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           and dots with different profile, still amazes me.
From a distance, and with
the specific buzz, the helicopters seem to be a mosquito-like swarm of insects. But it's just
an illusion, because in fact the diversity of this formation is amazing. The IAR 330 SOCATs are now flying alongside: Agusta A109 (Belgium), Lynx (Great Britain), W-3 Sokol (Poland), H145M, NH-90 and Tiger (Germany), T129 ATAK (Turkey), Tigre (France), Cougar (Slovenia), Mi-35 and Mi-17 (Czech Republic), UH-60 (USA), Merlin (Danmark), Mi-17 (Hungary) and HH 101A (Italy).
The Belgian Hirundo (Agusta A109) looks small and agile
with a sharp front. The German tiger, with its optical system (similar to the Electro Optical Bridge on SOCAT) above the main rotor, looks like a dragonfly. To bring together 16 types of helicopters, each with different technical features, to find the balance, the common point of the working procedures so that you can execute an almost ad- hoc mission is a difficult task to
achieve, but it brings satisfaction to all the participants. But let us cut the divagations, the giant NATO building appears on the right side of the horizon! There
is no difference in procedure
to yesterday's training ... it
is not acrobatics, it is not a tactical flight. But the tension encompasses us like a dense cloud. Now all eyes are on us, we are the helicopters, the whole formation is a single presence that has to show everyone and the most important people (with decision-making power) that
we are here, united and able
to perform missions together. Everything takes place in a few seconds, we see the flags of the NATO states waving beneath us, militaries in diverse and beautiful uniforms, and a group of people in front of the stands, whose faces we cannot see clearly, but we know that they are the heads of the Alliance states, gathered here today to make crucial decisions for security. We have
a sense of pride, thinking that through our presence here we represent our country, we know that right now the president of
Romania smiles, and all the photo and video cameras are turned towards the noisy helicopters that salute this special event, the NATO Summit. We all know that it will remain a unique mission.
In a few moments, we leave the NATO headquarters behind, we keep the formation and take a wide turn to Beauvechain.
The 26 helicopters in flight made up a show admired not only by Summit personalities and by anyone who spotted them from the ground, but they were also amazing view for us too.
We are aware of the magnitude of the event, of the work done by all those who
had worked out every detail in organising the event. According to the official data, no less than 97 pilots, 184 technicians and 112 soldiers from the ground crew made this vertical movement possible, a multinational team that achieved its purpose to prove the adaptability and flexibility of these aircrafts.
One thing is certain: from the point of view of the experts involved, the overflight at the
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