Turkey 2016

Anatolian Eagle

Turkey 2016

In June 2016 4Aviation was able to visit the international edition of the Anatolian Eagle exercise at Konya with a group again.

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7 June 2016

On Tuesday 7 June 2016 4Aviation began its fourth tour to Anatolian Eagle at Konya AB in Turkey. After the successful visits in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the group travelling to Turkey with 4Aviation had grown to no less than 61 people. Making so many people happy was of course courtesy of the Turkish Air Force and their flexible approach in this year’s edition! The group was a mixture of people that had arranged access by themselves, plus a group that had it arranged via Aviation. Besides that, it was a mixture of people from different parts in Europe and even from beyond that. Most part of the group used the Embraer 195 flight from Istanbul to Konya. A flight that would have had hardly any passengers at all if not for the photo days at Konya… After arrival in Konya the pre-arranged busses took us to our hotel.

8 June 2016

Wednesday (8 June) was the first of three photo days at Konya during Anatolian Eagle 2016/2. After breakfast we departed to the base and tried to gain a strategic spot for security checks, enabling us fast access to the base. The total number of people was larger than last year meaning that the waiting line grew and grew. The actual security checks were smooth and well organised. The same was to be said about the transport to a location near the runway. The weather was not playing ball yet with a lot of overcast, wind and low temperatures. The catering, consisting of coffee and good food, was a welcome break! Partially because of the weather, there was no full Anatolian Eagle mission, but still there was a lot to see and photograph. Unfortunately, no Turkish Phantoms and Saudi Tornados today. After we spent the morning on one side of the runway with overcast disappearing slightly, we moved to the other side in the afternoon. At the end of the day we went back to Konya, where Ramadan just had started, hoping the next days would see some more sun!

9 June 2016

Thursday 9 June started the same way as the day before and we reached our spot near the runway at around the same time. There was still some overcast but a bit less than Wednesday. Besides that, a full Anatolian Eagle wave was flown today meaning a lot of movements including Turkish F-16s from several units, Italian Tornados, Pakistani F-16 and Turkish Phantoms. Unfortunaly, the Saudi Tornados remained silent again today. In the afternoon, the Turkish participants for the exercise returned to their home bases resulting in a lot of take-offs including no less than 8 Phantoms. Due to the sun that had returned, it turned into a photographical feast! Add some helicopters, transport aircraft of the Turkish Air Force and visiting support aircraft from the other countries and the party was complete! The more than happy group returned to the city at the end of the day to enjoy some Turkish meals.

10 June 2016

We already knew that on Friday 10 June we would have only access in the morning, simply because almost all aircraft would be gone by then and the exercise over and done with. The conflicting information (aka rumours) of what was to been seen this day resulted in some nervousness about whether or not we would get to capture the Saudi Tornados. When we were checking in at the gate, we already saw the Pakistani F-16s leave (no problem, we already captured these the days before). Upon arrival at our spot near the runway, in bright sunshine, the day was opened by a Turkish C-130. After that, four Saudi Tornados came taxiing by, followed by another four. Everybody happy! The morning was filled with a lot of action, including a Royal Saudi Air Force KE-3, Jordanian IL-76, Pakistan C-130s and several Turkish transport aircraft and helicopters. Overall, a very good morning and a lot of thank yous went to our Turkish hosts for this! In the afternoon, a small group headed on a quest for a preserved F-5 in the city, while the rest enjoyed the highlights in the city.

11 June 2016

On Saturday 11 June the trip was coming to an end already. While travelling to the civil side of the airport in the morning, the group was already a bit scattered as some people were on different (planned) flight schedules. The overlay at Istanbul-Ataturk was long enough to be used by some of the group to visit the Turkish Air Force Museum at Ataturk. A very interesting destination, especially when the sun is shining. Everybody returned on time to the gate for the final leg to Amsterdam. There, we said goodbye to each other, looking back at yet another cool tour!

Random feedback

It was not my first trip with 4Aviation. As before, I experienced this tour operator as highly professional, they know exactly the right spots where you can take the best pictures and, directions are preset-up in their GPS’s, resulting in no time loss to go around the air base. User friendly, because the tour leader is regularly consulting the participants where to go, and what to do. […] For me, it was also big fun to meet other friendly spotters and exchange experiences and ideas.

9 July 2023

Turkey 2016

Turkey 2016

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Turkey (2016)

Turkey 2016

Turkey 2016

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