Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Discussion forum for airshows, spotters days and other aviation events on the continent
Traveller
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Traveller »

All the usual bull in the end. Any bag and ladders allowed in. No separate q for having no bags. Joke.

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st24
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by st24 »

Fabulous day, even with the bits if rain. 12 fast jet displays not to be sniffed at these days.. :joystick: Only cx are a Noggie '16 and iskry, phenomenonal stuff. :clap: And for it all again tomorrow....
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Wrexham Mackem
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Wrexham Mackem »

grrr. Not at all jealous Mr S. Have a good 'un tomorrow :cool:

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G-CVIX
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by G-CVIX »

Facebook is rife with negative reviews on the organisational front, did anyone experience difficulties?

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Red Dragon
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Red Dragon »

G-CVIX wrote:Facebook is rife with negative reviews on the organisational front, did anyone experience difficulties?


Yep. I can confirm that I was in the queue of a 1,000 in front of me. By the time I got to be searched there were around another 1,000-1,500 behind be on Saturday for 90 minutes waiting to get in while there were only three tables to search people, the threat of the bag search didn't happen and even if the magnetic wand found anything you were waved through.

Then you were faced with a mile long walk to the runway.

In short it an organisational shambles.

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The Baron
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by The Baron »

Red Dragon wrote:
G-CVIX wrote:Facebook is rife with negative reviews on the organisational front, did anyone experience difficulties?


Yep. I can confirm that I was in the queue of a 1,000 in front of me. By the time I got to be searched there were around another 1,000-1,500 behind be on Saturday for 90 minutes waiting to get in while there were only three tables to search people, the threat of the bag search didn't happen and even if the magnetic wand found anything you were waved through.

Then you were faced with a mile long walk to the runway.

In short it an organisational shambles.


Nope. Went today, got there early and went almost straight through with maybe five minutes max wait at the scanners. Only issue was the long walk but then it was the same at Kliene Brogel, Creil and Avord. A combination of high security and just not wanting the public's cars on base I guess.
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Red Dragon
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Red Dragon »

The Baron wrote:
Red Dragon wrote:
G-CVIX wrote:Facebook is rife with negative reviews on the organisational front, did anyone experience difficulties?


Yep. I can confirm that I was in the queue of a 1,000 in front of me. By the time I got to be searched there were around another 1,000-1,500 behind be on Saturday for 90 minutes waiting to get in while there were only three tables to search people, the threat of the bag search didn't happen and even if the magnetic wand found anything you were waved through.

Then you were faced with a mile long walk to the runway.

In short it an organisational shambles.


Nope. Went today, got there early and went almost straight through with maybe five minutes max wait at the scanners. Only issue was the long walk but then it was the same at Kliene Brogel, Creil and Avord. A combination of high security and just not wanting the public's cars on base I guess.


I arrived off a coach at around 09:40 (it was running late) Saturday morning but I think it was just the sheer numbers of people there yesterday that overwhelmed the personnel at the check point. Three metal scanners and three magnetic wands to do so many people. What surprised me though we're the amount of dogs the owners brought with them!

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st24
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by st24 »

Apparently they stopped selling tickets today as "too many" turned up yesterday and clogged the system. However I was hearing the number to be as low as 20k?!?! :question: Don't get that given the huge crowds that these shows get...
You caaan't trust the system... Maaan!

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The Baron
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by The Baron »

st24 wrote:Apparently they stopped selling tickets today as "too many" turned up yesterday and clogged the system. However I was hearing the number to be as low as 20k?!?! :question: Don't get that given the huge crowds that these shows get...


They did announce there would be no on the gate tickets for Sunday but they were definitely selling when I went past the ticket boxes. Probably not as many as I would have expected there yesterday.
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Red Dragon
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Red Dragon »

The Baron wrote:
st24 wrote:Apparently they stopped selling tickets today as "too many" turned up yesterday and clogged the system. However I was hearing the number to be as low as 20k?!?! :question: Don't get that given the huge crowds that these shows get...


