Swiss air force live fire event Axalp, Military air show in Axalp, Switzerland.
The Swiss Air Force live fire event Axalp is a military training exercise held on the Ebenfluh range in the Bernese Oberland, where pilots fire live ammunition at ground targets from fighter jets and helicopters. The range faces a steep mountain wall that acts as a natural backstop for the weapons.
The Ebenfluh range was set up in 1942, when Switzerland was working to train its pilots in mountain flying during the Second World War. After the war ended, it became a permanent training site and has been in continuous use since then.
The event draws large crowds each year, with spectators watching pilots perform passes and strikes at close range against the mountain wall. For many Swiss families, attending is a way of connecting with the country's approach to defense as something open and shared.
Visitors travel from Brienz by shuttle bus to the chairlift base, then hike up to the viewing area, a walk that takes about an hour and a half. The site sits at high elevation, so warm layers and sturdy footwear are a good idea even in autumn.
The natural rock basin that surrounds the range acts like an amphitheater, focusing the sound of the jets and explosions toward the viewing area rather than scattering it across nearby valleys. This makes the acoustic experience one of the most intense parts of the visit, even before the aircraft come into view.
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