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Program presentation for AIRPOWER22 on 02-03 September
“Above the clouds!”: Under this motto, the Austrian Armed Forces, together with the Province of Styria and Red Bull as a partner, will be hosting AIRPOWER22, the largest air show in Europe, at Hinterstoisser Air Base in Zeltweg on Friday, September 2 and Saturday, September 3, 2022. It will consist of a performance show on the ground, as well as demonstrations by the Austrian Air Force and international military aerobatic squadrons and participants from the field of civil aviation, first and foremost the Flying Bulls, as well as a static show of civil exhibitors from the fields of the aviation industry, research and education, and an extensive supporting event at the airfield site, including the Military Aviation Museum. Admission to AIRPOWER22 is free.
AIRPOWER22 is an event for the whole family and also offers varied entertainment for children: on both days of the event (September 2 and 3, 2022), a separate children’s area will be available from 7:30 a.m. until the end of the airshows (5 p.m.).
“This year AIRPOWER22 offers a program in unprecedented abundance with numerous highlights and premieres. In total, there will be around 35 flying displays with eight hours of programming. Around 60 aircraft will be presented in the static display,” explains Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
According to the organizers, around four million euros will be invested this year, which will be shared by the Austrian Armed Forces, the province of Styria and Red Bull. The province of Styria supports the framework program with a maximum of 1.2 million euros. There are numerous positive effects for the Murtal region and Styria. “AIRPOWER ensures additional overnight stays and brings a total added value of around nine million euros to Styria. In addition, the event offers us a good opportunity to present Styria beyond its borders as an innovative business location and diverse vacation destination,” says Styrian Economic Minister Barbara Eibinger-Miedl.
More than 300 accredited journalists from Germany and abroad are expected to cover AIRPOWER22. The region thus also benefits from the many television images on national and international TV channels.
“In addition to the well-known Bundesheer types Eurofighter with a solo display as well as an intercept demonstration with two Eurofighters and a C-130 followed by a performance demonstration (“dog-fight” demo of two Eurofighters), Gripen and F-16, among others, will be on display in several solo displays. Jet and propeller-driven training aircraft will include T346 (Italy), L39NG (Czech Republic), PC-9M (Slovenia) and PC-7 (Austria). There will also be a formation flight with three DA-40s and four PC-7s,” says AIRPOWER22 Display Director Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Ploder.
Several aerobatic squadrons also perform, most notably the
The Flying Bulls are a unique aircraft squadron whose history began back in the 1980s. What started with a legendary North American T-28B “Trojan” has since grown into one of the most remarkable private aviation projects in the world. Today, the Flying Bulls fleet comprises 29 aircraft, including classics such as the Douglas DC-6B, a Lockheed P-38 “Lightning” and the legendary Chance Vought F4U-4 “Corsair”, as well as helicopters such as the Bell Cobra 209/AH-1F and the aerobatic BO-105. The pilots of the Flying Bulls are passionate ambassadors for aviation and make the hearts of fans beat faster during their appearances around the world. The team is based in Salzburg’s Hangars 7 & 8, where international specialists lovingly look after their winged young and oldtimers.
At AIRPOWER22, the Flying Bulls will be in action both on the ground and in the air with their historic machines and are looking forward to the “Red Bull Aerobatic Triple” – an aerobatic world premiere. “It’s great that AIRPOWER is taking place again! For the Flying Bulls, us pilots and me as a native Styrian, it is an absolute highlight and privilege to be able to fly in Zeltweg in front of so many enthusiastic fans,” says Flying Bulls helicopter chief pilot Siegfried “Blacky” Schwarz.
In addition, many other historic aircraft will be on static and flying display, including a Draken, Fokker A1 (built 1914), Beech-18 AT11 (built 1937), T-&G-NF TEXAN (built 1938), Pilatus P2 (built 1945) and an Antonv AN2 (built 1952).
A real world premiere, also artistic, is a large flying display by the Austrian Armed Forces with a total of nine Alouette-III helicopters, one Eurofighter, three PC-6s and one AW 169 helicopter. All the flying machines in this display move to a specially composed symphony, composed and arranged by the well-known arranger Tristan Schulze and performed by a selection of around 100 military musicians. The composition of the work “Vibes in the sky” is by Tristan Schulze. The well-known composer and arranger was born in 1964 in Saxony (Germany). After studying cello in Dresden, he learned the classical opera and concert repertoire in the orchestra. In Benares (India) he studied Indian classical music, then conducting and composition at the Vienna Academy of Music. Study visits took him to Senegal, Argentina and Mexico. Through his longstanding contact and collaboration with the composer Hans Zimmer, he also developed a rich film music oeuvre, on the one hand as solo cellist for Hollywood films such as Captain Phillips, Twelve Years A Slave and Inferno, and on the other hand as composer for numerous ORF television productions. Tristan Schulze has been chief conductor of the Vienna Concert Association since 2020.
At AIRPOWER22, the Flying Bulls are coming up with an aerobatic world premiere that seems to defy the laws of physics. At the “Red Bull Aerobatic Triple”, airplanes, helicopters and wingsuit jumpers meet for the first time in a precisely choreographed interplay. The aerobatic BO-105, the legendary “Cobra” as well as the historic PT-17 Stearman and the Zivko Edge 540 are in operation. For months the pilots of the Flying Bulls and the skydivers of the “Red Bull Skydive Team” as well as the “HSV-Red Bull Salzburg” have been planning and rehearsing for their spectacular performance in the sky above Zeltweg. Spectators can look forward to two opportunities to watch the performance of pilots and skydivers during AIRPOWER22. “The idea for the Red Bull Aerobatic Triple was born two years ago, and since then we have been rehearsing and refining the choreography regularly. It will be a unique display of airplanes and helicopters of different generations – and of course the skydivers and wingsuit pilots!”, Flying Bull’s helicopter chief pilot Siegfried “Blacky” Schwarz is pleased.
