F-18 Hornet

The Scenery

One of the most scenic bases of Europe,

Meiringen Air Force Base

Meiringen is situated in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland region. With the airfield being in a deep valley it offers the aviation photographer the very best opportunities to capture the Swiss Air Force in action, with its typically Swiss backdrop.

With the construction of the new underground area as well as newly made buildings for FlSt 11, which moved from Dübendorf to Meiringen, a new canteen with a dedicated viewing area was build. This terrace is open all day and allows for pictures on the platform as well as on the runway.

Visitors

Meiringen is a typical Swiss style air base including underground hangars carved into the rock below the Axalphorn mountain. Located to the south of the air base, the caverns is used during exercises to house the deployed or based aircraft. Outside the cavern entrance there is a ramp area where the aircraft readied for the sorties. Once the protecting barriers have been opened and the road barriers dropped, the aircraft will taxi out of this complex crossing the public road. From the lowered barriers wide angle shots of the taxiing aircraft is possible. passing between the buildings on the base itself, and out to the runway. Immediately after landing the procedure is reversed and the aircraft returned to the inside of the cavern.

Public roads goes straight across the runway at several points. Barriers similar to a railway crossing come down minutes before incoming or out going aircraft. If that is not enough to alert you to take up position with your camera, a large light on the top of the air traffic control tower starts flashing at moments of action.

At the western end of the runway the access to the runway and taxi way are optimal for taking pictures during landing and take off in booth directions. The aircraft taxi towards you down the long parallel taxiway. At several different point it is possible to stand real close to the runway and taxi ways. The possibilities are endless it is even possible to take pictures of departing and returning aircraft higher op the mountain.