Saturday, july the 5th 1997. A typically Dutch, wet and rainy day. Coming by bus to the gates of Gilze-Rijen AirBase (public transport was highly recommended by the authorities due to the number of visitors expected) produced a typically Dutch sight: thousands and thousands of bikes parked against the gates of the otherwise prohibited, guard-dog protected airforce-base. But today the guards were all friendly and helpful, and just taking their impressive dogs (they have over 40 of them !) out for a tiddle, not to attack the poor visitors and have them for lunch, as their mission usually is.

The Airbase Gilze Rijen has a long history in Air shows, going back to august 1913 when the first aircraft, a Bleriot, landed there to take part in the first Airshow for about 3000 spectators. It made an unfortunate touchdown; one of the wings hit the grass, and the aircraft turned over and rolled over a couple of times before coming to a stop. The pilot was able to free himself, just scared to death but unhurt, and after the aircraft was repaired the first "Open Day" went on as planned. After that the Airbase had a turbulent history. The Germans took it on may 16th 1940, expanded, modernized, and renamed it to "Luftwaffe Fliegerhorst". Until the liberation in 1944 it was bombed to pieces several times by the RAF, in spite of the mock airfield with wooden airplane models on rails in the nearby woods to mislead the enemy. In 1946 it became Gilze Rijen AB again with important changes and expansions in 1972. Today it is a very active training centre, having educated hundreds of pilots and air traffic controllers and -assistants.

An Early Dutch Air Force Piper super Cub and some very Dutch scenery

On this 1997 Open Day there was so much to see, you needed all your time and still missed some of the displays and shows, the first starting at 8:30 and the last at 17:00 hrs. The many hangars, and most of the taxi ways were filled with stands selling aircraft models, badges, shirts, mugs, simulator software and hardware, pilots jackets, antique radio and navigation equipment, flying lessons.....just about anything that had to do with military and civil aviation.

There was an impressive static display of between 250 and 300 aircraft, from ultralights and gliders to the impressive AWACS, for which there was an equally impressive queue if you wanted to see its interior, and from the Fokker de Spin (the Spider), to F-16's and Apaches helicopters. There were four sections; the first being transport planes, such as Lockheed C 130 Hercules, AWACS, and other aircraft like Gulfstream and Fokker 60, all the property of the Dutch Royal Airforce. The second section, fighter aircraft, had planes that came from all over the world; F-16, Phantoms, Mirage-2000, Super Etendard, Saab Dragon, Migs, Suchoi's, Starfighters etc. The third section were civil and historical aircraft; even as early as Anthony Fokker's first aircraft the "Spin ". The fourth section had helicopters in all flavors: Apaches, Cougars, Chinooks, Lynx, Sea King, Bölkow etc. Some of the aircraft could be inspected thoroughly from the inside, their seats tested and sticks and throttles touched, but most were kept safely behind barriers from the many curious visitors.

Inside the many hangars and aircraft shelters there were displays of weapon systems, communication equipment, field hospitals, air traffic control, engineering and maintenance, guards, and, very Dutch (tolerance and freedom for all) even a stand of the Defence force's gay group. In a large tent an Apache helicopter had all doors and little hatches opened, so everyone could have a good look inside, that is, if you could wrestle your way through, since this was one of the busiest places all day. The Dutch Air force Apache group is stationed at this base, and much of the focus was directed to this impressive fighting machine. They did give a stunning demonstration of its flying capabilities. In another place you could try to shoot the demonstrated aircraft down in virtual reality, with a shoulder launched missile and a VR helmet, or sitting a the controls of another virtual air

The Apaches taxiing to the action...

craft and firing your missiles at the other. Needless to say this attracted lots of visitors and brought out the worst in most of them. Aviation schools and technical colleges for aircraft design, construction and maintenance tried their best to attract as many new students as they could.

But the hangar that most attracted my attention was of course, the flight simulator area. In the center a huge square with lots of computers running mainly Microsoft FS 5.1. It seems that, if this stand was at all representative for the Dutch Flight Simulator scene, version 5.1 is still used generally, and only a small number of users have switched to FS 6. Most of the day there were many visitors, and I saw 8 year old making an immaculate landing after flying a flawless traffic pattern, and 80 year old trying the same and crashing either the plane or the entire computer ! The Flight Simulator Club of Flanders had a home built cockpit, complete with no-smoking fasten seat belt signs, set up near the entrance of the hangar, which attracted a lot of attention. Lots of people had their first or advanced try on Meigs' runway 36, under the capable guidance of a very experienced flight simmer. The "crash pot", a can in which student flight sim pilots were expected to donate their small change if they crashed the airplane, did not see a lot of money that day. And the noise of all the aircraft flying and taxiing outside the hangar, the smell of oil, rubber tyres, and kerosene in your nostrils, and sometimes even the deafening sonic boom in your ears, made the experience a lot more realistic! Maybe an idea for Microsoft to include that in their next release of FS7 !

Frecce Tricolori

There is just one word to describe the airshow taking place all day: breath-taking. The AerMacchi's of the Italian Air-Force, the famous Frecce Tricolori covered our heads in red, white and green smoke trails, performing hair-raising stunts flying into each other at considerable speeds, and missing each other by a few feet only. Sometimes they seemed to come from all possible directions totally unexpected, and assaulted our eardrums when passing overhead at scaringly low altitudes.

The swallows

Many people brought chairs and stairs and tables, anything they could stand on so they could have a good view. Among the other demonstrations were White Albatross from Slovakia, the Belgian Alpha-Jet solo display and the Swallows in Marchetti's, the British Blue Eagle Helicopter Display, the RAF Falcons Para Team, of course the Dutch F-16 team and the PC-7 of Woensdrecht AB, and many more. It was a very interesting programme, and well worth staying all day, in spite of the rain, and even a brief thunderstorm over the airfield, which only caused some minor delay and discomfort. But not to worry; you could get dry in the many tents and shelters and enjoy some local or exotic hot food and drinks.

The next RDAF Open Days will be held in 1998 at Leeuwarden Airbase. My feet will certainly need a large portion of that coming time to rest from walking up and down all the taxi ways, runways and endless lawns. But it's been worth it. I'll be happy to wear out another pair of soles for them next year.