For the first time in 20 years, the Polish Air Force has conducted landings and take-offs using a public road. Bartosz Głowacki reports on the action from beside the highway airstrip.
A Polish Air Force exercise codenamed ‘Route 604’ was held from September 25-29 on provincial road number 604 (known in Polish as DOL, Drogowy Odcinek Lotniskowy – meaning Air Base Road Section) between the town of Ruskowo and Przezdziek Wielki.
Exercise ‘Route 604’ enabled pilots and ground crew to practise crisis procedures – such as if they had to operate out of temporary units as they couldn’t land at their home bases, and to train in the use of public roads. The overall ‘Route 604’ objective was to allow Polish air assets to reclaim their capability to disperse and continue operations if home bases are disabled.
This was
