NATO " Tiger Meet " Zaragoza AB - 2016
The NATO Tiger Meet edition 2016 took place from Monday 16th to Friday 27th of May at the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) Base Aérea Zaragoza, in Spain. Organizer unit was Ala 15 which operates EF-18M/BM Hornets. The NATO Tiger Meet is an exercise among units sporting a badge displaying a tiger or a big cat family. All through the meeting, pilots schedule single or in batch sorties, which include a/c from different participating units; further some competitions have carried out by flying and ground personnel according different operative and folk aspects. Trophies are awarded for each competition but Silver Tiger Trophy is the most coveted. It awards the overall best squadron in the Tiger Meet event. Here follow the winners of this edition :
Trophy Winner 2016
Tiger Games 31 smd Belgian Air Force
Silver Tiger Trophy 31 smd Belgian Air Force
Best Skit 338 Skv Royal Norwegian Air Force
Best Painted Tiger Aircraft 221 LtBVr Czeck Air Force
Best Looking Uniform 21° Gruppo Italian Air Force
Best Flying Unit 11F Aeronavale
while participant units and aircraft were according below list :
a/c Unit AirBase Air Force
EF-18M/BM Ala 15 BA Zaragoza Ejército del Aire
EF-2000 Ala 14 BA Albacete Ejército del Aire
HH-212ICO 21°Gruppo Grazzanise Italian Air Force
F-16AM/BM 31 smd Kleine Brogel Belgian Air Force
EF2000 TaktLwG 74 Neuburg German Air Force
Rafale M 11F BAN Landivisiau Aeronavale
Mirage 2000D ECE 01.030 BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan Armée de l’Air
F-16C/D 335 Mira Araxos Hellenic Air Force
F-16AM/BM 313 Sqn Volkel Royal Netherlands Air Force
JAS-39C/D 59/1 Sqn Kecskemét Hungarian Air Force
F-16AM/BM 338 Skv Ørland Royal Norwegian Air Force
E-3A 1° AEW&CS Geilenkirchen NATO
F-16C/D 6 ELT Poznan-Krzesiny Polish AF
JAS-39C/D 211 TL Cáslav Czeck Air Force
Mi-24 221 LtBVr Námest Czeck Air Force
Mi-17 221 LtBVr Námest Czeck Air Force
F-16C/D 192 Filo Balikesir Turkish Air Force
F/A-18C/D Fliegerstaffel 11 Meiringen Swiss Air Force
Puma HC.2 No.230 Sqn RAF Benson Royal Air Force
Not participating, but visitor or observer members were :
a/c Unit AirBase Air Force
EF-2000 12° Gruppo Gioia del Colle Italian Air Force
F-16A/B ESq 301 Monte Real Portuguese Air Force
----- 1 JST Flh.Vogler (Linz) Austrian Air Force
and finally, further (…. very, very welcome by aviation enthusiasts) external participants :
a/c Unit AirBase Air Force
Learjet GDF Hohn Civil
E-2C 4F Lann-Bihoué Aeronavale
SA-342M 3 RHC Étain-Rouvres Armée de Terre
KDC-10 334 Sqn Eindhoven Royal Netherlands Air Force
A spotter day took place Friday 20th, both in the morning than in the afternoon, which allowed the photographs on taking pictures in the best condition of all participants and visitors aircraft. The nest day, Saturday 21st , a special air show took place and air base was opened to the public which attended a spectacular flying display and had the chance of a close look of the numerous special painted aircraft with tigers emblems or camouflages.
Report and photo by Renzo Del Bianco
Thanks to Ala 15 and Zaragoza Air Base for organization and hospitality given us all through the “spotter day”.
Participants list source : http://www.natotigers.org/
