Belgian Air Force Days 2018

The bi-annual Belgian Air Force Days returned to Kleine-Brogel for the first time since 2014 after alternating with Florennes in 2016. Despite the early promises, the participants list for Belgian Air Force Days 2018 was looking very spare with just a few weeks to go and the promise of 3 updates a week didn’t really materialise. Thankfully a late flush of updates, particularly of the rotary type meant there was some interesting aircraft particularly on static display. The show offers over 8 hours of flying displays on both days with a long narrow crowd line and the static display on the taxiway between crowd and runway. Whilst this can present some issues for runway shots it does mean that the static display can be shot with a nice clutter free backdrop, something that was put to full use on Saturday morning with stunning early light and a stellar collection of helicopters on the static line. Featuring both Austrian and Belguim Alouette III’s, Royal Netherlands Air Force with an Apache and Chinook, French Air Force NH Industries NH90 Caiman and French Army Tiger both sporting awesome camo paint schemes. Finally the Danish Air Force made a rare overseas visit with its Merlin to complement the Royal Navy’s version.

Royal Navy Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin HM1 ZH861 (cn 50168/RN41)

Royal Dutch Air Force Boeing CH-47D Chinook

French Air Force NH Industries NH90 Caiman

Flying in only for the Saturday was the C130 Hercules of the BAF 20th Sqn with the amazing Indian Chief special scheme celebrating 70 years 15WAirTransport and 45 years of the C-130 Hercules serving with the 20th Squadron Tactical Airlift of the Belgian Air Force. This parked at the eastern end of the taxiway and was replaced on the Sunday by the PDF support Casa. The displays were mostly the same across Saturday and Sundays but with the order different for each day. One act that only displayed on the Sunday was the Patrouille de France who closed the show after their arrival Sunday lunchtime.

C130 Hercules of the BAF 20th Sqn

C130 Hercules of the BAF 20th Sqn

The show had over 30 acts and ran from 10am to 6pm both days but whilst there were quality display items there was also a lot of filler. With the theme of this year’s show “Ready for the future” there were three major changes being recognized. By far the most significant both financially and in military terms was the replacement for the F-16 Fighting Falcons. All three contenders, the Eurofighter Thypoon (in this case supplied by the RAF Display team) and the French Dassault Rafale which both have outstanding displays and the debut on Belgian soil of the Lockhead Martin F35 courtesy of  the Italian air force which drew a lot of attention on the static display.

Italian Air Force F-35 Lightning II

The second was the replacement of the final 3 SeaKing helicopters with the NH-90 for the Search and Rescue role. The 25th Anniversary special scheme Seaking was in attendance providing the outgoing roll demo with the incoming 18 Sqn NH-90 demonstrating the abilities of the Seeking replacement. The third was the replacement for the C-130 with the Airbus A-400M with the Airbus factory in Seville sending one on the earlier batches of A400M’s which will shortly be delivered to the RAF.

Belgian Air Force Westland Sea King mk48 helicopter RS05 with special 25th anniversary colour scheme.

NHIndustries NH90 RN04 of the Belguim Air Force at BAFD 2018 Kleine Brogel

My highlight of the show was the final display of the retiring Ukrainian Air Force pilot ColonelOleksander Oksanchenko who gave the usual amazing display of multiple tail slides and full power dirty turns in the Su-27 Flanker. With both the single seat display aircraft and the twin seater paired on the crowd line static display so spectators could watch as the pilot crewed in prior to his display. As is fitting on these occasions Col  Oksanchenko was greeted with a water salute from the stations fire tenders as he exited the runway after the Sunday display.

Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker

Other fast jet displays included the Greek F16 no longer using the Zeus jet due to airframe fatigue, a rare opportunity to see the Danish F16 demo featuring the 2018 demo special tail and the Czech Gripen with one of the stand out displays of the weekend.

Hellenic Air Force F-16 Demo Team Zeus @ BAFD 2018 Kleine Brogel

RDAF F-16AM E-607 on take off roll at BAFD 2018 – Kleine Brogel Air Base Sunday 9th September.

Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM E-607 Demo

Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM E-607 Demo

Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM E-607 Demo

Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM E-607 Demo

To break up the F16 displays both the Spanish and Swiss Air Force contributed their respective F18 demo teams who both put in spectacular displays of this powerful aircraft. The Swiss Air Force flying the F-18C version with Captain Nicolas “Vincent” Rossier from Fighter Squadron 17 based at Payerne in the hot seat. However the Spanish display in the EF-18M variant slightly out doing the Swiss with an arrester hook down landing causing a shower of sparks on the runway after it failed to retract after the dirty pass.

McDonnell Douglas EF-18A+ Hornet at BAFD 2018

Swiss Air Force F-18 J-5013 @ BAFD 2018

McDonnell Douglas EF-18A+ Hornet at BAFD 2018

The host nation provided the F16 solo demo flown by Vador in this year’s colour scheme of the Dark Falcon. As well as the solo display Vador flow the F16 in a heritage formation with Kris Van Den Bergh’s Supermarine Spitfire XVI. The BAF four ship F16 demo team the “Thundercats” from 31SQN based at Kleine-Brogel gave a role demo with straffing and bomb runs and close formation passes. On the Saturday they joined up with the Dutch KDC-10 Extender for an air to air refuelling demo.

Airbus A400M EC-400 on take off from BAFD 2018 – Kleine Brogel

USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker tanker aircraft of the 459 Air Refueling Squadron – Andrews AFB

The BAF’s Red Devils aerobatic display team flying four SIAI-Marchetti SF260M also flew in formation with Stampe & Vertongen museums’ Fouga Magister CM170 whilst the Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation’s F.6 variant. which had been on static display over the weekend, left mid afternoon on the Sunday which gave us an oppertunity to capture her in the air.

Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation

Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation

Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation

As well as an Ospray from Mildenhall on static display the USAF also contributed a KC-135 Stratotanker flypast from the 459th Air Refuelling Wing based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

USAF KC-135 Stratotanker 459 ARW

USAF KC-135 Stratotanker 459 ARW

Closing the show on the Sunday only was the French Air Force’s Patrouille de France display team flying their distinctive 8 ship Dassault Alpha Jets.  Arriving mid-morning with their support Casa to add to the French Air Force’s solo Rafale display flown by Captain Sébastien Nativel callsign “Babouc”

French Air Force’s Patrouille de France display team

A special mention has to go to the Canadian co-commentator who made George Bacon sounds like Ben Dunell with her appalling and self-confessed lack of aviation knowledge. Thankfully the main commentator was excellent with most of the commentary in English. Sadly there were no flares used during the entire weekend due to the dry conditions on the ground and this was evident when NH90 Search and Rescue demo set fire to grass after putting a handheld rescue flare on the ground during his display causing considerable smoke across the runway. For the low cost (Euro40 for the three days), the excellent location facing north, statics mainly located along the taxiway giving unobstructed photo opportunities and the great flying across the weekend this has to be one of the standout shows across Europe. The long but narrow crowdline means you can wonder along it without being too far to see the next act and the hosts provide a very warm and helpful welcome to all visitors.

Czech Air Force SAAB JAS 39C Gripen