Training the Luftwaffe Eurofighter pilot

Rostock-Laage Airport is home of Jagdgeschwader 73 (73rd Fighter Wing) from the German Air Force. The wing has one operational squadron equipped with the Eurofighter Typhoon. The second squadron is the only training squadron for the Luftwaffe Typhoon pilots. Recce Reports visited the wing on 15 July 2013. The combined civil/military airport is located in north-eastern Germany near the town of Rostock. Untill October 1990 it used to be in the German Democratic Republic, also know as East-Germany.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multirole fighter aircaft with two engines. It has a typical delta wing and two small canard wings on the left and right side, just behind the nose part. One of the countries involved in the development of the aircraft is Germany. The first prototype flew in 1994. In 2004 the first Lufwaffe Eurofighters arrived at Laage.

German Eurofighter Training
After basic flying training in the USA, German pilots intended to fly the Eurofigter, receive their training at Laage. Besides theory classes the wing has flight simulators for the preparation and monitoring of practical training. In the second fighter squadron then theory is put into practice. After flights with flight instructors, in the appropriate two-seat trainer, the pilots start flying the single-seat Eurofighter. After completing training, the pilots move to their operational destination. Jagdgeschwader 73 ‘Steinhoff’ performes advanced weapons training for the Eurofighter as well.

Quick Reaction Alert
The wing is also responsible for the safeguarding of German airspace. The so-called ‘air policing’ includes the ability to provide a Quick Reaction Alert, that puts two Eurofighters in the air in a very short time.