Airpower 24 in Zeltweg: a weekend at Austria's biggest air show

Every few years a quiet corner of Styria turns into one of the busiest airfields in Europe. Airpower, the air show of the Austrian Armed Forces, returned to Hinterstoisser Air Base in Zeltweg on 6 and 7 September 2024, and organisers counted around 250,000 visitors over the two days. Photos from the weekend are in the Airpower 24 gallery.

A free show on a grand scale

Airpower is unusual among big European air shows because entry is free. It was the eleventh edition at Hinterstoisser, the base in the Mur valley that is home to Austria's Eurofighter squadron. The motto set the tone: freedom and enthusiasm for flying. Many more people watched from the hills and fields around the base and never went through the gates at all.

What flew

The headline act was a world premiere called "Argonauts", a display involving 25 aircraft of the Austrian Armed Forces. The home air force also showed an interception with two Eurofighters and a C-130 Hercules, and solo displays of the S-70 Black Hawk and the new AW169 helicopter.

Visiting teams brought colour and smoke. Switzerland's Patrouille Suisse and Spain's Patrulla Águila flew their formation routines, a German A400M showed how nimble a large transport can be, and a US Air Force F-35A flew a solo demonstration at Airpower for the first time.

The Flying Bulls, the Salzburg-based collection of historic aircraft, filled the sky with vintage machines, including a joint loop by two of their helicopters, and the Red Bull Blanix glider team flew alongside the Red Bull skydivers.

Rain, then sun

The Friday started wet, and the opening formation by Diamond Aircraft, the Austrian manufacturer based in Wiener Neustadt, flew in the rain. Crowds came anyway, and the Saturday gave the displays the clearer skies they deserved.

Why Zeltweg

The base sits in a wide valley ringed by mountains, which gives spectators natural grandstands on the slopes and gives the pilots a dramatic backdrop. It is also close to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, so the region knows how to move large crowds in and out for a weekend of noise and speed.

See the Airpower 24 photos, or browse more sport and event galleries.