USAF Hahn

[Guest rmce]

Having just finished a wee holiday in the Rhein area of Germany, I was travelling back from Boppard to Hahn airport to get RyanAir flight home.I was driving a Merc Vaneo that had GPS installed so I dialled in Frankfurt Hahn airport and followed instructions from GPS.Having been a GPS deep and religious follower throughout my trip, I was obedient to the GPS 'nice lady voice' telling me to turn wherever 'she' said turn. As we approached Hahn the GPS turned me into lanes and I found myself at USAF guard posts! Obviously they were empty and the GPS took me across old taxiways, still with markings, concrete hangers (with blast proof doors shut) and deserted accomodation. All buidings were in a ghastly pinkish shade. Eventually after many turns we reached the old Main Building with the Tower on top which seems to be the airports Tower.Strange feeling to be taking off in a peaceful 737-800 along the runway that must have supported instruments of extreme destruction in its lifetime.I did notice before take off a tandem of fighters rtaking off, but was too far away to see whose they were or what they were. (EuroFighters?)Just a wee surprise to find myself free to drive around.

[Gavin 99]

I flew in and out of Hahn from Warsaw on Air Polonia earlier this year. Nice to see an Aeroflot DC-10 there. I installed some freeware scenery for Hahn for 2K2, but unfortunately the taxiways are really bumpy. Fine once on runway though.Gavin

[Guest]

Germany doesn't have operational Eurofighters yet. They were most likely Tornado or Phantom (Germany's MiG-29s are being phased out if not gone already).Hahn was never a base for "instruments of extreme destruction". It was a base for close support aircraft and interceptors (A-10s, Phantoms and F-15s), never strategic bombers.

[WAD3 0]

I was there as the base was being taken down. Took a bunch of things for the USAF detachment at Kleine Brogel Belgium. It was strange then I cant inagine what it is like now. Same thing with Bitburg another base I spent alot of time at. Now I hear that it is a business park and a mall or something. It must be odd to see.

[Guest rmce]

I cant inagine what it is like now>>Think ghost town!However, there is an amazing amount of construction going on at the civilian side. This seems strange to me as it appears Ryan Air are about all who are using it.I did see a Atlas Air 747 wherever it was going to or come from I have no idea as not on boards.

[Guest]

At Bitburg they reportedly sold a lot of the bunkers and HASs for use as storage sheds for companies.Mushroom growers I heard use some, another few are in use as wine cellars, etc.Maybe the owners of Hahn lacked that foresight or have different longterm plans which didn't come to fruition yet.