Falcon Leap exercise, Eindhoven AFB

Today was all about aviation, with a day spent at Eindhoven Airport to catch some of the participants taking part in Falcon Leap 2026. As always with military aviation, the anticipation of what might arrive made the day even more exciting. The main goal was to see the aircraft involved in the exercise, but Eindhoven had a few surprises in store as well.

Falcon Leap brought plenty of interesting activity to the airport, making it a great day for spotting. Watching the various aircraft arrive and depart gave the atmosphere around the airport a distinctly military feel. With transport aircraft coming and going, there was always something worth keeping an eye on.

What made the day particularly enjoyable, however, were some of the unexpected visitors. Among the highlights were two F-35s from Volkel Air Base. Seeing these impressive aircraft at Eindhoven was a very nice surprise and certainly added some extra excitement to the day. Their distinctive shape and sound made them hard to miss, and they were definitely among the aircraft I was hoping to catch.

Another great visitor was a C-130 Hercules from Greece. The Greek Hercules was a particularly nice addition to the day's traffic, and it was great to see an international aircraft making an appearance at Eindhoven. The C-130 remains one of those aircraft that is always enjoyable to photograph, especially when it turns up somewhere unexpectedly.

The final surprise was a German Air Force A400M Atlas, operating in a support role. The A400M is an impressive aircraft in its own right, and seeing one at Eindhoven was another unexpected highlight. Its large size and distinctive design made it a fantastic addition to an already interesting day of military aviation.

Although Falcon Leap 2026 was the main reason for heading to Eindhoven, these unexpected visitors made the day even more memorable. From Dutch F-35s to a Greek C-130 and a German A400M, the variety of aircraft on display was excellent.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable day of spotting at Eindhoven Airport. The Falcon Leap participants provided plenty of activity, while the surprise visitors added an extra layer of excitement. Days like this are a good reminder of why aviation spotting can be so rewarding: you may arrive with a particular aircraft in mind, but it is often the unexpected visitors that become the highlights of the day.

More pictures can be found here.