Summit of the Last Chance!

January 15 & 16. 1994

Numerous conferences have been held since several decades with

the hope that the Middle East conflicts between Israël, Syria and

Lebanon will cease... As of today, little only has been resolved but

tensions are still tangibles and would probably never end...

One of this meeting saw U.S. president Bill Clinton encountering his

Syrian counterpart Hafez El-Assad, bringing a lot of interesting aircrafts 

on Geneva Airport's apron, including both U.S. presidency's 

Boeing 747 VC-25A, with several Lockheed C-5B Galaxies. On

the Syrian side, president Assad arrived on board Boeing 747SP

YK-AHA, with Tupolev 154M YC-AIC as back-up aircraft. 

U.S. President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary disembarking 

from "Air Force One"

The U.S. press, always accompanying the president during his visits,

travelled on board Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-227B N635US,

probably the sole visit of this carrier at Geneva. The french press came

with the Air France Airbus A300B4 seen in the background, while

the regular TWA Boeing 767-200 and Swissair A310 complete the line-up.

November 24. 1990

Another meeting occured 4 years earlier. Material and cars

arrived by cargo aircraft, once again with Galaxies for the U.S.A.

and Ilyushin 76TD YK-ATD of Syrianair Cargo on the other side...

...then with Syrianair Boeing 747SP YK-AHA during

a powerfull take-off which surprised me so much, as I expected a lower 

pass over the IL-76 for this picture!

Geneva "Air Force Base"!

August 8. 1990

In the heighties and nineties years, Geneva Airport often welcomed military

aircrafts displayed during neighbouring Summer airshows.

The World Aerobatics Championships held at nearby Yverdon airfield ended with

an airshow, with the highlight being the display of two MiG 29s showing the famous "Cobra"

figure. The accompanying team traveled on board Aeroflot's Ilyushin 76 CCCP-76497

seen here together with Mig 29 "304 Blue". It was the first and only visit of the type

ever in Switzerland.

August 12. 1990

The same airshow also received another type rarely seen in Switzerland,

the Fairchild A10 Thunderbolt, with a pair based at Geneva. 80-168 is seen here nose

to nose with Swissair's Mc Donnell Douglas MD81 HB-INK being towed

from the maintenance hangar for its next passengers flight.



June 13. 1991

Military exercices for the Swiss Air Force occures generaly one or

two times per year at Geneva, training pilots for diversion on civil

airports. From left to right: Northrop F5F Tiger II J-3067, Hawker Hawk

U-1262, which stayed for only a handfull of years as the jet trainer and

light transporter Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter V-632, with the usual

Fedex Fokker 27-600 OO-FEG in the background.

January 13. 1994

In preparation for the summit between U.S. President Bill Clinton

and his Syrian counterpart Hafez el-Assad, Swiss Air Force's AS-332L

Super Pumas, including T-321, were operating flight for the Police, while

U.S.Air Force's Lockheed C-5B Galaxies, including 86-0015, 

brought limousines, helicopters, troups and other necessary materials

to insure the U.S. delegation's comfort and security. 

April 15 and 20. 1984

U.S. Navy's Convair C-131F "Samaritan" 141001 has made two rare visits

to Geneva in the space of 5 days. This 1955 built sample was based at Sigonella,

Italy, hence the title of the tail. The C-131F was the military model of the civil 340

and was the very last piston engined Convair model to visit the airport.



September 1st 1993

Another very rare U.S.Navy visitor here was Lockheed VP-3A Orion

150511, seen here together with Mc Donnell Douglas C-9A Nightingale

71-0876 during a beautiful clear day!



Very rare visitor!

June 21. 1995

The gigant Antonov 22, which was the largest aircraft of the world in the

mid-sixties before the arrival of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, has made only

two visits at Geneva to date. The first was an Aeroflot sample on March 31. 1970,

coming to load physical subnuclear items supplied by the European Nuclear

Research Center of Meyrin, near Geneva. The aircraft left the next day to Moscow.

The second visit was on June 21. 1995, this time Antonov Design Bureau's

UR-09307, which came to load seven limousine cars for the Gabon's Presidency.

Arrival:

After several delays on that rainy day, the particular sound of the four 15'000 HPs

Kuznetsov NK-12MA could finaly be heard miles out on final for runway 05 and

my excitation growed rapidly. I have cared to be at the beginning of a 36 exposures

K64 roll and let run my camera's engine all along the aircraft approached me and used

the complete roll just for the landing!

Exceptionally, I have exchanged my usual bike for a car to be

quickly back on the apron to shoot the aircraft taxiing. Two engines

have already been shut down.

As told before, the AN-22 is fitted with four Kuznetsov NK-12MA

engines, with contrarotative blades, the most powerfull turbines ever built!

View of the 7 limousines, including a Rolls-Royce, just before loading

Nice difference of size between the already large airport's

passenger buses and the AN-22!

June 22. 1995

What a pity! Low stratus clouds, more usual here between November

and April, were covering the airport! This shot was taken from Palexpo's

Hall 7, which was under construction at that time.

Luckily, the "Bise" (North-East wind) "woke-up", removing the

unwelcomed clouds, whose let place to a bright sunshine! Looking

to the background, another "Russian" visitor was present on that unforgettable day,

namely GATS (Gulf Aviation Technology Services) Ilyushin 76TD RA-76832

The crew was extremely kind to let me climb on board

to take some cockpit shots!

The push-back from its parking position on the INNER taxiway 

took several minutes! Then it was towed on Link 5 to start the engines.

All four engines started, ready for taxi!

Giving way to the regular Aeroflot Tupolev 154M. Here, I have paid

my omission to put ears's protection... Having stayed quiet some times

close to these powerfull engines, I have noticed that my audition was greatly

affected when the aircraft was away. It tooks long minutes before coming back to normal

and during a moment, I thought I had definively lost it!...

...And I was far from the end of my emotions!!! Believing that the take-off

roll for an 8 hours flight to Libreville will be quiet long, I posted me near the

opposite threshold. Having been cleared to line-up and take-off on runway 05, it

has begun its roll but suddendly veered in the grass on the right of the runway,

closing it for quiet a while! Finally, the crew was able to put back the aircraft

on the runway themselves and it took-off on a really shorter distance than

I have expected!