Gilze-Rijen Air Base

History

Gilze-Rijen Air Base is the oldest airfield in the Netherlands, the first aircraft to have landed there being a Blériot in 1910. The first military aircraft activity dates back to 1913, when a Farman aircraft used the field for military exercises which established it as a military airfield.

In 1940, the airfield came under heavy attack from the German Luftwaffe, who later took control of the base and expanded it for their own use. While in German hands during the Second World War, the field came under frequent attack from allied forces until the liberation of the south of the Netherlands, after which the Royal Air Force took control of the airfield.

In 1946, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) resumed operations from the airfield, using it as a training base for pilots and air traffic controllers. In 1962, training activity was suspended, and Gilze-Rijen was reduced to a reserve base for bomber aircraft. Training activity was resumed in 1967, mainly using Fokker S-11s and Piper Cubs. For paratrooper training and group droppings the Fokker F27 Friendship was in use. In 1971, the training activity was suspended again when a fighter squadron was moved to the airfield, which also included a significant upgrade of airport facilities. Initially the Northrop NF-5A/B, and later its replacement, the General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, were operated from the base up until 1995. It has 30 Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS).

In 1995, as a part of a large-scale reorganisation within the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the fighter aircraft were moved from Gilze-Rijen, and the base became the home of Bölkow Bo-105 helicopters instead. In 1998, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters followed, while the Bo-105 helicopters were slowly being phased out.

In 2009, helicopter operations from Soesterberg Air Base were moved to Gilze-Rijen Air Base, which resulted in CH-47 Chinook and AS 532U2 Cougar Mk 2 helicopters being based at the airfield as well as the Alouette III for VIP transport, making Gilze-Rijen the main operating base for military helicopters in the Netherlands.

Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht

The Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht (Royal Air Force Historic Flight Foundation) is also located at Gilze-Rijen air base, owning and operating a collection of mainly historic military aircraft. The current fleet consists of the following aircraft:

• Auster Mk.III
• Beech T-7 Navigator
• Cessna 172P Skyhawk (for training purposes)
• de Havilland 82A Tiger Moth
• de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
• Fokker S-11 (4x)
• Noorduyn Harvard IIb (6x)
• North American B-25 Mitchell
• Piper Cub (6x)
• Ryan ST-M
• Stinson L-5 Sentinel
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

Based units

Units based at Gilze-Rijen Air Base.

Royal Netherlands Air Force

Defence Helicopter Command

• No. 298 Squadron – CH-47D/F Chinook
• No. 299 Squadron – Helicopter training and standards
• No. 300 Squadron – AS532U2 Cougar Mk 2
• No. 301 Squadron – AH-64D Apache
• No. 930 Squadron – Maintenance and Logistics
• No. 931 Squadron – Base operations and Force Protection

Centre for Man in Aviation

• SERE School – Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training facility
• OGZ – Operational Healthcare

References

References

1. Defensie, Ministerie van. (January 15, 2018). "MilAIP: information for the aviation sector – Defensie.nl".
2. Defensie, Ministerie van. (February 9, 2018). "Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen – Koninklijke Luchtmacht – Defensie.nl".