OPEN DAYS ROYAL NETHERLANDS AIRFORCE 2014 |
'OPERATIE LUCHTSTEUN' |
OPERATION AIRSUPPORT |
DUTCH OPEN DAYS - A PHOTOGRAPHIC IMPRESSION |
'WELCOME TO OPERATION AIR SUPPORT' AIRFORCE DAYS 2014 GILZE-RIJEN |
Early in the morning already a lot of spotters and enhousiast people have entered the base Gilze Rijen |
Good choice, because the 'Open days' are always a guarantee for spectacle, such as an airraid on 'terrorists' on the base or the Apache demo |
OPEN DAYS 2014 |
Who ever thought that 'spotting airplanes' is just a men's hobby... Check & doublecheck, is it on ? Yes !! Shooting like rats in a barrel ;-) |
A variety on subjects can be seen and visited, like to go outside the atmosphere ?? |
Then there was Billy Flynn, Canadian testpilot and working for Lockheed Martin. He showed us the JSF Cockpit (Lightning-II) |
The weather was not exactly cooperating, we had preferred a more blue sky behind this Belgian F-16 |
Though the weather over the North Sea is something the Coastguard has to deal with on regular base.... |
Polish MIG-29 with shute |
In spite of sometimes some tricky driving with his wheelchair and people standing in his way, this disabled man had a wonderful day he said ! |
Small transport plane Let L-410 from Slovakia |
The 'Wild Bunch', a nest of Piaggio 'Miss Piggy's' |
Here is one of my personal favourites, the KDC-10. So immense.... |
... so hughe and quitly approaching ... |
It seems as if you only hear the wheels on the asphalt speeding up when they hit the ground. |
Quite a surprise was this brandnew Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, new 'Sky-interior', more quit, more comfortable, more environmentally friendly ! |
To see this bird fly on a 'better-weather' moment was a real treat... |
... it makes you almost want to fly it to a far vacation destination, doesn't matter where ;-)) |
OEPS, what is this... you want a competition ? Huh ??? |
More down to earth there were so many airplanes to admire, such as this French Mirage 2000N twinseater |
Characterising... in total 245.000 visitors, all in a good mood. |
None of these 245.000 visitors had any serious problems, nor had the security. In the middle: 'Pirate of the Gilze-ribbean' |
Another surprise, this MD-11 had its last flight and was parked right next to the public ! Thanks mate for all your services in the years ! |
Royal DutchAirlines KLM and Arke provided a spectacular fly-by.Arke's new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was intercepted and escorted by F16s. KLM has sent one of its last MD-11s to Gilze-Rijen to do fly-by's. Moreover at the end of the afternoon, disabled children were flown over Holland along with astronaut André Kuipers, a special foundation 'Hoogvliegers' organized this, using a nice detour over the Netherlands to Schiphol |
Almost his last parkingplace.... |
Off course the Apache Demo was shown to the spectators |
Some static planes like this Turkish F-4 Phantom... |
...a French Epsilon and so many more we can't even show them all. |
Then there was this FOB, which gave a small impression how such location looks in reality |
Chinooks were parked here, also other armament as the CV90 (below) |
...not only for kids very exiting such a heavy machine ! |
The AH-64D Apaches were to be seen from very nearby... |
...this Boeing AH-64D 'Longbow' looks very threathning... and in fact it is ! Specially to enemy's... |
How cool to be here with your dad when he's an Apache pilot ! |
The apache had a high cuddly content |
A few badges, sometimes for sale to the public |
Hardly ever that you see a DO-228 Coastguard plane this nearby... |
The NH-90 demonstrated a hoist action |
The savior on the hoist presses you on the bottom of the helicopter and secures you outside until you're inside and safe. |
No fear, you are secured and you won't fall out. Thanks guys ! |
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