Holloman Air Force Base
„Geisterstunde“ mit Nighthawk und Phantom
Der Name „Holloman“ ist untrennbar mit dem Stealth-Kampfflugzeug Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk verbunden, denn die ersten Exemplare des kantigen Jets kamen schon 1992 zum 49th Fighter Wing auf die Air Base. Bis zuletzt war der Jagdbomber – durch die US Air Force abgeschottet von der Außenwelt – von einer Aura des Geheimnisvollen umgeben. Im April 2008 endete schließlich mit der Außerdienststellung der F-117 die Ära des ersten Tarnkappenflugzeugs.
Mit der Phantom blieb der Basis jedoch ein berühmtes Muster erhalten. Bis Ende 2016 flogen die QF-4 über dem Himmel von Alamogordo. Die Drohnen wurden vom Detachment 1 der 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron betrieben, die auf der Tyndall AFB beheimatet ist.
Holloman Air Force Base – Transatlantic support
For two decades German Tornado crews were training over the desert of New Mexico. Until 2018 Holloman Air Force Base was the home of the German Air Force Flying Training Center. Since April 1996 the Panavia Tornado were a regular sight in the skies of New Mexico. For best weather conditions, extended airspace and unlimited operation hours were ideal requirements for the German Air Force Flying Training Center (GAFFTC) at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo where it conducted several courses including the weapons instructor course. This highest qualification in military aviation represented only a part of the Center’s work, which at the time of oir visit in 2007 was manned by a team of about 600 male and female service personnel and civilians. Every year an average of 50 students joined in the courses in the United States, whereas the initial training on the Tornado weapon system was the main focus. This training lasted almost nine months. It included about 100 flying hours plus an extremely wide-ranging programme of theory. In addition, future flying instructors and weapon system officers gained their instructor ratings here after appropriate training.
For every flight manoeuvre certain tolerances were laid down, and the student pilots had to remain within those limits. For example, on an instrument approach they had to stay within ten knots of the specified speed or within 100 feet of the required altitude. Any flight failed had to be repeated. If a student failed several flights, he was taken off the course. This also applied to the missions in the CAE simulator, which in 2005 had been equipped with a dome and a laser visual system. In 2007 about 25 Tornados were based at Holloman. At that time the era of the Phantom however had already come to a close. The first examples of the F-4E to train the German crews came to New Mexico in May 1992 from George AFB and were later replaced by F-4Fs. The training ended in December 2004.
Nighthawks and Phantoms
The name “Holloman” is closely connected with the stealth fighter Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk, because the first examples of the square-edged jet came to the 49th Fighter Wing on the airbase as early as in 1992. Right up to the end the fighter bomber, closely guarded by the US Air Force, was still surrounded by mystery. In April 2008 the era of the first stealth jet ended with the phasing out of the final F-117.
With the Phantom the base kept another famous type. Up until the end of 2016 the QF-4 was a familiar sight on the sky of Alamogordo. The drone were operated by the Detachment 1 of the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron which is based in Tyndall AFB.
