RNLAF Air Day 20013 (warning: large pics)

[Lawman]

Here are some pics from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Air Day 2013 at Volkel AB that I feel comfortable showing after a first run-through of the pictures I took. The shots were taken yesterday. Personally, I think Volkel AB is the worst location of all the Dutch air bases to take good pictures because the static line is right in front of the display line, so there are very few locations where you have a decent FOV to take good pictures. So a lot of pictures tend to look the same composition wise, for which I apologize. Combine that with the limitations of my equipment and my even more limited skill as a photographer:redf:, and the number of showable shots decrease significantly. No editing except resizing to 1400 pixels.


One of the aircraft I wanted to see was the Mirage 2000N of the French Air Force, which is the nuclear capable model. Sending that version turned out to be kind of ironic in hindsight, as there was some "commotion" in the Netherlands at the beginning of the week when a former prime minister "revealed" that there were (American) nuclear weapons stored at Volkel AB (which has been a open secret for more than 30 years, as the squadrons stationed there had a NATO nuclear strike mission).
http://members.home.nl/lawman/MirageSL.jpg

IMHO this is the best scheme the RNLAF Demo F-16 has ever worn. "Orange Lion" coming in to do a touch-and-go as part of its demo.
http://members.home.nl/lawman/LionSL.jpg

Here's the B-25 Mitchell that flew with a Dutch squadron in the former Netherlands East Indies and is now with the Air Force Historical Flight.
http://members.home.nl/lawman/MitchellSL.jpg

All helicopters in use with the Dutch Army, Navy and Air Force have been integrated into a unified "Defensie Helicopter Commando" (Helicopter Defense Command). Just entering service with the DHC (after years of delay) is this NH-90.
http://members.home.nl/lawman/NH90SL.jpg

Another aircraft that has been used by the RNLAF in the late 1940s/early 1950s is the Gloster Meteor, here in RAF livery just after take off.
http://members.home.nl/lawman/MeteorSL.jpg

Seen here is part of the crew of the Romanian Air Force C-27 Spartan that was right in front of me. I could almost swear they were shooting an adult movie inside:icon_eek:, since the door was frequently opened and closed and different crew members went in and out (sometimes simultaniously). The only thing missing was a sticker saying "If this plane's a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'".
http://members.home.nl/lawman/RomanianSL.jpg

Not every aspect of participating in an Air Day is glamourous. Here's a crew member toiling away at a civilian-registered An-2 Colt.
http://members.home.nl/lawman/ColtSL.jpg

The award for the most enthousiastic commentary (and it wasn't a contest really) goes to the commentator with the Italian Air Force demo team Frecce Tricolore. Kudos to him for attempting to speak Dutch and doing a very commendable but often hilarious job. Here is "the longest Italian flag in the world" as he put it. I'm not completely satisfied with the composition of the photo, though.
http://members.home.nl/lawman/FrecceSL.jpg

Recently painted by SOH-member Hani Michal, here's the real Czech Hind.
http://members.home.nl/lawman/HindSL.jpg

And finally, another aircraft I desperately wanted to see: the Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter. Not a great pic, but when do you get the chance to see a Fitter (let alone take pictures of one)?
http://members.home.nl/lawman/FitterSL.jpg

Hope you enjoyed.

[huub vink]

Thanks for the nice pictures Lawman!

Huub

[Victory103]

Nice pics and the C-27 theory is probably not too far from the truth.

[Mithrin]

Oh man I didn't know there was going to be a Fitter this year! What a gorgeous plane that is! Cool shots!

[Ferry_vO]

Nice pics Lawman! I just posted a few in the photography forum here: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?79215-Dutch-airforce-show-2013

[robert41]

Thanks for the pics Lawman

[AndyG43]

Lovely pictures, thanks Lawman. And I know what you mean about the Fitter, that is a BIG aircraft; at RIAT Fairford a good few years back the Czechs brought two of them, their display included a high speed low level pass, one from each end of the runway, kicking out flares all the way - "austerity" wasn't in our dictionaries back then, but "spectacular" certainly was!

[Jagdflieger]

Great photos Lawman. Thanks for sharing those. You Dutchmen have had the Militracks and now this airshow all in about a month's time.

Looks like the light was difficult for photography, as it often is at airshows. Sometimes I open my aperture up an F stop or two to in order to emphasize the subject and make it stand out from the sky.

[Ferry_vO]

Great photos Lawman. Thanks for sharing those. You Dutchmen have had the Militracks and now this airshow all in about a month's time.


And 'Santa fe' is coming up this weekend; same location as Militracks but with the focus on US vehicles and now with reenactors!

[Jagdflieger]

You guys know how to live!

[VinFlyer]

Nice photo report on the airshow Lawman. It gives a good impression of the show. Did you also go on Saturday? Better weather that day (with exception of the half hour shower around 11). Still it remains challenging photographing at Volkel with the people and aircraft in front. I'm still in the process of sorting my pictures but will post some of them here soon.

[Ferry_vO]

What would help is a ban on bringing stairs, steps, pieces of scaffolding and other thing you can climb on, so the front row isn't blocked by people standing on them..

That shower on Saturday was nasty! About halfway through my umbrella broke by a hard gust of wind and left me and my camera exposed. Had to grab my camera cover and rain suit in a hurry!

[Lawman]

What would help is a ban on bringing stairs, steps, pieces of scaffolding and other thing you can climb on, so the front row isn't blocked by people standing on them.

Not to mention all those bloody cars passing right in front of you just as you're trying to take a picture:banghead:!

@Vin: I only went on Friday. Looking forward to your pics:wavey:.

[Panther_99FS]

Good stuff!
Always tough to shoot around ground heat....

[VinFlyer]

@Vin: I only went on Friday. Looking forward to your pics:wavey:.

I posted some in the photo forum :-)