Florennes (EBFS) - 2008

[K-9]

Hello,


Anyone info on whether the TLP has flown today, or has this session been cancelled ?
I'm planning to go to the field tomorrow...


Grtz, Rene

[FISHER01]

Hello,


Anyone info on whether the TLP has flown today, or has this session been cancelled ?
I'm planning to go to the field tomorrow...


Grtz, Rene

tomorrow morning also fog and later on the day drizzle 0 hours sun

[patrick dirksen]

Hi all,

Just returned from our "shared egg and big news trip" to Belgium for the last TLP of the year.

Brussel

(102001)/021 Tp.102C F17M
01-0030 C-37A no mks

Florennes

Weather was horrible again (or should I say still.....?). No mission flown again, but some of the aircraft on the flightline could be identified with some patience.
Front row from left to right:

AV-8 (MM7214)/1-08
2x Mirage F.1 (C.14-56, C.14-68 )
EF-18 (C.15-65)/12-23
EF-18 (C.15-54)/12-12 (those might have been the other way round though)
Rafale 25
3x Tornado (46+33, 46+50, 46+52)
F-4 38+54
F-4 37+26

Back row from left to right:
4x F-16 (MM7244, MM7248, MM7251 (spec tail identified), MM7253)
4x F-16 (15102, 15106, 15121, 15127)
4x F-16 (501, 502, 515, 524)
2x F-16 (87-0359, 88-0413) both AV identified

Inside the hangar was another Rafale on the right, missing were the other AV-8, one or two Portugese Vipers, one more Hornet and two more Phantoms, plus the HH-3F.
When we were about to leave we heard some aircraft start up. We met a German guy who was staying in the same hotel as the Tornado crews, and he told us that they had been told to gather all their stuff that morning because they were going home! This combined with the starting up of some aircraft in the afternoon seems to mean that tomorrows mission is cancelled already and at least some aircraft will be leaving today or tomorrow already. This might be something to consider if you are planning to visit tomorrow or friday, but no guarantees of course!

On our way back we made another stop at Brussel, where we found Italian Da.900 (MM622)10 (read off from the nose), and inside the Sabena Tecnics hangar a C-130 which might be CH14 (......).
We decided to have a quick look at Brasschaat for the aircraft of the Vormezeele collection, only to find that the airfield and surrounding buildings etcetera are still military property, and access was not allowed.
Therefor we finished of with a Dutch W&R locations that two of us still needed.

Recreatiepark Bosbad Hoeven

(N-226) Hunter F.6 pr, nn

This is visible from the chalet park next to the swimming pool park. A long missing one
All in all a nice day out with the boys!

That's all folks!

Frank Mink, Joop Zandbergen & Patrick Dirksen
Tristar Aviation

[groundcontrol]

Hi all,

we also had been at EBFS today and at 15.00 o'clock they had towed out a second Rafale, a second AV-8 and a third F-4F, all were put in the gaps in the front row. At 15.45 o'clock two Italian F-16 departed (unidentified).

I would guess, that tomorrow is the day to be at EBFS, not on Friday!

Regards,

Groundcontrol

[Jappie]

Hi there,

somebody more info if there are more Jets already left today except the 2 Italian Vipers. I'm still thinking about to go tomorrow..!!?


Thanks

Greetz Jappie

[jza]

Hi all,

we also had been at EBFS today and at 15.00 o'clock they had towed out a second Rafale, a second AV-8 and a third F-4F, all were put in the gaps in the front row. At 15.45 o'clock two Italian F-16 departed (unidentified).

I would guess, that tomorrow is the day to be at EBFS, not on Friday!

Regards,

Groundcontrol

Did you read the second Rafale?

[Sleegertje]

Hi jza,
This is what I know about the Rafale's:
20 Departed home
21 On the TLP Platform Saturday 13-12-08
25 On the TLP Platform Saturday 13-12-08
There wasn't much flying this week so I THINK the 2 Rafale's are 21 and 25.
Hope this helps a little.
regards, Rene Sleegers

[matrix]

A spanish transport, a casa 295 but not sure 100%, was diverted to Brussels due to bad weather at Florennes around 16:30lt.

[Wijgert IJlst]

A spanish transport, a casa 295 but not sure 100%, was diverted to Brussels due to bad weather at Florennes around 16:30lt.

This afternoon there was a Casa295 at Melsbroek, code read off as 35-39.
Furthermore on Abelag-side was Irish Gulf 251.

For your information, TLP Support aircraft for the Hellenic AF was C-130H serial 747, it did arrive at Florennes today.
All TLP fighters have been seen leaving back to their homebase, except for the German F-4's, the Hellenic F-16's and 2 (or should I say 3 ) Portugese F-16's. These are expected to leave on Friday, the rest is gone.

[Ronaldsnl]

Today at least the fog was gone but the cloudbase was still very low.

When I left at around 1345 all a/c departed home except:
2 portugese F16's (these were visible on the flightline, difficult to identify them, 3 portugese F16's departed.)
4 HAF F16's
3 German F-4's were starting up their engines so you can expect they departed also.

