What is it

Axalp Fliegerschiessen is one of the most aspiring airshows in the world. And it is not even an airshow!

Axalp Fliegerschiessen is a demo event where the Swiss Air Force show their target practice skills by firing live ammunition with their board cannons on ground targets.

The Ebenflüh Shooting Range of the Swiss Air Force, at 2234mt above sea level, combined with the amazing alpine environment, give to Axalp all the ingredients for an experience never to forget.

The star of the day is the McDonnell Douglas F/A- 18 Hornet. On the other side some display by the PC-21 and the AS532UL Cougar Mk1 helicopters.

Closing the event the Patrouille Suisse with their F-5E Tiger. The flying is adapted to the terrain, making this display one of a kind.

The airplanes

McDon. Douglas F/A- 18 Hornet

PC-21

F-5E Tiger

AS532UL Cougar Mk1

Eurocopter AS532 Cougar

Now Airbus Helicopters H215M, is a twin-engine (Makila 1A1 turboshaft engines), medium-weight, multipurpose helicopter developed by Eurocopter.

The AS532 is a development and upgrade of the Aérospatiale SA330 Puma in its militarized form.

It carries a crew of 2 and up to 29 troops or 6 injured passengers on stretchers plus 10 others.

As with the other versions of the Cougar, the AS 532 UL/AL can lift 4.5 tons.

General characteristics

Crew: 2

Capacity: 20 troops / 4,650kg (10,251 lb)

Length: 15.53m (50 ft 11 in)

Height: 4.92m (16 ft 2 in)

Main rotor diameter: 15.6m (51 ft 2 in)

Performance

Maximum speed: 249 km/h (155 mph, 134 kn)

Cruise speed: 239 km/h (149 mph, 129 kn)

Range: 573 km (356 mi, 309 nmi)

Service ceiling: 3,450 m (11,320 ft)

Rate of climb: 7.2 m/s (1,420 ft/min)

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

It is a twin engine, midwing, multimission tactical aircraft.

It is highly maneuverable, due to its good thrust-to-weight ratio, digital fly-by-wire control system, and leading-edge extensions, which allow the Hornet to remain controllable at high angles of attack.

The trapezoidal wing has a 20° sweepback on the leading edge and a straight trailing edge.

The wing has full-span, leading-edge flaps and the trailing edge has single-slotted flaps and ailerons over the entire span.

A flare or decoy flare is an aerial infrared countermeasure used by an aircraft to counter an infrared homing ("heat-seeking") surface-to-air missile or air-to-air missile.

Flares are commonly composed of a pyrotechnic composition based on magnesium or another hot-burning metal, with burning temperature equal to or hotter than engine exhaust.

The aim is to make the infrared-guided missile seek out the heat signature from the flare rather than the aircraft's engines.

General characteristics

Crew: 1 or 2 (pilot and weapon systems officer)

Length: 17.1 m (56 ft 1 in)

Wingspan: 12.3 m (40 ft 4 in)

Height: 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)

Gross weight: 16,769 kg (36,970 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 23,541 kg (51,900 lb)

Fuel capacity: 4,930 kg internally (10,860 pounds)

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,915 km/h (1,190 mph, 1,034 kn)

Maximum speed: Mach 1.8

Cruise speed: 1,060 km/h (660 mph, 570 kn)

Range: 2,017 km (1,253 mi, 1,089 nmi )

Service ceiling: 15,000 m (50,000 ft)

Rate of climb: 250 m/s (50,000 ft/min))