The Air Force flew F16 and F35 in a poinsettia formation – NRK

Did you see the poinsettia today?

Every year, operational squadrons fly in formation. The program is part of Air Force formation flight training, but it has also gradually become a tradition cherished by many.

– It has been a tradition for decades. In addition, it gives us good training to fly many at the same time. It’s rare that we fly so many planes together, says the head of the Bodø air force base, Henning Homb.

Air Force 332 Squadron with F-35s today flew over: Ørland, Trondheim, Levanger / Steinkjer, Namsos, Rørvik, Halsa and Kristiansund.

The F-16 aircraft of 331 Squadron flew over: Leknes, Svolvær, Stokmarknes, Sortland, Andøya, Tromsø, Finnsnes, Sørreisa, Bardufoss, Harstad, Narvik, Evenes, Fauske and Bodø.

Next year will be the last year of a poinsettia flight from Bodø.

– Next year we will give up flights with F-16s. We now had 24 planes in the air today, I don’t think we will have them next year, says Homb.

Molde, Ålesund and Brønnøysund abandoned

The Air Force says there are mostly positive comments, but there are some negative ones:

– Negative feedback mainly comes from the places we don’t pass. We’d like to have more places, but fuel sets limits, says Homb.

For many northern Norwegian people, on the other hand, this year’s Christmas Eve was a great spectacle.

– We were very lucky with the weather in Northern Norway today. It was more comfortable considering the weather, he says.

At Møre og Romsdal, however, some were disappointed. Ørland’s 332 Squadron with F-35s had planned a flight over Molde and Ålesund, among other places. However, these and Brønnøysund in Nordland were not visited by the “Christmas star” of the Air Force.

– There are several reasons why the flight path needs to be changed en route, including weather conditions. We want to go out early to inform widely. We understand that some may be disappointed, but overall we have been clear that there may be changes on the way, says Major and Air Force spokesman Stian Roen.

Roen says they will likely continue the tradition in the future as well.

– Then we can see if we can go back to the places we did not fly over this year another time.

– Not quite wing to wing

From the ground, it can appear that the planes are dangerously tight. However, the truth is that safety has been taken into account.

Henning Homb, who participated in the flight, says the speed is low for his standard. The cruising speed of the aircraft in formation is around 300 knots.

In good Norwegian almost 550 kilometers per hour.

– It’s not quite wing to wing, but it’s not very far. Internally in training, there are also height differences to ensure that everything is carried out safely, he says.