Air Transport Wing 63 (german: Lufttransportgeschwader 63) was a
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...
of the
German Air Force
The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as ...
(''Luftwaffe''). The wing was created in 1957 and was last based at
Hohn Air Base
Hohn Air Base is a military air base in Germany. It was home to the ''Lufttransportgeschwader'' 63 (LTG 63 for short, Air Transport Wing 63 in English) of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe'').
Usage
Since May 1968, the Transall C-160 has been o ...
in
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, operating the last German
Transall C-160
The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft, produced as a joint venture between France and Germany. " Transall" is an abbreviation of the manufacturing consortium Transporter Allianz, comprising the companies of MBB, Aerospatiale, an ...
fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air Aircraft, flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate Lift (force), lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the wing configuration, shape of ...
.
In December 2021, the wing was disbanded with the phaseout of its Transall aircraft in favour of the
Airbus A400M
The Airbus A400M AtlasNamed after the Greek mythological figure. is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic capa ...
, which are all stationed in
Wunstorf
Wunstorf () is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 22 km west of Hanover. The following localities belong to the town of Wunstorf: Blumenau (with Liethe), Bokeloh, Großenheidorn, Idensen ...
. A contingent of 60 will maintain Hohn Air Base as a reserve airfield for
Tactical Wing 51 from
Jagel
Jagel ( da, Hjagel) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member stat ...
.
Commanding officers
*
Oberstleutnant
() is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The S ...
Wilhelm Batz
Wilhelm Batz (21 May 1916 – 11 September 1988) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Batz flew ...
, 15 December 1961 – 31 January 1964
*
Oberst
''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swe ...
Horst Rudat, 1 February 1964 – 31 March 1971
*Oberst Dr. Heinz-Ulrich Beuther, 1 April 1971 – 31 March 1979
*Oberst Hubert Marquitan, 1 April 1979 – 30 September 1980
*Oberst Rudi Gutzeit, 1 October 1980 – 30 September 1986
*Oberst Jürgen Reiss, 1 October 1986 – 31 March 1991
*Oberst Joachim Mörsdorf, 1 April 1991 – 30 September 1993
*Oberst Hans-Otto Elger, 1 October 1993 – 31 March 1995
*Oberst Hans-Jürgen Ochs, 1 April 1995 – 30 September 1998
*Oberst Hans-Jürgen Miunske, 1 October 1998 – 27 March 2003
*Oberst Helmut Fritzsche, 28 March 2003 – 27 March 2006
*Oberst Manfred Merten, 27 March 2006 – 25 February 2010
*Oberst Stefan W. Neumann, 25 February 2010 – 18 June 2012
*Oberst Hartmut Zitzewitz, 19 June 2012 – 22 October 2018
*Oberst Markus Kleinbauer, 22 October 2018 - 15 December 2021
References
Further reading
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External links
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Air transport wings of the German Air Force
Military units and formations established in 1961