ex PR-OAC, returned to Denim Air

Pictured in the early morning at the cross runway at Gilze Rijen, this Chinook was visiting the field with a sister ship. Delivered in March 1981 as HC1 to the RAF, it was soon afetr converted to HC2. ZA675 was damaged during landing accident in Afghanistan in late May 2006, was able to fly to Kandahar on its own strength but it appeared the damage was to much, so the Chinook was airlifted back to the UH with a 99sq C-17A to Fleetlands. It was repaired and returned to service mid 2007. It was converted to HC4 in 2011 and to HC6A in 2018.

Assigned to the Groep Lichte Vliegtuigen (GpLV, Group Light Aircraft), based at Deelen, the fleet of Dutch Alouette IIIs was often seen at the various bases in the tiny country. A-227 was delivered to the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) on 2 Nov'64. From 1993 onwards assigned to 300sq, from 1995 to 302sq. It was withdrawn and stored at Woensdrecht from Mar'96. The Alouette III was sold to Heli-Support USA on 27 Jun'96 and became N227RA from 28 Oct'96. From Dec'03 it was owned by Trans Aero Helicopter Services, became SE-HRV in Sweden and later on RA-05701 in Russia.

This NF-5B just entered the Vliegend Uit Dienst (VUD, Fly Away from Service), also reported as Vervroegd Uit Dienst (Early Retirement from Service), section at Gilze Rijen. It already received the round red cirkel in which the VUD badge should be painted. K-4010 was kept in flyable storage after its operational career with the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) before it was sold and flown over to Venezuela as 6292 on 27 January 1993. Because of the fyable storage, the NF-5A/Bs with the VUD markings were sometimes seen outside at the cross servicing platform of Gilze Rijen.

Added to the fleet of 299sq in '83, this B-83 was a deviating KLu Bolkow as it was a former KLM Helikopters machine. The '73 built helicopter flew earlier as G-BCTE, D-HDCH and PH-DCH, before it became PH-NZH with KLM. The Bo was easily recognised within the 299sq fleet as its skids were extended rearwards compared to the other Bo's of 299sq. B-83 was used as a testbed for various tests. In '96 it was modified to Bo105CB. In Apr'00 is was withdrawn from use at Gilze Rijen and sold to Star Air Service (Teuge) in October 2003. On 13 Sep'07 it moved to Neuhausen ob Eck (Germany), where it was noted in open storage in 2020 - see other photo.

Visiting Gilze Rijen in the early morning, together with a sister Chinook. This RAF Chinook was delivered on 30 August 1981 as a HC1, it was later converted to HC2. The heavy lift helicopter was damaged during a night training mission with Special Forces in Oman, 5 miles south of Seeb on 25 November 1999. It was flown back to Brize Norton on 13 Dec'99 aboard An-124 (RA-82046) and repaired at Fleetlands using parts of former a Argentinian Army CH-47C. It was converted to HC4 in 2014 and to HC6A in 2019.

This 19 June 1970 delivered NF-5A was part of the Vliegend Uit Dienst (VUD, Fly Away from Service), also reported as Vervroegd Uit Dienst (Early Retirement from Service), section at Gilze Rijen. K-3012 was kept in flyable storage after its operational career with the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) before it was sold and flown over to Greece as 3012 on 11 April 1991. It Freedom Fighter is here seen in the hangar next to the cross servicing platform of Gilze Rijen.

This NF-5B just entered the Vliegend Uit Dienst (VUD, Fly Away from Service), also reported as Vervroegd Uit Dienst (Early Retirement from Service), section at Gilze Rijen. It still carried the unit markings of its last operational owner, 315sq. K-4030 was kept in flyable storage after its operational career with the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) before it was sold and flown over to Venezuela as 6372 on 2 March 1993. Because of the fyable storage, the NF-5A/Bs with the VUD markings were sometimes seen outside at the cross servicing platform of Gilze Rijen.

Delivered to the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Forced) on 17 October 1970, this NF-5A was withdrawn from use in 1986. It was kept in a flyable storage for possible sale but was eventually stored and became an instructional airframe at the Anthony Fokker School in The Hague in the early 90s. It then moved to the National Aviation College in Hoofddorp in the mid-90s. After the NF-5 became useless, it was transported to the National Military Museum at Soesterberg for preservation from early 2019. Of notice on this picture is the grey (new?) wing attached the camouflaged fuselage.

Vliegend Uit Dienst (Fly Away from Service), also reported as Vervroegd Uit Dienst (Early Retirement from Serrvice), this K-3035 was kept in flyable storage after its operational career with the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) before it was sold and flown over to Türkiye as 3035 on 20 December 1991. Because of the fyable storage, the NF-5A/Bs with the VUD markings were sometimes seen outside.

Revised livery with enlarged titles

Cargo titles in first version

1953 flood disaster in southwestern Netherlands. Ex PH-HAA, 8-1 (H-1) Jezebel was the country's sole helicopter at the time. Foreign helicopters also came to the rescue, including machines of the Royal Navy, US Army and Sabena. Photo from: Zeeuws Archief