bus, and the driver looked familiar to many as well. Without further issues, we arrived quite late at our familiar hotel. Check-in went nice and smoothly, and the kitchen was indeed still open. A considerable part of the group made quick use of this, while the rest were already off to bed.

16 March 2026

Everything went nice and smoothly

The spotters’ day was scheduled for Monday 16 March. Registration for entry was to start at 07:30, so everyone took a breakfast pack from the hotel early in the morning (06:00). The driver knew the way, so he dropped us off right on time at the main gate of Andravida.

There, everyone joined the (relatively short) queue of waiting people. In the run-up to the start of the exercise, even more international participants had cancelled for various reasons. It was therefore no surprise that the turnout of spotters for the spotters’ day was more limited than in other years. Access was well organised, with small groups being led to the registration tent simultaneously, “sorted” by country. Then onto the bus to the spot along the taxiway.

The weather was changeable: cloudy, with occasional drizzle. As if Poseidon and Zeus hadn’t quite agreed yet on who was on duty that day. The cloud cover was helpful in the morning, though, because the sun is still on the other side of the runway then. While many people first went to check the souvenir stalls to see if any euros could still be spent (on t-shirts, patches, jackets, stickers, etc.), the rest had already chosen a spot for what was to come.

The first aircraft of the day was a Hellenic Mirage 2000 that landed. Just over an hour later, the first aircraft taxied past; a Greek F-16. Many more of this type would follow. The ‘lack’ of international participants (French Mirage 2000Ds, Slovenian PC-9s, and an Albanian AS532) was, in the eyes of the spotters’ day participants, to be compensated for by the large number of Greek fighters. Soon after, the first Phantoms also emerged from the shelter area, and four took off shortly thereafter! The HAF Mirages were not missing either (just like the French ones, for that matter). It was a pity that the Rafales from Araxos were participating in the exercise, but fortunately, a formation of four still passed by. The break between the two waves was filled with lunch (available on-site) and an F-4 display. Because the first aircraft turned out to be unserviceable during the take-off run, a replacement had to be found. This resulted in Phantoms No. 5 and 6 to be photographed as well!

Afterwards, it was time for the afternoon wave. During this wave, four Phantoms took to the skies once again! Both Slovenian PC-9s also made an appearance, but unfortunately, the Albanian chopper made an effort to stay as far away from the spotters as possible after take-off. Once more or less everything had landed, the spotters’ day had come to an end.

The bus took us back to the hotel, where the evening was concluded with a bite to eat and a drink.

17 March 2026

Farewell to Tzaki (an end to a small era)

Tuesday (17 March) was the day of the return journey already. After breakfast, we said goodbye to Hotel Tzaki, which had served as a familiar refuge over the past few years – almost like a permanent temple along our route. The hotel is closing for a thorough (and somewhat necessary) renovation. This renovation will likely take two years. Will we use this location again after that? Time will tell!

The bus took us to Athens airport on a flawless schedule. There, we said goodbye to those returning home independently and checked in our suitcases. This time, no whims of the gods: the flight to Schiphol went entirely according to plan. The general conclusion was clear: despite the smaller number of international participants, it was a successful spotting day, with the Hellenic Air Force providing more than enough spectacle to satisfy everyone.