This year’s edition of Tag der Bundeswehr, the annual open day of the German Armed Forces, took place on 28 June 2025 at ten different military facilities across the country. As tradition dictates, the event involved all branches of the Bundeswehr, including its modern departments such as Wehrtechnische Dienststelle für Informationstechnologie und Elektronik WTD 81 (Technical Centre for Information Technology and Electronics).
Aviation fans had the opportunity to visit two air bases – Fliegerhorst Schleswig/Jagel (Schleswig/Jagel Air Base) in Schleswig-Holstein and Internationale Hubschrauberausbildungszentrum (International Helicopter Training Centre) of the German Armed Forces in Bückeburg, Lower Saxony. In addition, there were also some aircraft displays and flypasts held at other military sites across the country.
On Friday, 27 June, yet before the gates of the International Helicopter Training Centre officially opened to around 70,000 visitors, a group of aviation enthusiasts and media representatives were given the opportunity to visit the base and observe preparations for the upcoming show.
The base personnel made their utmost to arrange an excellent programme for the spotter day. However, the Bundeswehr could not guarantee that the weather would be equally perfect. Low, dark clouds covered the morning sky, and it started raining heavily just as the event was about to begin.
The German saying goes, Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur schlechte Kleidung (“There is no bad weather, only bad clothing”), and that was certainly applied here. Rather than complaining about the rain, everyone enjoyed the aircraft and other military equipment already displayed on the base apron. Ultimately, such the weather had its advantages. The low clouds actually created perfect conditions for photography, particularly for capturing images of low-flying helicopters.
The spotter day programme included rehearsal flights performed by helicopter display teams featuring the Sikorsky CH-53G Sea Stallion, the Eurocopter EC665 Tiger, the Eurocopter (Airbus) EC135 and the NHIndustries NH90 TTH. Several other rotorcraft flew around the base during their final training sessions before the Saturday show or moved into their display positions.
The rain stopped before noon – just in time for the arrival of the Luftwaffe aircraft. The first to appear in Bückeburg was an Airbus A400M Atlas airlifter from Lufttransportgeschwader 62 (the 62nd Air Transport Wing) in Wunstorf. The turboprop transport aeroplane was later followed by a Panavia Tornado IDS from Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 (the 33rd Tactical Air Force Wing) in Büchel and a Eurofighter EF-2000 from Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 73 “Steinhoff” (the 73rd Tactical Air Force Wing) based in Laage. Upon their arrival, both combat jets performed a short display that included low passes over the runway and touch-and-go landings.
Last but not least, a group of aircraft formerly operated by the Bundeswehr arrived in Bückeburg. These included two interesting helicopters – the Aérospatiale AS 313B Alouette II and the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105, as well as a Dornier Do 27A-4 STOL utility aeroplane.
The static display was partially ready on Friday and included several variants of the NH90 and EC135 helicopters, as well as the latest version of the H145M, intended to replace the EC665 in its attack role. The British No. 1 Flying Training School exhibited two of its Airbus H135 Juno HT1 (EC135T-3H) training helicopters.
The historical section featured a Bell (Dornier) UH-1D Iroquois and a Sikorsky CH-53G Sea Stallion. The latter was shown in a special vintage livery of the German Heeresfliegertruppe (Army Aviation Corps) and is soon to join the rotorcraft exhibition of Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg (Bückeburg Helicopter Museum).
The German Army equipment on display included the Schützenpanzer Puma and Mowag Eagle IV BAT armoured vehicles, the Leopard 2A6 main battle tank, the Wiesel armoured weapons carrier and the HX81 SaZgM 70t (Elefant 2) heavy tractor-trailer. Several historical German military vehicles were also exhibited, such as the Leopard 1A5 main battle tank, the Volkswagen Type 181 light military vehicle and Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard B2, the iconic self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.
In addition to the aforementioned displays, the aviation enthusiasts and media representatives who visited the Bückeburg air base on Friday were given a unique opportunity to view the collection of historical aircraft preserved at the International Helicopter Training Centre. Located within the base area, the exhibition is not open to the general public and includes the Vertol V-43 / Piasecki H-21C, the Sikorsky (Sud Aviation) H-34A, the MBB Bo 105P1 (PAH-1 – Panzerabwehrhubschrauber), the Bell (Dornier) UH-1D Iroquois and the Sud Aviation / Aérospatiale Alouette II. It is worth noting that all of these helicopters were carefully restored before being displayed at the base.
In conclusion, the spotter day held in Bückeburg on the eve of the 2025 edition of Tag der Bundeswehr was truly a great aviation event, regardless of the weather. The base personnel deserve sincere thanks for their efforts in making the day a memorable experience for all participants.
More images from the spotter day in Bückeburg:
