Zeltweg Air Base, Austrian airbase also used as a motor race track in the 1960s
Zeltweg Air Base is a military airfield in Styria, Austria, located near the town of Fohnsdorf. The base has both paved and grass runways that accommodate different types of aircraft and serves as the home base for Eurofighter Typhoon fighters and training planes like the Pilatus PC-7.
The airfield was founded in the mid-1930s and saw its first squadron arrive in 1937. After World War II, Austria took control of the base in 1955 following regaining its independence, and it became the country's primary air force base.
The base is named after Franz Hinterstoisser, an Austrian aviation pioneer from the early 20th century. Today it serves as a place where Austria's connection to flight and national pride in its aviation heritage is visible, especially during public events like the AirPower airshow that draw visitors from around the world.
The airfield sits at about 2,000 feet (610 meters) elevation and is easily reached by car. Visitors can access the grounds during the regular AirPower airshows to watch aircraft take off and land, and can visit the Military Aviation Museum featuring historic planes on display.
Before becoming an airfield, the site served as a race circuit from 1959 to 1969 and hosted an Austrian Grand Prix Formula One race. The track shared the space with aircraft until racing operations were moved to a newly built circuit.
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