Land-based, airborne, and marine magnetic surveys are utilized to characterize surface, near surface, and subsurface variations of magnetic rock physical properties based on measured anomalies of the Earth’s magnetic field. Such anomalies are produced e.g. by geologic structures with sufficient contrasts in magnetization, mineral deposits, or unexploded ordnance (UXO). Since airborne magnetic acquisition is relatively quick and simple as well as inexpensive, it done on a regular base e.g. in mineral exploration. Fig. 1: Setup of FTMG system. Description in the text. Today, state of the art sensors in airborne geomagnetic exploration are nuclear resonance magnetometers, proton-precession, alkali-vapour, and Overhauser instruments [1] which measure the intensity of the magnetic field (TMI). However, they have an important drawback: the TMI is not a true potential field like all magnetic field vector and tensor components. Herein, we will introduce a full tensor magnetic gradiometer (FTMG) system, which is based on intrinsic first-order planar-type LTS SQUID gradiometers. Recently other new technologies to build magnetic gradiometers like string-type gradiometers [2], atomic gradiometers, or fluxgate-type gradiometers have become available. However, liquid nitrogen (77 K) or helium (LTS, 4.2 K) cooled SQUIDs provide the most promising technology to build improved gradiometers. Different types of SQUID based gradiometers are three-sensor gradiometers [3], two differential SQUID magnetometers or rotating antenna gradiometers [4]. In this work, we introduce the SQUID gradiometers, the FTMG instrument, and recent advances in data processing. We then discuss the results of an airborne acquisition campaigns in central Germany and compare our results with geological information.