1 C130 from HAF came in. The number is: 747

Regardzz

Ronald

[patrick dirksen]

Somebody who read off the Portugese Vipers, and saw which one came out of the hangar (or somewhere else)?

[Wijgert IJlst]

At 15.45 o'clock two Italian F-16 departed (unidentified).

Today (18/12) both MM7248 and 7253 departed, I think we can conclude you have seen the 7244 and 7251 depart yesterday (17/12)

[Wijgert IJlst]

4x F-16 (15102, 15106, 15121, 15127)
missing were one or two Portugese Vipers

Somebody who read off the Portugese Vipers, and saw which one came out of the hangar (or somewhere else)?

Departed today (18/12) where 15106, 15121, 15127. One from this three-ship came out of 2 Wing flightline/shelter area. unfortunately I did not take notice which one this actualy was, the other two looked like they came from the TLP ramp. Around 13.30h LT there where two others left on the ramp (edit: pictures reveal that these are two ADF (non-MLU) machines, as I had already expected), waiting for their departure on Friday. Futhermore there should be a sixth Portugese Viper, this one had a mishap on the 5th of December. It is believed to be in a maintenance hanger somewhere.

[patrick dirksen]

Hi Wijgert,

Thanks for the info! That means that the two left on the ramp must have been 15102 and 15109. Someone alse who saw which one came from the shelter area please?

[Richard de Florennes]

FLORENNES THURSDAY 2008-12-18 RW26
Weather: broken clouds/overcast, clear air becoming increasingly hazy,
drizzles/rain by late morning, mist/fog by late afternoon, light wind

Based aircraft (2 Wing; 1 & 350 Squadron):
F-16BM 2 Wing FB17 /FS T10:05 L11:47 a2
F-16AM 2 Wing FA97 /FS T10:45 L11:33
F-16AM 2 Wing FA89 /FS T10:59 L12:05
F-16AM 2 Wing FA91 /FS T10:59 L12:22da1
F-16AM 2 Wing FA109/FS T10:59 L12:02d

Detached aircraft (Tactical Leadership Programme - TLP 2008/6):
Mirage F.1M Ala 14 C.14-56/14-31 T09:06
Mirage F.1M Ala 14 C.14-68/14-40 T09:06
F-16AM 10 Wing FA86 /- no badge T10:01
F-16AM 10 Wing FA103/- no badge T10:01
AV-8B+ GRUPAER MM7214/I-08 T10:25
AV-8B+ GRUPAER MM7222/I-16 T10:25
F-16C 31stFW 87-359/AV gn T10:28
F-16C 31stFW 88-413/AV pr T10:28
Rafale M 12 F 25 T10:30
Rafale M 12 F 21 T10:30
F-16A-ADF 37°Stormo MM7253 (81-0811) T10:33
F-16A-ADF 37°Stormo MM7248 (80-0622) T10:33
EF-18M Ala 12 C.15-65/12-23 T10:52
EF-18M Ala 12 C.15-54/12-12 T10:52
Tornado ECR JBG 32 46+33 T10:57
Tornado ECR JBG 32 46+52 T11:09
Tornado ECR JBG 32 46+50 T13:13
F-16AM Esq 301 15121 T11:18
F-16A Esq 201 15106 T11:18
F-16AM Esq 301 15127 no badge T11:19
F-4F JG 71 37+26 T13:47
F-4F JG 71 38+02 T13:47
F-4F JG 71 38+54 T13:47

(notes: for the first time in my “TLP life”, I waited for the presumed departure days of a flying course in order to experience activity of participating aircraft. This was due to the following reasons:
- a lot of very well known aircraft with some units and airframes even identical to the previous TLP flying course (while, unfortunately the expected F-15s operated from their homebase)
- more than 50% of partipating aircraft being F-16s (and I am not a dedicated fan of these “electric jets” – there are too much of them)
- the mostly bad or at least very risky weather conditions during these for weeks (in most cases, the dicision not to make the journey was correct, as only six missions were flown during this flying course)
- and last not but least I had just began a new employment (thus I tried to avoid too much fuss concerning “off-days” for my hobby)
Finally, as there where just two days left, I took the chance, used two pre-arranged free-days, booked a hotel at Philippeville for one night and made the journey to Florennes early Thurdays morning – in spite of a rather bad weather forcast. Amazingly, while the weather was rather foggy indead for some 100 miles until 5 miles before reaching the Eastern approach of Florennes airbase, the weather on the spot was almost perfect with high clouds and very good visibility. Luckily, all aircraft of interest for me where visible on the TLP ramp and showed signs of preparing activity (with exception of the Greek F-16s). Indeed, early departure of two Spanish Mirage F.1s was followed by kind of a mass-launch between 10.00 and 11.00 hours. This featured seven Belgian, two Italian and two USAF F-16s, two Italian Harriers, two French Navy Rafales, two Spanish F-18s and two German Tornado ECRs. Three Portuguese F-16s followed soon, while some patience was required until a third Tornado and three German Phantoms departed at early afternoon in very bad weather conditions, completing a very nice log ...)