Photos by William Gilson -- Aerophoto International
The sky over 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, was unusually crowded over the past couple of months. Over 100 aircraft from many different countries could be seen taking off from the base and headed out to the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. It was all part of the 37th Annual Exercise Maple Flag.The six-week event is an international exercise, designed to simulate a modern air-combat environment. Maple Flag Director Captain Brehn Eichel said the event is a chance for some of the less-experienced pilots to participate in a simulated combat situation. "The overall intent is to provide a safe, academic environment for junior combat-ready wingmen to get their first 10 combat missions in a structured environment," Eichel said. "History has shown that is the crucial period in air combat."
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/features/united-nation-of-air-forces