Greece Launches Its First Air Show

Greece’s first-ever air show will be held in September at the Tanagra air base north of Athens, the Ministry of Defense announced last month.

The 13-day event, starting on September 8, will include aerobatic shows by teams from Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Poland, while Greek military pilots will stage displays with the air force’s workhorse F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighters.

The ministry announcement said 18 of the world’s air forces and 11 major aerospace industries have stated their intention to participate in the show, named “Archangel 2005.”

Both static and flying displays are scheduled. The ministry said the show could attract “hundreds of thousands” of spectators.

Billed by air force chief Lt. General Georgios Avlonitis as “a mixture of aviation and cultural events,” the air show is also seen as a significant showcase for the Greek air force’s activities.

The details of the event were discussed last month during a meeting of officials from the ministries of the Interior, Education, Health, Transport and Tourism.

The meeting was chaired by Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos.