Finnish F/A-18C Hornet Demo to Debut at Athens Flying Week 2026
Organizers of the Athens Flying Week (AFW) 2026 have announced a supersonic new addition to this year’s airshow lineup: the Finnish Air Force F/A-18C Hornet solo display.
For the first time in Greece, a Finnish Hornet demo team will perform at AFW, scheduled for September 5–6, 2026 at Tanagra Air Base. In a social media statement, AFW’s team touted the Finnish F-18 demo’s reputation as “the most aggressive and loud” on the airshow circuit, and urged fans not to miss this historic appearance
Finnish Air Force F/A-18C Hornet during a solo display, showcasing the type’s raw power and high-energy manoeuvring.
Historic First in Greek Skies
The arrival of Finland’s “Hornet Solo” display in Athens marks a significant first for Greek airshow audiences. While Athens Flying Week has hosted F/A-18 performances by other nations’ teams in the past (the Swiss and Spanish Hornets appeared at AFW 2018), this will be Finland’s inaugural showcase in Hellenic skies. The Finnish Air Force has never before brought its Hornet demo to Greece, making this a highlight of AFW 2026. The Hornet’s participation continues AFW’s tradition of securing rare and exciting international acts – for example, AFW 2025 featured Germany’s Eurofighter Typhoon making its Greece debut alongside other top jets. AFW organizers bill the show as the biggest air display event in the region, drawing dozens of participants from abroad. Hosting the Finnish Hornet aligns with that reputation and promises to deliver an adrenaline-charged spectacle for attendees.
Athens Flying Week is Greece’s premier annual airshow and one of the largest in Southeastern Europe. Held at Tanagra Air Base (approximately 70 km north of Athens), the event regularly attracts hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts. It showcases a mix of the Hellenic Air Force’s own demonstration teams and visiting aircraft from around the world. In 2025, for instance, AFW’s lineup included the French Rafale Solo Display, Italian Tornado, Saudi Arabia’s Typhoon, and many others – underscoring the international draw of the show. Greek fans can expect a similar world-class roster in 2026, now headlined by Finland’s high-performance Hornet display. As always, the Hellenic Air Force’s “Zeus” F-16 and “Daedalus” T-6 teams are expected to perform on home turf, and they will be joined by the Finnish Hornet for an unprecedented East-meets-North aerial showcase.
The Finnish Hornet demo is widely regarded as one of the loudest and most aggressive fast-jet displays on the European airshow circuit.
The Finnish Hornet Demo – Aggressive, Loud, and Thrilling
Flying a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet, the Finnish Air Force’s solo demo is famed among avgeeks for its raw power, tight maneuvering, and thunderous noise. The twin-engine Hornet – known in Finnish service as the HN – produces a wall of sound with its afterburners, earning accolades as one of the loudest acts on the European airshow circuit. Crowds at recent shows like the UK’s Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) have singled out the Finnish Hornet’s performance as especially high-energy and ear-splitting, with aggressive high-alpha passes and vertical climbs that push the jet to its limits. AFW attendees can look forward to feeling the chest-rumbling roar of the Hornet as it tears through the Tanagra skies.
The Finnish demo routine is designed to dramatically showcase the F/A-18’s capabilities. Moments after takeoff, the pilot typically performs a signature “Dirty Roll” – a barrel roll immediately after wheels-up, with the landing gear still down. This daring opener (a move adopted from Canadian and Swiss Hornet displays) demonstrates the aircraft’s agility even in landing configuration. From there, the routine transitions into a series of high-G turns, rapid rolls, and soaring vertical maneuvers that highlight the Hornet’s thrust-to-weight prowess and nimble handling. Spectators will see vapor pouring off the jet’s wings as it slices humid late-summer air, and they’ll hear the staccato boom of the Hornet’s engines as it streaks past in afterburner.
Tanagra Air Base, home of Athens Flying Week, will host the Finnish Hornet demo for its first-ever appearance in Greece in 2026.
