Hi guys,
I visited the Luchmachtdagen on saturday (unfortunately my flight was booked well in advance, and could not change to friday). Actually, this was my first visit to the Netherlands. My impression is 99% positive. To begin with, everyone was very helpful and polite (and not only on the base - generally in Holland).
We were guided to the WTC hotel to park the car (I did not hear anything about any stickers, was I supposed to buy one?), then bus to the base, where they gave us free bottles of water and info packages in KLu plastic bags. These I kept as souveniers, since the Luchmachtdagen booths ran out of XXL T-shirts by saturday afternoon.
There were far less people than I expected, and we got a good place in the front row (we arrived quite early, around 7:30). The organizers did not commit the same mistakes their colleagues usually do for example in Zeltweg and Radom: loudspeaker towers and screens were not stacked in front of the crowdline, I was really happy about that.
Static dispay:
Loads of interesting stuff. Unfortunately the Pápa AB SAC03 was already closed when we got there. I'm really eager to have a look inside one of the SAC Big Macs. However, I always seem to be informed on Pápa AB open days after they have already taken place...
I wouldn't like to list all the great parts of the static - it would be a long list. I have to mention thouht, the display the KLu units put up was amazing. Each branch (SAR, armament, bird control, etc-etc) having separate exhibitions in hangars was outstanding. I would have needed both days to at least run through all of them.
I was happy to see the usual camo Su-22 from Poland, not the black one.
Flying display:
This was the first time I saw the Red Arrows - unfortunately, they flew only 4 jets. Nevertheless, it geve an idea what show they put on with 9 Hawks. I hope they will manage to fly with all 8 aircraft in Ostrava next weekend. Not a mistake from the organizers, but unfortunately the Luchmachtdagen was left without a major jet display team on saturday (not counting the 6-ship Hunter formation). I met the BBMF upon my arrival to the Eindhoven airport on friday afternoon, so not seeing them on saturday was not a surprise. I was a bit disappointed though, they were also supposed to appear in Radom, and they failed to do so. Maybe next year...
In addition to the Red Arrows, this was the first time I saw a number of other participatns who don't usually travel as far as Central/Eastern Europe (Black Cats, Royal Jordanian Falcons, etc.).
In my opinion, there was only one major mistake from the organizers' side: weather forecasts suggested that rain was expected in the afternoon, but the flying display sequence was not adapted to this, forcing some of the major attractions (for me - Solo Türk, Typhoon, Hornet) to fly in rain. Maybe, just maybe, this could've been avoided.
All in all, a great show. Thanks for all the useful info on the forum. I was only disappointed (jelous, to be more precise
) when seeing the weather on the pics from friday.
P.S.: I did not see this mentioned here, and I suppose the commentators must have told the crowd, but I don't speak Dutch. Why didn't the KDC-10 + 8 F-16 formation flypast take place. Low clouds, and shitty weather, I guess...
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