Spotting

An aircraft spotter used to be a very busy person, collecting as many registrations and/or pictures of aircraft as possible. When we were young, we used to spend a lot of our free time waiting outside the fences but close by the runways of Eindhoven Air Base . NL (also) hoping to spot some non/resident aircraft . Sometimes we were lucky, very often not. During holidays we therefore undertook many travels to nearby air force bases such as Volkel and Kleine Brogel (Belgium) or further abroad, where we could satisfy our needs. You can find the results of these activities under the titles “Aircraft-Spotting by lucky chance“ and “Arrival Days Spotting & other certainties“.
IMPORTANT NOTE : until the Seventies of the last century aircraft-spotting near military airfields could be a tricky hobby and even to-day there are countries where the authorities do not appreciate this kind of activities , so let this also be a warning to you !

RAF Wildenrath (G) , July 5th , 1968 (arrivals for 50 Years R.A.F. Open Days)

On July 5th , 1968 Hans went to Royal Air Force Station Wildenrath , a few miles across the…

Spotting at Volkel (NL) , September 15th , 1988 ( 35 years 306 squadron , K.Lu.)

In September 1988 it was 35 years ago that 306“reconnaissance“squadron of the K.Lu. came into operation.

Spotting at Leeuwarden (NL) (Frisian Flag 4-4-2017)

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Spotting at Eindhoven (NL)

Eindhoven was the city where the authors both grew up and became “real” aircraft-spotters at the nearby air base….

Spotting at RAF Fairford , U.K. July 1987 (International Air Tattoo)

In July 1987  Hans boarded the ferry-boat from Hook of Holland to Harwich with his car and…

Spotting at Leeuwarden (NL)

For the first time Hans visited Leeuwarden AB (NL) as an aircraft-spotter in August 1967. In later years he…

Spotting at Soesterberg Air Base (NL)

Frank only incidentally visited Soesterberg AB , but Hans frequented the former Air Base quite often because he moved…

French Aircraft Carriers Foch and Clemenceau, Rotterdam (NL) , May/June, 1970

In 1970 the French Navy aircraft carriers Clemenceau and Foch visited the harbour of Rotterdam for a courtesy visit;…

Spotting at Volkel (NL)

During the Sixties Volkel (NL) was an airbase where photography was not easy; nevertheless the authors (Hans and Frank)…

Spotting at Twenthe (NL)

Hans visited Twenthe AB (NL) as an aircraft-spotter for the first time in 1968. During more recent years he…