If you think of an airshow with a large variety of aircraft (both flying and on static display), but with an even more insane landscape, there are chances you think about Airpower!
Every 2 or 3 years, the Bundesheer (Austrian Air Force) organizes a huge airshow on one of its air bases: Zeltweg. In 2022 an edition of that Show took place. Dozens of aircraft from the Austrian Air Force and other air arms gathered to the Styria mountaines for a 2-days show.
The morning's opening was a farewell to the the Austrian Air Force Alouette III. Not less than 9 examples of this iconic helicopter performed a parade in front of the hundreds of thousands of visitors. A specially painted Eurofighter Typhoon performed a flypast, before three Pilatus PC-6 in waterbombing configuration dropped a load of colored water, representing the Austrian flag.
Solo displays from around the world, demo teams, and Austrian aircraft then followed each other. Even a Mig-21 came to perform a series of flypast from Croatia, probably one of the last public appearances of the type in a European air show. The visitors were also greeted with a flypast of a US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress.
The most notable visitor was the very first public appearance of a PLAAF (Chinese Air Force) Xi'an Y-20 in Europe. The aircraft which entered in service in 2016, came to take part to the static display of Airpower. Unfortunately its position made it difficult for pictures: the fence were close to the aircraft and there was no possibility to have nice pictures with the morning light.
All in all, it was a great airshow with a very diverse line-up both in static and in the air. The organization of the flying program was great, without any pauses between demos. For a free entrance airshow, I have to say congratulations to the organizers. Next edition will be in September 2024 and it will surely be the same quality.
