Air Mobility Command, together with international partners, is training cargo and paratrooper dropping during the annual exercise Falcon Leap. 

During the first week of the exercise, cargo dropping (Container Delivery System [CDS] drops) will be practised over Marnewaard, Ginkelse Heide and over locations in Belgium. The second week is dedicated to dropping paratroopers. The paratroopers will land at various locations in Gelderland, North Brabant, Groningen and Belgium.

Exercises at Twente Airport

Twente Airport is one of the Departure AirFields (DAF) for the exercise. Drops of cargo and paratroopers will not take place here. Twente Airport will, however, practise Tactical Air-Land Operations (TALO), such as approach procedures (approaches) and touch-and-go's with, among others, a C-130 Hercules. 

The C-130 can be deployed in an area where an enemy is active. It is then possible that the aircraft may come under fire during landing. If the aircraft will always land in the same way and via the same route, at some point an enemy will know where it is best to place a weapon. The C-130 is capable of a so-called tactical approach at an airfield. The aircraft approaches the airfield from an unpredictable side and then deploys a fast landing. This may involve a short turn after which the aircraft descends rapidly. These tactical approaches will be practised at Twente Airport (see map below for the different types of tactical approaches).

Planning Twente Airport (subject to change)

Tuesday 5 to 8 September: with the C-130 and C27J
Wednesday 13 September: with the C130, C27J and C295

During the flights, the aircraft fly at a low altitude and are therefore visible and audible. From 5 to 8 September, there will also be evening flights until around 20:30. 

Laurens Esveldt, Twente Airport harbour master: ‘Since the closure of Twente Air Base, Defence has been using the airport occasionally for (combined) exercises. During this exercise, several ground and air units of Defence work together. Due to the nature of the exercise, Defence looks for ‘shielded’ locations to train independently. Twente Airport meets those conditions. Exercises like this are necessary to keep the skills of Defence personnel up to date. As an airport, we are happy to contribute in this way to Defence's practising skills.’

C-130 Hercules

A C-130 Hercules is a four-engine transport aircraft used to transport military personnel and equipment. The aircraft (40.5 metres wide and 11.7 metres high) does not necessarily need to land on an airfield. Thanks to its robust landing gear and four strong engines (4,591 hp per engine), the aircraft can use so-called ‘dirt strips’, for example a beach or a flat stretch in a desert. If there is no possibility to land, the aircraft can drop military personnel or cargo. A loading ramp is opened at the back of the aircraft, after which pallets of cargo leave the aircraft and land by parachute at an agreed location. Paratroopers can also exit the aircraft this way, in addition they can use doors on the side of the aircraft.

Besides military deployment, the C-130 can also be used for humanitarian aid in disaster areas where an airfield is unavailable or partially destroyed.
For example, the aircraft was deployed after Hurricane Irma that swept devastatingly over Sint Maarten, among other places. Recently, C-130s have been deployed during evacuation flights from Kabul Afghanistan and to help earthquake victims in Turkey.

Military exercises are carefully prepared. This is essential for the exercising units, but also for the surroundings of the exercise sites. People may nevertheless experience inconvenience during this exercise. Any complaints should preferably be submitted via the complaints form at www.luchtmacht.nl/geluidshinder. If you want to know more about flight movements, see www.luchtmacht.nl/vliegbewegingen.