Gilze – Rijen AB

Sevenship echelon right formation of NF-5’s about to break for the patern.

Gilze-Rijen Air Base is one of the oldest airfields in the Netherlands, the first aircraft to have landed there being a Blériot in 1910. The first military aircraft activity dates back to 1913, when a Farman aircraft used the field for military exercises which established it as a military airfield.

In 1971, the training activity was suspended again when a fighter squadron was moved to the airfield, which also included a significant upgrade of airport facilities. Initially the Northrop NF-5A/B were operated from the base up until 1995. It has 30 Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS).

In the later years of opperating the NF-5, experiments were executed with the colours opf the airframe. At first the two tone brown-green was applied in grey-grey: the co,ourts of the F-16’s. Later a full light grey scheme was applied as wel as an F-16 scheme.

Meest recente berichten