They did announce there would be no on the gate tickets for Sunday but they were definitely selling when I went past the ticket boxes. Probably not as many as I would have expected there yesterday.


I did see that at two neibouring ticket boxes, the family at the left ticket box brought tickets, where the guy who went to the right hand ticket box turned around and walked back the way he came (no idea why)

Officially via Facebook, the BAF said the "only reason" they were stopping entry into the base was due to the recent heavy rain having made the fields where the visitors parked into quagmires. Again via Facebook the visitors were mainly complaining about the traffic management being non existent and people either queueing for hours to either get in or out of the fields.

There were also a few complaints about why was the show so far from the bag inspection points, along with a few comments about older visitors feeling unwell after the long walk.

Obviously the BAF can't be helped with the weather, but I suspect that the rain on the Friday night, seems to have been the straw that broke the camels back.

The one thing that I cannot understand is, after attending the same kind of events in KB where entrance was far smoother, why was FL such an utter shambles?

Some of the things that I noticed the BAF needed to sort out before the show
1 have ALL traffic signage in place BEFORE arrivals day (let alone show day)
2 have at least treble the metal detecting gear in place with more troops to get more people through quicker.
3 shuttle buses for those that needed them between the inspection points and the static line

From what I have been told the Dutch event at Leuuwarden was a lot smoother as in that there were shuttle buses running all day from the more distant car parks, bus parks and train stations, where inspection teams checked you through. Once you were inspected there I was told you then boarded the bus and then you got off on base and that was it.

As I was stepping up to the metal detector, the guy in charge (a warrant officer) told me in Belgian what to do, and I replied I was from the uk, he then told me in English and he apologised for the long wait. He had the weary look of someone who had been "dumped on from above" and you could see that someone was going to pay for the shambles it was!
Last edited by Red Dragon on Mon 27 Jun 2016, 9:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Screechy
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Screechy »

Have to say our experience of the weekend was totally different. Our party of 4 went to the spotters day on the friday, no issues there, was a good day.

On Saturday morning we decided to avoid the main big car park and head for the white car park instead. This turned out not to be a car park in the end but a pedestrian route in so we simply parked up a little down the road and then walked into the base. We actually were on base before 9.30, zero queueing, zero hassle, sure we had a security check but it was pretty friendly stuff, we had to prove our cameras worked and took photos of the security personnel that they verified. That was it, then we were on base and free to play. It never felt at all busy and despite the fairly mixed bag of weather again we had a great day.

Yesterday we decided to go off base as we'd already spent 2 days inside so for some variety we headed to the threshold at one end of the runway. Got some different shots off and was again an interesting day. Weather again very mixed. Shame the Ramex had to display in such crap weather but WOW!!!! the vapour and the sonic boom (we assume it was a sonic boom, it was like a loud gun shot just as the Ramex sped past, never experienced anything like it before) on the final pass made it one event that i'll always remember fondly.

The show itself was great, with some real star acts, the Swiss F18, the surprise package of the Danish F16 which performed way above expectations, The Slovak Mig, the Ramex Delta team and the Connie when it came in on the Saturday late on. So many good memories with great company too.

Roll on Hahnweide.
Last edited by Screechy on Mon 27 Jun 2016, 12:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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st24
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by st24 »

Red Dragon wrote:
The Baron wrote:
st24 wrote:Apparently they stopped selling tickets today as "too many" turned up yesterday and clogged the system. However I was hearing the number to be as low as 20k?!?! :question: Don't get that given the huge crowds that these shows get...


They did announce there would be no on the gate tickets for Sunday but they were definitely selling when I went past the ticket boxes. Probably not as many as I would have expected there yesterday.


I did see that at two neibouring ticket boxes, the family at the left ticket box brought tickets, where the guy who went to the right hand ticket box turned around and walked back the way he came (no idea why)

Officially via Facebook, the BAF said the "only reason" they were stopping entry into the base was due to the recent heavy rain having made the fields where the visitors parked into quagmires. Again via Facebook the visitors were mainly complaining about the traffic management being non existent and people either queueing for hours to either get in or out of the fields.

