Legendary Moments in Military Aviation

Friday, June 5, 2020

Royal Netherlands Air Force celebrates 80 Years at Eindhoven AB.

Eindhoven! Back then, the city's residents liked to party, and we had to join in with the festivities. We had arrived for the airshow arrivals day, blessed with a cloudless sky. The good times continued late into the night, or was it the morning?
The following day, we returned to our motorway embankment close to the runway threshold for the Saturday 3rd of July 1993 airshow, with thumping heads and dry mouths. The atmosphere charged with the excitement of great weather and aircraft displays; even the local Police officers on their big white motorbikes were friendly to the crowd.

Once again, let's get on with the planes, of which there were some very nice examples.

03 MiG.23MF, HungAF participated in the flying program, and number 15 MiG.23UB was seen in the static display.

5 F-8E 12F FN. Arriving for the static display. What a formidable-looking aircraft. I only wish I wrote F-8E more often, which reminds me I must look for those Landivisiau images?
I believe it's a Swift flying over the nose cone.

WJ981/EN Canberra T.1 360 Sqn RAF.

The Justified Ancients of MO, MO, seem appropriate for this celebrated aircraft.

"Sorry if you have never heard of the band the KLF."

A 29/11-MB and A2/11-MB, Jaguar A's, EC-2-11 FAF.
Seen arriving at Eindhoven for pairs landing from their home base of Toul Rosières BA136.

A29/11-MB carries the individual marks for the 'Vosges Fighter Squadron' operational with the Jaguar from 1973 to 1993.
The 'Vosges' aircraft at Toul carried mixed codes from 11-MA to 11-MZ.

2506 AN-26 2 Letecká Zãkladna ( 2nd Air Base Wing) back then visiting from its base at Malacky.

0443 L-39C of team Biele Albatrosy "White Albatrosses" formed in 1991 by the Czechoslovakian air force.
In January 1993, Czechoslovakia divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the team became Slovakian, as seen here, arriving from the Vojenská Letecká Akadémia at Kosice airbase along with 0101,0102,0111,0112,4355, and 4357.

J-136 F-16 of 316 Squadron arrived at Eindhoven from its temporary operating base at Gilze-Rijen. They had been awaiting construction works at their new home base of Eindhoven, where they formally flew the last NF-5 Freedom Fighters in KLu service.
Sadly, in April 1994, just months after this transparency, they were disbanded.

J-369 F-16B 316Sqn KLu supports a full-colour badge.

J-884 F-16B 314 Sqn KLu.

J-368 F-16B 314Sqn This was the last unit to convert to the F-16 commencing in 1990, and their final disbandment came on the 6th of July 1995.

J-202 F-16A 322Sqn (Polly Grey) KLU.

BR 17 Mirage 5BR 3 Wing BAF.

84-0812/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF, seen on Eindhoven's approach from Gilze- Rijen where it was part of the eight "Coronet Havoc" F-117's on deployment for the 1993 European exercise Central Enterprise.

84-0812/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF, this aircraft was arriving for the static park.

85-0836/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF arrives for a low approach and returns to Gilze-Rijen.

85-0836/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF delights Eindhoven's base staff as it performs a low approach.

509 2-FF Mirage 2000B EC2/2 FAF returns after completing its display.

J215 F-16A 322 Sqn Klu is wearing 50 years' distinctive marks.

C-5 F-27 300M Troopship 334 Sqn Klu.

C-1 F-27-100 Friendship 334Sqn KLu.

303 P-3C-11 MARPAT.

87-0250 F-16C 'RS' 512FS USAFE.

87-0242 F-16C 'RS' 512FS Marked 86FW USAFE.

40+32 Alpha Jet A JBG-43 GAF.

8077 SU-25K 50 BILP CzechAF was part of the flying display, and 9013 was displayed in the static park.

C-1 F-27-100 Friendship 334Sqn Klu seen departing from Eindhoven.

XX230 Hawk T.1 RAF.

XX281/O Hawk T.1 RAF.

MM6714/9-50 F-104ASA 10 Gruppo AMI.

MM6822/9-41 F-104ASA 10 Gruppo AMI is arriving at Eindhoven for the 80th anniversary of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht 1993.

Hunter F.58's of the "Patrouille de Suisse".
J-4027 leads J-4020 and J-4023, followed by J-4022, J4032, and J-4025.

J-4027 Hunter F.58 "Patrouille de Suisse"
A true classic!

CH-05 C-130H 20 Sm BAF.

0004 L.39MS 2 LSP Czech AF returns from its flying demonstration, 0005 was in the static display. Both aircraft arrived from their base at Cáslav.

9207 MiG.29A 11 SLP (11Fighter Regiment) "Tiger marks" Czech AF, 5414 from Žatec airbase seen here flying while 5414 was in the static. Both aircraft were transferred to Poland as 92 and 54, respectively.

I wanted to sign off with my thanks to the RNLAF for years of enjoyment from one of Europe's best display teams, seen here displaying at their home base at Eindhoven on that celebrated occasion.

C-10 F-27-300M 334 Sqn Klu.

C-10 F-27-300M powers through its display routine.

C-10 F-27-300M Klu, over but not out.

There you have it!
It was a great show once again on behalf of the Koninklijke Luchmacht.
Happy 80th!

We were off to the Koksijde airshow in Belgium.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Coronet Havoc F-117 Stealth jets deploy to Gilze-Rijen 1993.

Central Enterprise 1993 Exercise was again in full swing, and we were back on the road. It was June 1993, and our stereo had blasted out music from bands like New Order, Stone Temple Pilots and Beyond to Shaggy and the Cure as we sped towards the Netherlands; how good could life be? A chance of blue skies?

This Central Enterprise was unique as it would involve F-117As from the 49th FW/415FS Holloman AFB that would be deployed to Gilze-Rijen AFB. We also had the time to take in a couple of top air shows, that of Eindhoven, which incidentally was celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht in the Netherlands and Koksijde in Belgium.

Not forgetting, of course, that incredible range of beers that we had sampled just for the scientific Knowledge, and those "Moules and Frites", sorry back to the planes...

"STOP RIGHT THERE"

This was unlike anything we had ever witnessed before. On arrival, it was total chaos; thousands of people descended on Gilze-Rijen. The road under the approach is called the Langenbergseweg; the police seemed to have lost the will to control the massive crowds and keep this road open for traffic, diversions having been hastily arranged.

The mass of humanity had witnessed the stealthy F-117s from the 49th FW arrive in the Netherlands. None of us was disappointed as just after eight pm, we had four of the black jets landing and followed by another four; this only added to the crowd's excitement. even for us enthusiasts, it was

an exhilarating moment.

"Coronet Havoc" saw the arrival at Gilze-Rijen of Eight F-117As from the 49FW/415FS.

Deployed between the 8th of June 1993 and the 7th of July 1993.

81-10797,83-0807,83-0808,84-0812,85-0830,85-0836,86-0823,86-0839.

Arriving as Clan 51-54, 61-64.

The evening missions were to continue with excitement amongst the visiting hordes more likely to be seen at a soccer match than watching military aircraft; there were families with their evening picnics and an air of expectation and excitement during those warm evening missions.

Due to the proximity of the Langenbergseweg road with Gilze-Rijen's runway, there are traffic lights to stop the traffic as low landing aircraft approach the runway for landing. With the arrival of recovering aircraft, people swarmed onto this road, and the police, with their motorbikes, formed barriers to hold back the groups of spectators. At times, the aircraft disappeared into the trench of humanity, all so excited by this alien-looking stealth.