Changes: Gilze-Rijen Air Base

Gilze-Rijen Air Base

(Advanced Landing Ground B-77)
Gilze-Rijen Air Base ; (Advanced Landing Ground B-77)
	Antonov An-124 being loaded at Gilze-Rijen in 2005
IATA: GLZ – ICAO: EHGR
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Military of the Netherlands
Operator	Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF); Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu)
Location	Gilze en Rijen, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Elevation AMSL	15 m / 49 ft
Coordinates	51°34′02″N 004°55′54″E / 51.56722°N 4.93167°ECoordinates: 51°34′02″N 004°55′54″E / 51.56722°N 4.93167°E
Website	www.luchtmacht.nl/gilzerijen/
Map
	EHGR Location of Gilze-Rijen Air Base
Runways
	Source: DAFIF

Latest revision as of 17:22, 15 April 2018

Gilze-Rijen Air Base (Dutch language: Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen , IATA: GLZ, ICAO: EHGR) is a military airbase in the Netherlands located between the cities of Breda and Tilburg, in the Noord-Brabant province. It is mainly, but not exclusively used as a base for attack helicopters. The airfield has two runways, the longest, complete with instrument landing system (ILS) is 2,779 metres (9,117 ft) long by 45 m (148 ft) wide in the 10/28 direction. The shorter runway (without ILS) is 1,996 m (6,549 ft) by 30 m (98 ft) in the 02/20 direction.

History

Gilze-Rijen Air Base is one of the oldest airfields 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.

Thunderstreak-P-191 — Republic F-84 Thunderstreak as a gateguard at Gilze-Rijen Air Base

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 British 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 however. 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 F-5, and later its replacement, the Fokker F-16 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 reorganistaion within the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the fighter aircraft were moved from Gilze-Rijen, and instead the base became the home of Bolkow BO-105 helicopters. 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 have moved to Gilze-Rijen Air Base, which resulted in CH-47 Chinook and AS 532 Cougar 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 currect 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)
Fokker F-27
Noorduyn Harvard IIb (6x)
North American B-25 Mitchell
Piper Cub (5x)
Ryan ST-M
Stinson Voyager
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

Units

298th Squadron CH-47 Chinook
299th Squadron (Training and Standards)
300th Squadron Eurocopter Cougar and Aérospatiale Alouette III
301st Squadron AH-64D Apache
604st Reserve Squadron (partial)
670th Security Squadron
930th Maintenance Squadron
931st Support Squadron
932nd Logistics Squadron

References

↑ Airport information for EHGR at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
↑ Airport information for GLZ at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gilze-Rijen Air Base.

(Dutch) Luchtmacht.nl - Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen, official website
Royal Netherlands Air Force Historical Flight Foundation
Airliners.net - Photos taken at Gilze-Rijen Air Base
Current weather for EHGR at NOAA/National Weather Service
Accident history for GLZ at Aviation Safety Network

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Gilze-Rijen Air Base and the edit history here.

[WAD-1] Airport information for EHGR at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.

