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Zeltweg Air Base

Coordinates: 47°12′8″N 14°44′32″E / 47.20222°N 14.74222°E / 47.20222; 14.74222
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Zeltweg Air Base

Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser
Summary
LocationAustria
Elevation AMSL2,238 ft / 682 m
Coordinates47°12′8″N 14°44′32″E / 47.20222°N 14.74222°E / 47.20222; 14.74222
Map
LOXZ is located in Austria
LOXZ
LOXZ
Location of Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser in Austria
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 2,750 9,022 Asphalt
08L/26R 1,100 3,609 Grass
Source: Landings.com[1][2]
Crowds at Zeltweg Air Base for Airpower 2016
Pilatus PC-7, Zeltweg, 2008

Zeltweg Air Base, now known as Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser, is a military airfield in Styria, Austria near Zeltweg. It is the main airfield of the Austrian Air Force. It was also used as a motor racing circuit in the 1960s.

History

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Zeltweg Air Base has been home to 2.Staffel / Überwachungsgeschwader (Surveillance Wing) since 1976, operating a variety of fast-jet types including Saab 35OE Draaken until 2005, Northrop F-5E Tiger II, and Eurofighter Typhoons since 2007.[3]

It is also a base for training aircraft, such as the Saab 91 Safir (retired 1992),[4] the Pilatus PC-7 (12 in service, since 1984) and the Diamond DA 40NG (4, since 2018).[5][6]

AirPower air show

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Since 1997, the AirPower show is held at Zeltweg. The 2003 and 2005 editions featured Red Bull Air Race events.[7][8] The show was held in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2019.[citation needed] It is scheduled to be held again in 2022.[9]

Franz Hinterstoisser, for whom the air base is now named, was an early pioneer of Austrian aviation (1863-1933).[10]

Zeltweg Military Aviation Museum

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Hangar 8 of Hinterstoisser Air Base is home to the "Zeltweg Military Aviation Museum" (Militärluftfahrtmuseum Zeltweg), a branch of the Vienna Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum). The collection includes over 25 historic aircraft, and associated military equipment.[11]

Aircraft on display include;[12][13]

  • Saab J29F
    Saab J29F
  • Saab 35OE Draken
    Saab 35OE Draken
  • MIG 21R
    MIG 21R
  • Skyvan SC-7
    Skyvan SC-7
  • Saab 91 Safir (now preserved at Zeltweg Museum)
    Saab 91 Safir (now preserved at Zeltweg Museum)
  • General view of museum
    General view of museum

Motorsports

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Zeltweg
Zeltweg Airfield
Grand Prix Circuit (1957–1968)
LocationZeltweg, Styria, Austria
Opened6 October 1957; 67 years ago (1957-10-06)
Closed25 August 1968; 56 years ago (1968-08-25)
Major eventsAustrian Grand Prix (1964)
World Sportscar Championship 500km of Zeltweg (1966–1968)
Grand Prix Circuit (1957–1968)
Length3.186 km (1.980 miles)
Turns4
Race lap record1:04.820 (Jo Siffert, Porsche 908, 1968, Group 6)

Built in 1957 in Styria, the idea for the track came from the United Kingdom's success at Silverstone Circuit, also built on the site of an airfield. However, the track engineers at Zeltweg failed to take into account the abrasive nature of the surface. A lone Formula One World Championship Grand Prix was held in 1964. The World Sportscar Championship Zeltweg 500 Kilometres was held later, until the track was abandoned in 1969 following the construction of the purpose-built Österreichring nearby at Kattigar.

Lap records

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The Formula 1 lap record on the Zeltweg Airfield circuit is 1:10.560 by Dan Gurney in a Brabham BT7, while the overall lap record is 1:04.820 and was set by Jo Siffert in a Porsche 908 during the 1968 Zeltweg 500 Kilometres.[14] The fastest official race lap records at the Zeltweg Air Base are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.186 km (1957–1968)
Group 6 1:04.820[14] Jo Siffert Porsche 908 1968 500km of Zeltweg
Group 4 1:09.400[15] Denny Hulme[a]
Paul Hawkins[a]		 Ford GT40[a] 1967 Sports Car Grand Prix Österrich
Formula One 1:10.560 Dan Gurney Brabham BT7 1964 Austrian Grand Prix
Formula Two 1:16.000[16] Stirling Moss Porsche 718 1960 Flugplatzrennen

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Both drivers took the same lap time independently.

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zeltweg Airfield.
  1. ^ Airport record for Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser at Landings.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08
  2. ^ "location of Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  3. ^ "2staffel-uberwachungsgeschwader". NatoTigers.org. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Photo of Saab 91 3F-SS on last day of service". www.airhistory.net. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  5. ^ "europe/austria/zeltweg-air-base (LOXZ)". spotterguide.net. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  6. ^ "New Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte DA40NG (article dated 22nd November 2018)". Key.aero. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  7. ^ "2003 - Red Bull air race is born". redbull.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Airshow Action Zeltweg AIRPOWER05". steehouwer.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Bundesheer veranstaltet 2022 die AIRPOWER in Zeltweg". OTS.at (in German). Retrieved 2021-10-28.
  10. ^ Aus-Meinem-Luftschiffertagebuche, Franz-Hinterstoisser. ASIN 1167508564.
  11. ^ "Zeltweg Military Aviation Museum". Heeresgeschichtliches Museum. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Luftfahrtmuseum Zeltweg". aviationmuseum.eu. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Mig-21R, Zeltweg Museum". planewatcher.com. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Zeltweg 500 Kilometres 1968". racingsportscars.com. 25 August 1968. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Zeltweg 500 Kilometres 1967". racingsportscars.com. 20 August 1967. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  16. ^ "1960 Zeltweg F2". Motor Sport Magazine. 18 September 1960. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
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