After a break of more than a year and a half and several attempts that failed because of a catastrophic helicopter crash, technical and weather problems, the Romanian-US exercise Dacian Warhawk finally offered an opportunity to visit Câmpia Turzii again. From March 16 to 21, 2015, six USAF F-16s from Spangdahlem trained together with the local MiG-21 LanceR. On March 18 and 19 the author was able to experience the action at close range – in very changeable weather, ranging from bright sunshine to snowfall.
Before each flying day, all aircraft, both the LanceR B two-seaters ...
... and the LanceR C single-seaters, underwent an engine test run.
The aircraft taking part in the exercise were lined up on the parking area in the south of the airfield, ...
... a total of six aircraft, including two two-seaters.
Not yet involved was 9611, which had only just returned from industrial overhaul at Aerostar Bacău.
Besides the LanceR, the Romanian side also had C-130Bs ...
... and C-27Js from Bucharest-Otopeni involved in the exercise, which dropped paratroopers several times near the airfield.
In several waves per day ...
... both the LanceR ...
... and the F-16s, which operated from the other side of the base, took off.
Take-offs ...
... and landings – using the attractive Romanian round brake chutes – followed each other in quick succession.
Even after sunset, which cast a golden shimmer on the aircraft, ...
... flight operations continued, ...
... so that impressive afterburner flames ...
... and the light effects of the landing lights also provided beautiful motifs.
The second day began with snow showers. When they had cleared, the aircraft were prepared for flying in brilliant sunshine.
One of the previous QRA aircraft was taken into flight operations and replaced by one of the aircraft that had been flying so far, which offered the opportunity ...
... to watch the complete re-arming, including the change of missiles.
A wave in the afternoon, in which snow showers and sunshine again alternated, ...
... marked the end of two eventful days.
The author thanks Maistru Militar Principal Alexandru Huiber, General de Flotilă Aeriană Dr. Lian Someşan and all members of the Forţele Aeriene Române who made this trip possible.
