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Luchtmachtdagen 2019: Volkel

Latest update: December 2019

After an absence of three years Volkel Air Base hosted the Luchtmachtdagen 2019. The base opened her doors on Friday and Saturday June 14/15. The RNLAF again flew two of its F-35A Lightning II's from Edwards AFB, California to The Netherlands. In 2016 they did the same for the belevingsvluchten and to take part in the Luchtmachtdagen at Leeuwarden AB. Both aircraft are assigned to 323 TES. The RNLAF together with the United Kingdom (F-35B) and the United States (F-35A/B/C) are conducting the Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) program. Normally the Dutch F-35's based at Edwards wear the OT code however aircraft F-001 received the 323 TEST 70th anniversary markings and F-008 was temporaily delivered to 323 TES. It joined its colleagues ar NODF-35 integrated within the 308th FS / 56th FW at Luke AFB, Arizona some time later. Personnel was flown to and from the Netherlands by the USAF Air Force Reserve Command C-17A from the 729th AS March AFB, California.

Abbr.: Display: Aircraft participation:       D Dynamic Aircraft participated in the flying display. D(S) Dynamic Aircraft didn't participate in the flying display. Spare aircraft. E Elsewhere Aircraft didn't participate in static / flying display. Support aircraft. F Flying Aircraft participated in the flying display from its home or other base. S Static Aircraft participated in the static display.

Participants

Country Aircraft Wing Squadron Base a/c no. Participant Austria PC-7   LAbt FläFlz Zeltweg 2 D Belgium F-16AM   349 Smaldeel Kleine-Brogel 1 S   F-16AM   350 Smaldeel Florennes 1 D   F-16BM   OCU Kleine-Brogel 1 S   F-16AM 2 Wing F-16 solo display team Florennes 1 D   SF-260M 1 Wing Red Devils display team Beauvechain 5 D Czech republic JAS-39C/D   211 tl Caslav 1 D Denmark F-16AM   Esk 727 Skrydstrup 1 D   F-16BM   Esk 727 Skrydstrup 1 S France Alpha Jet   Patrouille de France Salon de Provence  9 D Germany Tornado TLG 33   Buchel 1 S Greece F-4E (AUP) 117 PM 338 MDV Andravida 2 S Italy F-35A 32° Stormo 13° Gruppo Amendola  1 S   EF-2000 37° Stormo 18° Gruppo TBC 1 S   T-346A 61° Stormo 212° Gruppo Lecce 1 D   C-27J 46° Brigata Aerea 311° Gruppo (RSV) Pisa 1 D NATO A330MRTT Airbus Defence   Getafe 1 S   E-3A NAEW&CF   Geilenkirchen 1 S Netherlands AS532.U2   300 squadron Gilze-Rijen 2 F   C-130H   336 squadron Eindhoven 1 F   CH-47D   298 squadron Gilze-Rijen 2 F   F-16A   GIA, Volkel Volkel 1 S   F-16AM   312 squadron Volkel 1 S   F-16AM   313 squadron Volkel 1 S   F-16AM   312 / 313 squadron Volkel 7 D   F-16AM   322 squadron Leeeuwarden 3 D   F-16AM   312 / 313 squadron Volkel 2 D   F-16AM   322 squadron Leeeuwarden 1 D   F-16BM   322 squadron Leeeuwarden 1 D   F-35A   323 TES Edwards AFB, CA 2 D   KDC-10   334 squadron Eindhoven 1 F   NH90-NFH   860 squadron De Kooy 1 D Norway F-16AM   331 Skv Bodø 1 S   F-16BM   331 Skv Bodø 1 S Spain EF-2000 Ala 14   Albacete 3 D Sweden J-35   SwAFHF F 7 Såtenås 1 D   J-37   SwAFHF F 7 Såtenås 1 D Switzerland F-5E   Patrouille Suisse Emmen 7 D United Kingdom Hawk T.1(A)   Red Arrows RAF Scampton   D   Hawk T.1   100 squadron RAF Leeming 1 S   Puma HC.2   230 squadron RAF Benson 1 S United States C-17A 452nd AMW 729th AS March AFB, CA 1 D               Total         75

Comment(s): This year the static and most of the flightline aircraft were parked on runway 06L-24R. Previous Luchtmachtdagen held at Volkel Air Base saw these aircraft parked on the the northern ramps or far end of the 'static' runway.  The KDC-10, C-130H Hercules, AS532-U2 Cougar and CH-47D Chinook operated from their home bases. Air Power Demonstration (APD): The APD was also part of the flying program this year. It presents the RNLAF the opportunity to show most of the aircraft in the inventory. F-16's perform base attacks and 336 squadron, 298 and 300 squadrons together with their RNLA partners 11 Air Assault Brigade displayed their joined operations as the 11 Air Manoeuvre Brigade (11 AMB). Aircraft taking part in the Air Power Demonstration were parked on the 'Safaripark' ramp and consisted of below F-16's: Air Power Demo Air Power Demo - spare Squadron F-16AM F-16BM Total F-16AM F-16BM Total Total                 312 / 313 squadron 7   7 2   2 9 322 squadron 3   3 1 1 2 5                 Total 10 0 10 3 1 4 14   Parked next to the RNLAF F-16's were two Belgian Air Component F-16A's, the F-16 solo display and spare aircraft assigned to 350 Smaldeel wearing the 75th aaniversary of D-Day color scheme. The Danish Air Force F-16 display aircraft was also parked here. The USAF C-17A Globemaster III was parked at the end of the static and after completion of its flying display was parked at the cross-servicing ramp.

Photo gallery: Air Power Demonstration	Photo gallery: Flying Display

Photo gallery: Participants

Austria: PC-7	Belgium: F-16	Czech Republic: JAS-39
Denmark: F-16	France: Alpha Jet	Germany: Tornado
Greece: F-4E	Italy: F-35A	Italy: EF-2000
Italy: C-27J	Italy: T-346A	NATO: A330MRTT
Netherlands: F-16	Netherlands: F-35A	Netherlands: KDC-10
Netherlands: C-130H	Netherlands: AS532-U2	Netherlands: CH-47D
Netherlands: NH90-NFH	Norway: F-16	Spain: EF-2000
Sweden: J-35	Sweden: J-37	Switzerland: F-5E
United Kingdom: Hawk T.1A	United States: C-17A