In training procedures for joint and combined exercises, the helicopters present at HotBlade 2024 took action with “Fam Ride” flights.

Major Rodolfo Curto, Tactical Helicopter Operations Instructor at MHTC (Multinational Helicopter Training Centre), presented the objectives for these flights as being familiarization with the airspace and flight procedures, familiarization of ground forces with usual procedures and identification of zones for the next few days of missions.

Present on these flights were the AS532 helicopters, from the Swiss air force, with boarding procedures, the AB212, from the Austrian air force, with fast rope procedures and the EH-101 Merlin and AW-119 Koala, from the Portuguese Air Force, with procedures fast rope and rappel.

During these days operating from Air Base No. 11, in Beja, 30 air assets from different European countries will be involved in the multinational exercises RealThaw 2024 and HotBlade2024.