The Aviation Magazine No 52 September-October 2017 | Page 74
Armed Forces Day in Southern Bavaria, Germany
On the occasion of the "Tag der Bundeswehr" (Armed
Forces Day) on Saturday, June 10th and this year's
60th anniversary of the Lufttransportgeschwader 61
(61st Airlift Wing) a spotterday was organized at the
German Air Force air base Penzing in Southern Bavaria,
Germany.
230 aviation enthusiasts enjoyed a perfect day
watching a wide variety of current and historic aircraft.
The weather was perfect and a spot south of the
runway provided excellent conditions for taking
photos. The air traffic controllers did an amazing job
requesting every aircraft to perform a low approach or
a low pass before landing. As the program for Saturday
included flying activity, the spotters could enjoy the
rehearsal of some of the displays planned for
Saturday.
Since 1971, Penzing Air Base has been home to the
LTG 61. The air base will be put in a low state of
readiness at the end of this year, following the
disbandment of the LTG 61, which is planned for the
end of this September. Until then, the LTG 61 remains
the oldest active flying unit within the German Air
Force. The wing was established on August 24th, 1957.
Its 1st squadron had 18 C‐47 Dakota, whereas its 2nd
squadron started to receive the brand‐new
C‐160 Transall
Nord 2501 Noratlas