Spanish Air Force Ammo flights at Gilze-Rijen october 1973

[GerritsFinest]

A very interesting month at EHGR I can say. The Span AF carried out several flights for ammo transport with the C54 and Casa207 Azor. Parked on the far south side of runway 02/20, they not very clear in sight for general people outside the base. Landing on rwy 10 was not the best for shooting outside the fence also. Loaded during nighttime and departing early in the morning. That's why these pictures were taken on the base, as an ATC member I knew way to get close, together with a long and wide raincoat to hide the camera, I was able to shoot pictures very secretly. But publishing in that time was out of the question, too sensity of course. Monday 1 oct 1973 the arrival of:
C54 352-02 T4-7 (ser 44-9121), Casa207 Azor 351-14 T7-14, 351-12 T7-12.

[CR-74050]

Nice story and rare pictures! Keep them coming, Gerrit!

Cheers, Dick

[Stefan]

Wow! More please!

Regards,
Stefan

[Jonathan]

Very interesting pics indeed! These flights continued throughout October 1973. I know of flights on 2, 3, 4 and 22, 23 October. They seem to have coincided with Israeli ammo flights, possibly in connection with the Yom Kippur war. Still a lot of things are unclear about these events. El Al 707's visited Gilze-Rijen at least on October 8th and 13th, always in the evening, but apparently also on other days. Any pictures of these aircraft? Or more information?
All the best,
Jonathan

[GerritsFinest]

Very interesting pics indeed! These flights continued throughout October 1973. I know of flights on 2, 3, 4 and 22, 23 October. They seem to have coincided with Israeli ammo flights, possibly in connection with the Yom Kippur war. Still a lot of things are unclear about these events. El Al 707's visited Gilze-Rijen at least on October 8th and 13th, always in the evening, but apparently also on other days. Any pictures of these aircraft? Or more information?
All the best,
Jonathan

Sorry Jonathan, no comments even now about EL AL activities, this book reamains closed...! Other visits of the SpanAF: 2-10-1973* C54's 352-13, 352-14 and 352-15 (see the photo's below), 3-10-1973 C54 35-17, Azor 351-14, 4-10-1974 C54 352-07, Azor 351-12, 22-10-1973 C54's 352-07, 352-13, 23-10-1973 Azor 351-16 and 25-10-1973 C54 352-13
* during this afternoon lt Brolman took off in a pair NF5A's from rwy 10, aborted his take-off, his tyre burst and went on his belly at the end of the runway across the Langebergseweg and came to a stop in a meadow. The pilot could alk away from his burning K-3071! Later known as NAC-7!

[Key]

Gerrit, what a gems these are. The 'making of-story' adds an extra dimension.
Thanks for sharing!

Erik

[Jonathan]

Thanks Gerrit! Fantastic pics. Thanks also for the serials: some additions to my list! Really appreciate it. I know I may be pushing my luck now, but there are not that many people that were taking pictures at Gilze-Rijen in the early seventies... So feel free to ignore this request if you wish, but you wouldn't happen to have pictures from the rotation that took place just a few weeks earlier with EC1/13 Mirage 3Es? September was a really good month too, with also at least nine Canadian F-104s visiting. Those were the days!
Best wishes,
Jonathan

[ehusmann]

they not very clear in sight for general people outside the base. Landing on rwy 10 was not the best for shooting outside the fence also.

Maybe not good for pictures, but at least you could read these from the other side of the country. Holy cow what a numbers!

Erwin

[Gerard]

amazing shots. I imagine the sound of these beauties

a long and wide raincoat to hide the camera

Luckily nowadays you do not need such a coat anymore for this purpose. There is a high risk of being mistaken for a "pencil-seller"

Gerard

[GerritsFinest]

Thanks Gerrit! Fantastic pics. Thanks also for the serials: some additions to my list! Really appreciate it. I know I may be pushing my luck now, but there are not that many people that were taking pictures at Gilze-Rijen in the early seventies... So feel free to ignore this request if you wish, but you wouldn't happen to have pictures from the rotation that took place just a few weeks earlier with EC1/13 Mirage 3Es? September was a really good month too, with also at least nine Canadian F-104s visiting. Those were the days!
Best wishes,
Jonathan

Hold your horses Jonathan...they will be in this theatre later, Sinterklaas has his birthday soon, first put your shoe in front of the stove, sing a nice song and please no carrots!
In the meantime some other shots I took in that period. Additional movement very late in december 1973 on the 27th: C54 352-12, a new one, i missed it...

[Jonathan]

Amazing pics again, Gerrit!
Thanks for sharing! Jonathan

[Stephan Lodewijks]

I can't read the codes on these transports....anyone?

Super pics!! More please!

Steef

[GerritsFinest]

Not much is known about the final fates of the Azor’s and C-54 pictured above. From the book Spanish Mil Aviation written by John M. Andrade 1977 I copied:
C54 T4-7 > EC-BXJ > 9Q-CHT 1980
C54 T4-13 > EC-BXL > ?
C54 T4-14 > EC-ZTK > EC-BQH > ?
C54 T4-15 > EC-ZTL > ?
C54 T4-17 > EC-ZTN > EC-APE > ?
CASA 207 T7-12 > ?
CASA 207 T7-14 > ?
CASA 207 T7-16 > ?
Any addition would be greatly appreciated!

[Javindo50]

Great topic Gerrit, and very nice pictures!

(and nice to have met you and Eric at KeeBee Friday 18th)

[GerritsFinest]

Not much is known about the final fates of the Azor’s and C-54 pictured above. From the book Spanish Mil Aviation written by John M. Andrade 1977 I copied:
C54 T4-7 > EC-BXJ > 9Q-CHT 1980
C54 T4-13 > EC-BXL > ?
C54 T4-14 > EC-ZTK > EC-BQH > ?
C54 T4-15 > EC-ZTL > ?
C54 T4-17 > EC-ZTN > EC-APE > ?
CASA 207 T7-12 > ?
CASA 207 T7-14 > ?
CASA 207 T7-16 > ?
Any addition would be greatly appreciated!

HELP: It's already some time ago but still interested in the fate of these C54's and Azors... anyone? Thanks in advance!