report by Pierre-Yves LECOEUR and Thierry LETELLIER
The course involved as usual, all aspects of NATO flying tactics that have been developed over the last 30 years of TLP. What was significant about TLP 2009-3 was that it was the last to be held at Florennes, its home for the last 20 years.
As TLP membership expanded the complexity of the courses increased. Course planners responded by moving one course a year away from Florennes to an air base of a TLP member nation. This development in tactics put added strain on the air space around Florennes, due to noise and the conflict with increasing civilian air traffic. More recently with the introduction of stand-off weapons and sensors, pilots are required to operate at medium and high level. This modification of tactics led TLP to try to find anther location for Their specific mission . In 2006 with forecasts showing continued expansion of airline traffic it was decided that TLP had to find another area in which to operate.
The decision was made to take heading south on direction of Los Llanos – Albacete Air Base in Spain for the new home of TLP. Albacete is currently the home of the Mirage F.1, which will be replaced by the Eurofighter 2000 Typhoon in 2010. Albacete offers a large unrestricted airspace at all flight levels. It would now be possible for TLP to fly night missions for the first time and for all courses .The new Commandant will welcome two new full TLP member nations (currently TLP guests) in France and Greece, bringing the total to ten.
The participants : (Blue Air)
2x F-16AM Belgian Air Force (10 Wing from Florennes
4x L-159A Czech Air Force (21.zTL, 212.tl from Cazlav)
2x Mirage 2000D French Air Force (EC01.003/EC02.003 from BA 133 Nancy-Ochey)
2x Mirage 2000N French Air Force (EC01.004 ‘Dauphine’ from BA 116 Luxeuil-St.Sauveur)
2x Super Etendard French Navy (11 Flotille and 17 Flotille from Landivisiau)
2x F-16C Hellenic Air Force (346 Mira from Larrisa)
2x Tornado ECR Italian Air Force (50 Stormo, 155 Gruppo from Piacenza)
2x F-16C/D Polish Air Force (3/6ELT from Poznan)
4x F-16AM Royal Netherlands Air Force (311, 312 Squadrons from Volkel and 322 Squadron from Leeuwarden)
2x F-16DJ United States Air Force (52 FW, 22 FS Spangdahlem)
2x EF2000 Spanish Air Force (Ala 11, Esc 111 from Moron)
