Our operation at the Kiel- Holtenau Airport (EDHK) concentrates on the area of slow manned aerial target demonstration. Under contract of the Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) we work for all three services of the German Armed Forces - Air Force, Army and Navy – and support NATO partners in neighbouring EU countries.
Slow manned aerial target demonstration
We are the only civilian operator worldwide with a fleet of ten aircraft of the type PILATUS PC-9/B. Our aircraft is a modification with enlarged inboard wing tanks and therefore an extended range and increased standing time for our deployments. Due to its design, the Pilatus PC-9 is ideally suitable to meet the requirements of aerial target demonstration. With its aerobatic flight capability (+7 g / -3 g; +4.4 g / -2.25 g (external loads)), all military weapon deployment modes such as "high performance maneuvers" can be simulated. Our missions are flown by 15 pilots who have all been recruited from former military jet crews.
Flights are performed over sea in collaboration with the naval forces and over land with ground and air-supported forces. We operate in the altitude range between 100ft and 25000ft and in the speed range from 100 KIAS to 320 KIAS.
We are the only civilian operator worldwide with a fleet of ten aircraft of the type PILATUS PC-9/B. Our aircraft is a modification with enlarged inboard wing tanks and therefore an extended range and increased standing time for our deployments. Due to its design, the Pilatus PC-9 is ideally suitable to meet the requirements of aerial target demonstration. With its aerobatic flight capability (+7 g / -3 g; +4.4 g / -2.25 g (external loads)), all military weapon deployment modes such as "high performance maneuvers" can be simulated. Our missions are flown by 15 pilots who have all been recruited from former military jet crews.
Flights are performed over sea in collaboration with the naval forces and over land with ground and air-supported forces. We operate in the altitude range between 100ft and 25000ft and in the speed range from 100 KIAS to 320 KIAS.
- Our aircraft are deployed to demonstrate an aerial target to provide training for aiming exercises of the anti-aircraft forces also using "laser reflector pods" as direct evaluation medium with hit evaluation for simulated shots from laser-equipped anti-aircraft systems.
- For aerial target demonstration with live ammunition, a towed target is released behind the aircraft and, depending on the combating calibre/weapon, deployed with a towing length ranging from 1000m to 3000m.
- In the mission role of close air support, flights are conducted to train forward air controllers (FAC) both during the day and night under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and visual flight rules (VFR) (also with the help of night vision devices NVD)
- For anti-terrorist exercises, mission concepts of NATO interceptors are practised with our PC-9 as simulated "terrorist aggressors" or high jacked passenger aircraft.
- In addition to flights with single aircraft, formations of up to six aircraft are also flown under tactical military deployment conditions along with participation in major exercises (COMAO)
- We also have the possibility to simulate chemical attacks as a training field for military units.
