Militärflugplatz Emmen

Emmen Air Base Militärflugplatz Emmen
File:Line up Emmen.jpg Pilatus PC-9 and PC-21 Emmen AFB
IATA: EML – ICAO: LSME
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Swiss Air Force
Serves	Emmen
Occupants	Swiss Air Force, armasuisse, Skyguide, RUAG
Elevation AMSL	426 m / 1,398 ft
Coordinates
Map
LSME Location in Switzerland
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 04/22 3,000

Militärflugplatz Emmen (Emmen Military Air Base) (IATA: EML, ICAO: LSME) is a military airfield north of Emmen, Switzerland, located northwest of Lucerne.

History

File:DH100mk6swissweb.jpg

Vampire, 1984

After several previous projects in the 1920s by the federal government and the city of Lucerne, the Municipal Assembly of Emmen decided in 1938, a contribution of CHF 200,000 for the construction of the airfield. After the construction of the airfield, the first landing took place on 7 July 1939. In 1940, a 600-metre-long (2,000 ft) hard surface and a 600 m long cross runway was created. This was extended in 1942 to a concrete runway at 700 m, in 1946 to 1,100 m (3,600 ft), and in 1957 to 2,500 m (8,200 ft).

The first jet fighter was built by F+W Emmen (today RUAG Aerospace) and took off from Militärflugplatz Emmen; the N-20.2 Arbalète is today exhibited in the Swiss Museum of Transport. After the project EFW N-20 was canceled, the in Emmen built N-20:10 Aiguillon prototype was denied to make a first flight; perform only a few taxi on the runway of Emmen were made. The N 20:10 Aiguillon is today exhibited in the Flieger-Flab-Museum. All types of aircraft of the Swiss Air Force have been at Militärflugplatz Emmen since its existence. de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Venom, Aérospatiale Alouette II, Aérospatiale Alouette III, Hawker Hunter, MirageIIIS, MirageIIIRS.

Today

The airfield of Emmen is used primarily for military use and is operated by the Swiss Air Force as training and alternate airfield for jet and propeller aircraft as well as the ADS95 RUAG Ranger UAV. This means that no jet aircraft squadron is stationed in Emmen, but the airfield is still used as a training and alternate air base. The air base is, at both end of the runway, equipped with retractable arresting gear devices (used by the F/A-18 and in case of a problem by the F-5). Next to the aerodrome serves the following military uses:

• Location of the aerobatic team Patrouille Suisse
• Pilot training for Air Force Fighter Pilots with Pilatus PC-21
• Location of transport squadrons and also with charterflights for the Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops of Swisscoy
• Training and courses with reconnaissance drones
• Training center for simulators with Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma, Eurocopter EC 635 and Pilatus PC-21 Factory flights RUAG Aviation on behalf of the Air Force
• Test and trial flights Armasuisse

In addition to the military use of the airfield, limited civil use is possible on a small scale. The RUAG Aviation manages a total quota of 1,000 flight movements per year for civilian use. RUAG itself use Emmen for test flights and for the transport of rocket payload fairings with rented An-124. It is the home base of the 3 Armasuisse aircraft: the Pilatus PC-12 HB-FOG, Pilatus PC-6 HB-FCF and the DA42 R-711. In the summer flight break find exceptionally organized by the private sector, civil major events take place. Air traffic control is performed by the military branch of Skyguide Skyguide National.

Future

The Militärflugplatz Emmen is still important for the Swiss Air Force, especially as there will be no more fighterjet operations from Sion Airport in 2016. With, a part form Militärflugplatz Emmen, are only Meiringen and Payerne Air Base left as Air Base for fighter jets. The RUAG and the Pilatus Aircraft are dependent on the export of their goods outside Europe on Militärflugplatz Emmen. Nevertheless, it remains questionable how the Air Force will use Emmen economically in the future, because to the retirement of the F-5 Tiger, the retirement of the Pilatus PC-9 as well as the exchange of 24 ADS 95 to 5-7 Elbit Hermes 900. It was planned from 2016 to 2020 to have a squadron of leased Gripen C/D at Emmen. This planning has been rendered obsolete by a referendum against the purchase of 22 GripenE.

External links

• Militärflugplatz Emmen
• Swiss Army movie about Emmen AFB on youtube
• (German) Schutzverband der Bevölkerung um den Flugplatz Emmen
• Flugplatz Emmen
• (German) FLUGPLATZ KOMMANDO EMMEN (Flpl Kdo 7) mit Dienststelle Buochs