There were also a few complaints about why was the show so far from the bag inspection points, along with a few comments about older visitors feeling unwell after the long walk.

Obviously the BAF can't be helped with the weather, but I suspect that the rain on the Friday night, seems to have been the straw that broke the camels back.

The one thing that I cannot understand is, after attending the same kind of events in KB where entrance was far smoother, why was FL such an utter shambles?

Some of the things that I noticed the BAF needed to sort out before the show
1 have ALL traffic signage in place BEFORE arrivals day (let alone show day)
2 have at least treble the metal detecting gear in place with more troops to get more people through quicker.
3 shuttle buses for those that needed them between the inspection points and the static line

From what I have been told the Dutch event at Leuuwarden was a lot smoother as in that there were shuttle buses running all day from the more distant car parks, bus parks and train stations, where inspection teams checked you through. Once you were inspected there I was told you then boarded the bus and then you got off on base and that was it.

As I was stepping up to the metal detector, the guy in charge (a warrant officer) told me in Belgian what to do, and I replied I was from the uk, he then told me in English and he apologised for the long wait. He had the weary look of someone who had been "dumped on from above" and you could see that someone was going to pay for the shambles it was!


Definitely two completely different stories about access/egress to his show, obviously the earlier you were the better. I believe White car park was abandoned due to flooding; they've had the same weather we've had - i.e. bloody very bloody wet!
Put into perspective, a few short months ago Belgium was rocked by a significant terror event. To have such a large public event at all that went off safely in all respects can only be a good thing and one that must have taken a helluva lot of organising and head scratching for it to be a go/no go.
Screechy wrote:Have to say our experience of the weekend was totally different. Our party of 4 went to the spotters day on the friday, no issues there, was a good day.

On Saturday morning we decided to avoid the main big car park and head for the white car park instead. This turned out not to be a car park in the end but a pedestrian route in so we simply parked up a little down the road and then walked into the base. We actually were on base before 9.30, zero queueing, zero hassle, sure we had a security check but it was pretty friendly stuff, we had to prove our cameras worked and took photos of the security personnel that they verified. That was it, then we were on base and free to play. It never felt at all busy and despite the fairly mixed bag of weather again we had a great day.

Yesterday we decided to go off base as we'd already spent 2 days inside so for some variety we headed to the threshold at one end of the runway. Got some different shots off and was again an interesting day. Weather again very mixed. Shame the Ramex had to display in such crap weather but WOW!!!! the vapour and the sonic boom (we assume it was a sonic boom, it was like a loud gun shot just as the Ramex sped past, never experienced anything like it before) on the final pass made it one event that i'll always remember fondly.

The show itself was great, with some real star acts, the Swiss F-18, the surprise package of the Danish F16 which performed way above expectations, The Slovak Mig, the Ramex Delta team and the Connie when it came in on the Saturday late on. So many good memories with great company too.

Roll on Heinwald.


Amen to that but roll on where?!! :dizzy: :grin:

Thoroughly enjoyable 4 days, in most respects!
You caaan't trust the system... Maaan!

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Screechy
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Screechy »

Hahnweide i mean, dislexic fingers today owing to arriving back at stupid o'clock this morning.

What was your take on the Ramex yesterday, did you hear e same thing we thought we heard?

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st24
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by st24 »

Screechy wrote:Hahnweide i mean, dislexic fingers today owing to arriving back at stupid o'clock this morning.

What was your take on the Ramex yesterday, did you hear e same thing we thought we heard?



