RNLAF Open Days / Open Dagen Luchtmacht 2022-2023-2024-2025-2026-2027 ?

[Stratofreighter]

...bit of a longshot.

Anyone happen to know whether the Netherlands Air Force
actually has any plans or dates for 2022 at all

to try and organise the Dutch Air Force Luchtmachtdagen again?

It would be a "rather different kind of public event"
compared to pre-Covid19 editions of course,
and as
https://scramble.nl/community/messageboard/12/159914
shows
it would be without the two veterans Ed and John at the helm...

[michel N]

At the moment an event can’t even be planned a week ahead without the risk of being cancelled. Let alone 6 months…

[roberto]

NO airshow in 2022, planning normally starts 1 year before an airshow and nothing is known about a possible date, which should have been communicated allready.
Maybe in 2023 or 2024 an airshow at Gilze-Rijen, which is the first airbase in line to host one (2021 version was cancelled in november 2020)

[rampguido]

Still nothing about 2023 edition?

[stealth]

In The August of issue of "Onze Luchtmacht" magazine there is an interview with the RNLAF's Director of Operations.He says the Air Force days in 2023 are definitely not coming back yet,. But possibly in 2024 there will be some sort of airforce days/open days. So let's keep our fingers crossed.

[Worldnis]

For 2023 only 'Marinedagen' in July. Discussion still going on within RNLAF whether 'luchtmachtdagen' will come back as before since organizing it puts too much strain on air base personnel and a lot of civil works are going on at Leeuwarden, Volkel, etc. in the coming years. It was also a tool to attract new staff, but not so anymore. We might not see luchtmachtdagen return in 2024 at all, or in a different shape or form.

[patrick dirksen]

It was also a tool to attract new staff, but not so anymore

Why is that? AFAIK there is still a huge shortage of personnel.

[Worldnis]

It was also a tool to attract new staff, but not so anymore

Why is that? AFAIK there is still a huge shortage of personnel.

Very much so unfortunately Patrick, but they have seen the luchtmachtdagen does not attract new staff anymore. They are exploring other channels, but with the general shortages, especially in technical professions having an irregular (meaning not every year) open house at a limited number of locations did not deliver anymore, even before covid.

[patrick dirksen]

OK, makes sense. unfortunately.

[Jeroen34]

Al iets meer bekend over de opendagen van 2024 of ze er überhaupt wel komen?

[hvaneupen]

Ja, ze komen niet

[Key]

Topic spin-offs here and here.
Please observe the forum rules, folks.

Thanks,
Erik

[aviodromefriend]

For 2025 it is announced that there are no Navy-days (next planned now for 2027). One of the reasons is the NATO summit that will need a lot of military personel. Due to the dates of that summit (the week that is directly after the traditional Air Force days weekend) I presume it is very unlikely to have Air Force days in '25?

[Thermal]

Talked to Ed de Bruin (former Hoofd Bureau Air Display (BAD) ) recently. Ed organized the Open Days on behalf of the KLu for 20 years. He said that RNLAF Air Force Days will probably be something of the past and that they will probably never come back. It's not just the money and overseas deployments and commitments; as already indicated the Open Days do no attract the amounts of new staff that the KLu needs. Next to this with all the increasing environmental rules, restrictions and permits (which are far more stringent then in Belgium or the UK) that are needed these days it has become almost impossible to organize a show of that magnitude in the Netherlands. The same goes for the Texel Air Show by the way. We have most likely also seen that last of thiose. Very very sad. I had hoped to take my sons one day but that seems very unlikely now.

[Stafsels]

Would that give way to smaller events centered around the airbases individualy?

Like the belgian open door days or the ones in Germany? Smaller events for the public to get aquainted with the airforce and some smaller Klu displays only in a few demonstrations?

Kind regards,

Stafsels