Another crowd-pleasing aspect of the Finnish show is the use of flares during the finale. The demo pilot often dispenses bright magnesium flares in the final moments of the routine – a dramatic flourish that lights up the sky and underscores the routine’s combat flair. (Flares are pyrotechnic countermeasures carried by the Hornet, normally used to evade missiles, but in airshows they provide a stunning visual effect.) “Flares look more impressive against a cloudy sky,” one Finnish pilot noted, adding that timing and conditions can add extra “wow-factor” to the sequence. If conditions and safety approvals allow, Greek spectators may witness the Hornet punching out firework-like flares over Tanagra – an unforgettable sight, especially since dusk falls early in September.
Notably, Finland’s Hornet demo is flown by some of the nation’s most experienced fighter pilots. The display pilot is typically an active-duty Hornet pilot selected annually to represent the Finnish Air Force. These aviators bring years of frontline experience to the show routine. For example, Captain Paulus “Hassel” Kärnä, the main Hornet demo pilot in 2025, had 11 years of Hornet flying and roughly 970 flight hours when he took on the role. He even helped evolve the display sequence with new maneuvers, kicking off his shows with the dramatic dirty-roll takeoff. Such expertise ensures that the demo is both spectacular and safe, as the pilot pushes the aircraft close to its operational envelope. (It’s a demanding job – in 2025 the Finnish team temporarily grounded the display after an accident during a practice session, but quickly reviewed safety and resumed demonstrations with an experienced former demo pilot stepping in. This underscores the professionalism and resilience of the Finnish team in delivering their displays.)
Athens Flying Week regularly attracts top-tier international military display teams, with the Finnish F/A-18C confirmed for September 2026.
What This Means for Athens Flying Week 2026
The inclusion of the Finnish F/A-18C Hornet is a major boost for Athens Flying Week 2026 and signals an exciting NATO ally participation following Finland’s recent accession to the alliance. Aviation fans in Greece will get a rare chance to see Finland’s frontline fighter up close – a point not lost on organizers who are continuously enhancing the show’s international appeal. AFW is already known as “the biggest air show in the Balkans” with over 500,000 fans worldwide following the event, and the Hornet’s appearance reinforces its status as a must-see aviation spectacle in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Beyond the immediate thrill, the timing of this Hornet demo is also noteworthy. Finland’s F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet, first acquired in the 1990s, is now in the twilight of its career. The Finnish Air Force is set to replace its Hornets with new F-35A Lightning II fighters in the coming years – with the first F-35s arriving in 2026 and Hornet retirements planned by 2030. In fact, Finland’s very first F-35A was rolled out in late 2025, marking the start of the transition to the 5th-generation jets. This means the 2026 display season could be one of the last opportunities for airshow audiences in Europe to witness the Finnish Hornet in action, before it eventually gives way to the F-35 in demo roles. The Tanagra performance, therefore, carries a touch of farewell sentiment for an aircraft that has served Finland for decades – making its Greek debut all the more special and historic.
A signature high-alpha pass from the Finnish F/A-18C, flown by an operational Finnish Air Force fighter pilot.
For now, however, the focus is firmly on the excitement of what lies ahead this September. The Athens Flying Week 2026 show will take place over the weekend of 5–6 September 2026 at Tanagra Air Base. Tickets and program details will be made available on the official AFW website in the lead-up to the event (early-bird ticket offers typically open months in advance). Aside from the Finnish F-18, enthusiasts can expect a full lineup of military and civilian flying displays, interactive ground exhibits, and family-friendly activities at the show. AFW organizers have hinted at more announcements to come as additional international teams confirm their participation.
In their announcement post, AFW asked followers: “Are you ready for a supersonic year?”. With Finland’s Hornet now confirmed, that supercharged promise appears set to be delivered. The combination of Greek hospitality, a legendary venue at Tanagra, and the deafening roar of a Finnish Hornet screaming overhead will undoubtedly make Athens Flying Week 2026 an event for the record books. Mark your calendars for September 5–6 and get ready for an aggressive, loud, and unforgettable airshow experience in Greece this year!
For more details, see our full Athens Flying Week 2026 preview here, or visit the event’s official website here.