Same - half 3 for me...! :sleepy: I was amazed that they displayed in such conditions, it was really coming down but they still rocked the joint :rock: . Didn't get the "crack" inside the base but I experienced the same thing out on the approach on Friday (didn't do spottersday) by both Ramex and the Rafale. I think it's more to do with where you are in relation to the shock wave, certainly not through the barrier but pretty damned close. Have heard the same a few times - Vikings, Lightning, Phantom, F-16 etc and it's usually in "heavy" weather. Fabulous cones by them and as you say the Swiss Hornet, also loving the banana wings on the Danish F-16 during his superb high speed pass and climb....
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Screechy
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Screechy »

st24 wrote:
Screechy wrote:Hahnweide i mean, dislexic fingers today owing to arriving back at stupid o'clock this morning.

What was your take on the Ramex yesterday, did you hear e same thing we thought we heard?



Same - half 3 for me...! :sleepy: I was amazed that they displayed in such conditions, it was really coming down but they still rocked the joint :rock: . Didn't get the "crack" inside the base but I experienced the same thing out on the approach on Friday (didn't do spottersday) by both Ramex and the Rafale. I think it's more to do with where you are in relation to the shock wave, certainly not through the barrier but pretty damned close. Have heard the same a few times - Vikings, Lightning, Phantom, F-16 etc and it's usually in "heavy" weather. Fabulous cones by them and as you say the Swiss Hornet, also loving the banana wings on the Danish F-16 during his superb high speed pass and climb....


Glad you enjoyed it, there was much to admire, forgot to mention the NH90 too, excellent stuff. Was a shame for Ramex that the falcons killed the good weather. Why schedule a parachute drop for anything other than a lazy lunch, to open a show or to close it. To put it on when they did just destroyed the flow and stole the best light of the day. Was prepared for some very distant passes from the Dane but instead thought he put on a good aggressive show with a good display line... unlike the Greek. RAF Phoon > Italian Phoon. Swiss Hornet > Spanish Hornet Slovakian Mig > Polish Mig

IMHO of course :)

Did you get caught at the tunnel?? We heard it was bad so sacked it off and swerved off to get a ferry instead. Best move we could have made despite the extra cost.

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st24
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by st24 »

Screechy wrote:
Glad you enjoyed it, there was much to admire, forgot to mention the NH90 too, excellent stuff. Was a shame for Ramex that the falcons killed the good weather. Why schedule a parachute drop for anything other than a lazy lunch, to open a show or to close it. To put it on when they did just destroyed the flow and stole the best light of the day. Was prepared for some very distant passes from the Dane but instead thought he put on a good aggressive show with a good display line... unlike the Greek. RAF Phoon > Italian Phoon. Swiss Hornet > Spanish Hornet Slovakian Mig > Polish Mig


I know, it was really pointless of them to drop really but hey ho. The Belgian trainers stole a good portion of blue sky on the Saturday too but they're a little more acceptable! NH90 was superb, A109 too, so much for minimum distances! I thought the Ital & Greek were the most distant - neither seemed to use the closer display line which the RAF one did to maximum effect - I struggle to think of a noisier display over the years, just a wall of ear splitting sound. :joystick: :music: They were all high quality displays; the Spanish almost somersaulting (don't recall this at his home base?!) the Swiss and his flat spiral dives - I'm not a big Gripen fan but both were on the money. Just hard to rate really, Fabulous stuff!

Screechy wrote:Did you get caught at the tunnel?? We heard it was bad so sacked it off and swerved off to get a ferry instead. Best move we could have made despite the extra cost.


No - I'm a ferry man! - simple straight on, straight off- walk round get some food and fresh air, all without millions of tons of water feet above your head wanting to crush you in your inescapable tube... :ghost: I know the GAR boys got stuck for 4 hours :snack: :surrender:
You caaan't trust the system... Maaan!

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Dr Cake
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Re: Belgian Air Force Days 2016

Post by Dr Cake »

Next edition will be take place on 8/9 September 2018.

Fully expect it to be at K-B as I'm fairly certain they're alternating between Florennes and K-B only these days. Planning to attend as long as it doesn't clash horribly with Poznan. Wonder if Scampton will go with the same weekend next year?

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