The Annual Open Dagen (open days) of the Royal Netherlands Air Force was held on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th at Gilze-Rijen AB in the south of the Netherlands. And from a spotters point of view it was a great edition. Highlights included special guests from Egypt and New Zealand.
Part 1: Arrival and Static
This year, we covered the whole show, five days including arrival and departure of the visitors. The first surprise arrived on the 15th. A Egypt C-130H with in his belly a Gomhouria Mk.8R. This light trainer is still in service as far as we can tell. Unfortunately the C-130 departed after unloading it’s cargo and returned a few days later to pick it up again. The Gomhouria including it’s pilot was placed in the static.
Another great visitor arrived late Thursday and was parked at the end of the static, the Antonov 124 from Poletflight. Why a civil transporter at an air show you ask? Simple, show the tax payers how there money is spend. Most of the transports to and from Iraq and Afghanistan are flown with this aircraft. For this reason an RNLAF Apache was parked inside the An-124.
SU-BAD, C-130
E-152 / 314-LO, Alpha Jet
71743, F-4
ZG774 / WK, Tornado
XX289 / CO, Hawk
D-EEGB, P.149
HA-ANI, An-2
RA-82068, An-124
XX205 / 205 , Hawk
RS-02, Sea King
82+52, EC135
72+95, UH-1
285, Gomhouria
240, Beech 200
U-06, Fokker 50
XX205 / 205, Hawk
643 / 3-JD, Mirage 2000
15109, F-16
69-7484, RF-4
LX-N90451, E-3
63-8871 / D, KC-135
16, J35
RA-82068, An-124
ZD407 / 36, Harrier
A-275, Alouette III
T-235, KDC-10
RA-82068, An-124
XV246 / 46, Nimrod
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RA-82068, An-124