WT Forums

Hi All,

I am looking for more information considering this exercise which took place in Germany, probably Spring 1984.
Back than a part of the German Autobahn 29 near former Ahlhorn airbase was used as an emergency landing strip. At least one 81TFW A-10A from Bentwaters was there.

So far I have found one magazine reporting about it but it was not very accurate.

Reason of my interest is the participation of former Luftwaffe JBG-36 which flew at least one (maybe two) F-4F Phantoms to this EX.
I am prepairing a book about this unit and I'd like to verify some facts.

If one of you out here was there himself or knows more about the EX, I hope to hear from you.

Cheers, André Jans

I have video of the exercise, but it doesn't have any F-4s landing.

Coach

Thanks. Please check your email.

What's the story behind the A-10 being loaded in the picture

They flew in a Warthog and ground crew, refuelling and arming the aircraft on the Highway afterwards.
During the Cold War years, Germany had many of these forward, emercency airstrips made of highway roads.

There's an interesting site about it. Hope you trained some of your German language skills.

http://www.lostplaces.de/cms/content/view/113/33/

The only german I know is whatever I can pick up by watching reruns of Hogans Heros,Combat, The Dirty Dozen,The Great Escape,Von Ryans Express,The Enemy Below and this list goes on.

Wasn't the exercise called 'Highway 84'? I seem to remember a patch that went along with it...

And thanks for posting that link, Skywarriors. I was trying to find that web site to respond to this thread.

Cheers! M2

The sole magazine reporting I've found so far says DOBAS-84 (=Deployment Operation Bases - Activation and Support).

Guess highway 84 was easier to use.

Wasn't this also done once earlier than '84?
I was in Aviano from Dec '80 to Dec '82 and thought I remember it being done, possibly in '82?

There is another post on here somewhere with other info and pictures showing several Warthogs off the side of the autobahn.

Hogsnort,

you are correct that other highway exercises took place before 1984.

The DOD photos from DOBAS-84, which are visible in lostplaces.de, show 25th and 28th March 1984.

The magazine shows Kadena based Eagles on a highway at Okinawa in 1981 though. It also shows a picture of a RAF Jaguar taxing on M-55 motorway in the UK around 1975.

For some reason I remember the exercised being called 'Skid Strip' or something like that...

And as I was with the 81 TFW between Apr 82- Apr 84, it would have had to have happened before April 1984.

Cheers! M2

Skidstrup is a base in Denmark...several exercises were held there.

I only remember one other Highway Landing Strip event after this one, maybe in 1985. There were many in the early 80's.

When Ramstein's runway was being repaired in the mid-90's, they used the HLS just outside the gate for about six weeks.

We had them all marked on our maps...just in case.

Coach

Saw that same kind of highway/airfield in Korea when I was there.

_________________
Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

Thanks !

Found some photos from the Team Spirit exercises at http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/

Interesting stuff.

I remember some little blurb about the interstate system saying that the DOD wanted straight and level 10,000 foot strips every so often on the highways so that this sort of thing could be done here. Did they ever do this sort of thing stateside?

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Evil is evil, no matter how small.

i have a pic some where in a magazine from 84/5 showing a hawg taking off from an autobahn, i'll see if i can dig it out..

Thanks! Could you please scan the whole article and send it by e-mail?

Much appreciated.

André

HI All

Hope you had a good Xmas.

Try these for a few good pics etc..

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image ... 09439.jpg#

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image ... -09440.jpg

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn-Notlandeplatz

Theres lots of other stuff out ther (too much to list). There was a patch issued for Highway 84, so if anyone has one for sale or trade pleeze let me know as I have been after one for years.

Best wishes for 2008

this is what i have in the mag, i've still to dig out the article