Travelling on Swiss motorways this week -beware F/A 18 landing

[Tartiflette Fan]

Exercise Alpha Uno. From June 4th to June 6th the A1 motorway between Avenches and Payerne ( Canton Vaud ) will be closed to road traffic for take-offs /landings by Swiss F/A 18. The purpose of the exercise is to see how feasible it is for damaged aircraft to use alternative landing-strips. This type of exercise was last carried out in the 70's and 80's.

https://www.focus.de/auto/news/verkehr-grosse-autobahn-sperrung-ab-4-juni-der-grund-ueberrascht_id_259999610.html

[EDLB]

Wonder what the learning value should be. That you can land and start a fighter or any other plane on a flat piece of tarmac is no news for most pilots. Probably more for the higher up brass, that they can check a box...

[Tartiflette Fan]

Wonder what the learning value should be. That you can land and start a fighter or any other plane on a flat piece of tarmac is no news for most pilots. Probably more for the higher up brass, that they can check a box...

I would guess that they will also find out if the roads dept has been sticking to the rules with updating plans, not introducing any over-size road-signs, if their technicians have the right spoanners for dismantling the Armco etc , how new surfacing materials react to landing forces, solvents used in servicing. Obviously also PR for the general populationn, as well as nudging the politicians about the need to keep the armed forces equipped to meet possible future threats.

[Wetstart Dryrun]

Clearly no potholes, then?

[magyar_flyer]

Clearly no potholes, then?
This is Switzerland 😂

[Wetstart Dryrun]

This is Switzerland 😂


Well, what about the cheese?

Holier than thou, maybe?

[Abrahn]

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/800x536/f18_12ac48a152b856a91304f6321a05c1f83c27e508.jpg

[Lonewolf_50]

Sound like fun. I hope the pilots enjoy the exercise. :ok:

[DuncanDoenitz]

Wonder what the learning value should be. That you can land and start a fighter or any other plane on a flat piece of tarmac is no news for most pilots. Probably more for the higher up brass, that they can check a box...
Planes landing and taking-off from straight strips of tarmac is a bit of a no-brainer so check-the-box by all means.

Of course, you may also wish to consider some sub-boxes, including: fuel, spares, ground equipment, crew-brief/debrief/intel, ATC, technicians, catering, accommodation, munition storage and replenishment, FOD, camouflage and site security. And response to the enemy's endeavours to disrupt same.

A lot more to operations than just rolling planes down the blacktop.

[Wetstart Dryrun]

Wonder what the learning value should be. That you can land and start a fighter or any other plane on a flat piece of tarmac is no news for most pilots. Probably more for the higher up brass, that they can check a box...



I think there is an educational pont in landing without 150 feet width, no tacan no vasi, no approach light, no threshold bars...

First time feels strange

[Ninthace]

Planes landing and taking-off from straight strips of tarmac is a bit of a no-brainer so check-the-box by all means.

Of course, you may also wish to consider some sub-boxes, including: fuel, spares, ground equipment, crew-brief/debrief/intel, ATC, technicians, catering, accommodation, munition storage and replenishment, FOD, camouflage and site security. And response to the enemy's endeavours to disrupt same.

A lot more to operations than just rolling planes down the blacktop.
Bread and butter to the Harrier Force :ok:

[chevvron]

Don't know what all the fuss is, there've been at least 3 motorway runways on Cyprus, each about 2000m, for years and many more in Sweden and former East Germany.
The ones on Cyprus have underground fuel stores, folding roadsigns, removable central crash barriers (they just slot into the ground) and all auxiliarly plumbing as well as threshold markings and off road parking areas.

[Doors Off]

That is the least of your worries in the land of Money laundering for Nazis, Dictators and Oligarchs, oh - and the corrupt Western Government facilitator’s. Plus, their rip off prices.

[Tartiflette Fan]

That is the least of your worries in the land of Money laundering for Nazis, Dictators and Oligarchs, oh - and the corrupt Western Government facilitator’s. Plus, their rip off prices.

Burnt your mouth on a cheese fondue once , did you ? :cool:

[Ninthace]

They certainly overcharge for the use of their snow :)

[wondering]

I reckon, rather standard for the Swedish Air Force.

[Tartiflette Fan]

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/l-armee-de-l-air-suisse-realise-des-essais-d-atterrissages-et-de-decollages-sur-une-autoroute-20240605

Report in Le Figaro about same. Picture shows that the central barrier is completely removed and that the space between the two carriageways is both narrow and hard-surfaced ( unusual in my eyes: never looked though to see if that is normal in Switzerland ).Surprisingly there are no signs whatsoever of any footings/fixings where the barriers would normally be. Having now looked at images of Swiss autoroutes, it seems that this hard surface is unusual and maybe only put in place for these selected "emergency runways", which makes them very easy to identify by any enemy. There are 12 alternative landing-strips in the whole country.

There is an an error in the initial post ( which was also in the German original ). Le Figaro writes that these strips are intended for use when airfields are damaged and not planes as originally written.

[atakacs]

Some vids

https://i.imgur.com/vTuK0Do.mp4

[LowObservable]

Funny how everyone wants to show how they can do this sort of thing. Doubtless unconnected with drones and Ukraine.

But let's not forget that in this game there are pros (RSwAF), aspirants (some other Euros), and cosplayers (people with finicky long-runway jets).

[Tartiflette Fan]

Funny how everyone wants to show how they can do this sort of thing. Doubtless unconnected with drones and Ukraine.

But let's not forget that in this game there are pros (RSwAF), aspirants (some other Euros), and cosplayers (people with finicky long-runway jets).

Perhaps a little harsh given that the autoroute is prepared for this special operation, however there is no indication of how the local air-force personnel ( all local "reservists" ) would assemble as required .