Falcon Leap 2024 - Eindhoven
This year the Falcon Leap airborne exercise at Eindhoven airbase had a special topic: the Market Garden 1944 event was celebrating its 80 years memmorial. This fact combined with the ever more importance of Eindhoven airbase as EART main (NATO) hub brought a larger number and special participants.
A total of 11 Falcon Leap participants attended: a RQS ANG HC130J ‘Combat King II’, two regular ANG C130’s, Greek Hercules and Spartan (special c/s), RAF Atlas C1, Romanian Spartan, Portuguese C295, Spanish/ C295 (special c/s), Polish C295 and German A400 (with Pacific Skies badge). These were supplemented with two RNLAF C130’s. 5 EART A330’s were active on this specific day – as well as a civilian DC3 Dakota in D-Day US markings flying many sorties. Even a Belgian F16B made a low pass.
Air National Guard C130’s always have specially adorned tails; the two regular ANG Herculesses were flown by the Montana ANG and Delaware ANG as can clearly be seen on their tails. The German A400M participated in Pacific Skies 2024 - which saw deployments in Japan, Australia, Hawai and India.
The Falcon Leap participants flew two missions per day. Both waves could be seen passing fairly low over many parts of the Netherlands. The second wave could easily be seen from the Den Bosch area:
EART A330-MRTT’s based at Koln but also from Eindhoven itself were very active this day:
