In this issue, we report on three major military exercises: VOLFA 2025 and ORION 2026 conducted in France, as well as the NATO Tiger Meet 2026 held in Greece. Speaking of Greece: while preparing our feature on the Tiger Meet, we spent additional time in a now widely recognised low-level training area – the Vouraikos Valley. This field experience ultimately inspired a new editorial format within our magazine, which we have titled “Spotlight”. This section will, from now on, explore a variety of aviation-related topics in greater depth. The inaugural edition is dedicated to low-level flying and includes a comparison between real-world operational practice and its cinematic interpretation in well-known Hollywood productions.

A long-cherished personal wish is also fulfilled with this issue: the publication of the final instalment of our three-part FLANKER story. With this, an extensive and detailed examination of one of the most iconic fighter aircraft of our time reaches its conclusion – and many more in-depth features will follow, as promised.

With regard to our magazine subscriptions, we would also like to inform our readers of an important change: until now, subscribers were able to obtain the magazine both via our website and through various distribution platforms. From issue 04/2026 onwards, this will no longer be possible. The magazine will henceforth be available exclusively via www.checksix-journal.com.

In this spirit, we wish all our readers great enjoyment with this issue.

Always happy landings and check your 6 o’clock!!