Notodden Airport, southern Norway, 7th September 2025
This annual event is hosted at a single runway narrow airfield just west of Notodden, a minor town about two hours west of Oslo. The single hangar and adjacent ramp would hold around two airliners though there are no services. Being held on a single Sunday allows the use of nearby retail park car park areas as only minimal parking is possible on site. What is amazing is the enormous local crowds it attracts with a full flying programme ranging from heritage general aviation to air force heavy metal.
One disadvantage, contributed to by the flying programme culminating in a F-16 and F-35 display kept the crowd fixated until the show finishes; this creates major disruption to leaving traffic using the numerous retail type exits leading, after many hours of ‘blending’ without traffic control onto route 134, the only way out, either east or west. Over two hours to creep the length of the runway.
It seemed almost all the airworthy historic airframes in flying condition in southern Norway were present, many based at Kjeller, the nearest light airfield to Oslo city. Primary examples were a Max Holste Broussard, an L19 Bird Dog and a T6 Texan.
The compact static display featured two Saab Safirs, one of which had made a five hour, one stop, flight from Bodo on the arctic circle; the city that houses the fabulous Norwegian Air Force Museum.
Nordotten has a significant based star exhibit. In a similar vogue to Biggin Hill in the United Kingdom, there is a based two seat Spitfire that offers public flights; at a price. One of the lottery prizes on sale included this sensational opportunity. the wreckage of a second Spitfire, recovered in the 50s was on show in a small shed like hangar. The field is also home to a number of gliders.
For such a relaxed, safe and peaceful nation the opportunity to see some military action drew an enthusiastic response from the dense crowd. This included a Royal Danish Air Force two seat F-16 Fighting Falcon and civilian T-33 with a C130J Hercules all operating from the narrow runway, displays from two Bell 412 army helicopters and an Air Sea Rescue EH101, one of a busy group that serve Norway’s fairly perilous coastline.
Given the excellent weather once the cloud cleared completely, we were treated to a formidable aerobatic demonstration from a Pitts Special biplane, twisting and turning and drawing gasps from the crowd; the crowd line stretched along the runway edge; far closer than normally permitted at military air displays.
The show closed with an extensive display by a pair of F-35 Lightnings; a rare grouping with multiple passes. An unusual and extremely noisy display though the families all seemed to be ready with ear protection in place for most children and even some adults.