[GCM-2] Airport information for GLZ at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 | owner        = [[Military of the Netherlands]]
 | operator     = [[Royal Netherlands Air Force]] (RNLAF)<br>''Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu)''
-| location     = [[Gilze en Rijen]], [[North Brabant|Noord-Brabant]], Netherlands
+| location     = [[Gilze en Rijen]], Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
 | built        = 1910
 | used         =
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 | r2-length-f  = 6,549
 | r2-surface   = Asphalt
-| footnotes    = Source: [[DAFIF]]<ref name=WAD>{{WAD|EHGR|source=[[DAFIF]]}}</ref><ref name=GCM>{{GCM|GLZ|source=DAFIF}}</ref>
+| footnotes    = Source: DAFIF<ref name=WAD>{{WAD|EHGR|source=DAFIF}}</ref><ref name=GCM>{{GCM|GLZ|source=DAFIF}}</ref>
 }}
-'''Gilze-Rijen Air Base''' ({{lang-nl|Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen}}, {{airport codes|GLZ|EHGR|p=n}}) is a [[military base|military]] [[military airbase|airbase]] in the Netherlands located between the cities of [[Breda]] and [[Tilburg]], in the [[North Brabant|Noord-Brabant]] province.  It is mainly, but not exclusively used as a base for [[attack helicopter]]s.  The airfield has two runways, the longest, complete with [[instrument landing system]] (ILS) is {{convert|2779|m|0}} long by {{convert|45|m|0|abbr=on}} wide in the 10/28 direction.  The shorter runway (without ILS) is {{convert|1996|m|0|abbr=on}} by {{convert|30|m|0|abbr=on}} in the 02/20 direction.
+'''Gilze-Rijen Air Base''' ({{lang-nl|Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen}}, {{airport codes|GLZ|EHGR|p=n}}) is a [[military base|military]] [[military airbase|airbase]] in the Netherlands located between the cities of Breda and [[Tilburg]], in the Noord-Brabant province. It is mainly, but not exclusively used as a base for [[attack helicopter]]s. The airfield has two runways, the longest, complete with [[instrument landing system]] (ILS) is {{convert|2779|m|0}} long by {{convert|45|m|0|abbr=on}} wide in the 10/28 direction. The shorter runway (without ILS) is {{convert|1996|m|0|abbr=on}} by {{convert|30|m|0|abbr=on}} in the 02/20 direction.
 ==History==
-Gilze-Rijen Air Base is one of the oldest airfields in the Netherlands, the first aircraft to have landed there being a [[Louis Blériot|Blériot]] in 1910.  The first [[military aircraft]] activity dates back to 1913, when a [[Farman Aviation Works|Farman]] aircraft used the field for military exercises which established it as a military airfield.
+Gilze-Rijen Air Base is one of the oldest airfields in the Netherlands, the first aircraft to have landed there being a [[Louis Blériot|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.
 [[File:Thunderstreak-P-191.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Republic F-84|Republic F-84 Thunderstreak]] as a gateguard at Gilze-Rijen Air Base]]
-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 [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Royal Air Force]] took control of the 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 [[United Kingdom|British]] [[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 control]]lers.  In 1962, training activity was suspended, and Gilze-Rijen was reduced to a reserve base for [[bomber aircraft]].  Training activity was resumed in 1967 however.  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 F-5]], and later its replacement, the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|Fokker F-16 Fighting Falcon]], were operated from the base up until 1995.  It has 30 [[Hardened Aircraft Shelter]]s (HAS).
+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 however. 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 F-5]], and later its replacement, the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|Fokker F-16 Fighting Falcon]], were operated from the base up until 1995. It has 30 [[Hardened Aircraft Shelter]]s (HAS).
+In 1995, as a part of a large scale reorganistaion within the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the fighter aircraft were moved from [[Gilze-Rijen]], and instead the base became the home of Bolkow BO-105 helicopters. In 1998, [[AH-64 Apache]] attack helicopters followed, while the BO-105 helicopters were slowly being phased out.
-In 1995, as a part of a large scale reorganistaion within the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the fighter aircraft were moved from [[Gilze-Rijen]], and instead the base became the home of Bolkow BO-105 helicopters.  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]] have moved to Gilze-Rijen Air Base, which resulted in [[CH-47 Chinook]] and [[Eurocopter AS 532|AS 532 Cougar]] 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 currect fleet consists of the following aircraft:
+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 currect fleet consists of the following aircraft:
 * [[Taylorcraft Auster|Auster Mk.III]]
 * [[Beechcraft Model 18|Beech T-7 Navigator]]
-* [[Cessna 172|Cessna 172P Skyhawk]] (for training purposes)
+* Cessna 172P Skyhawk (for training purposes)
 * [[de Havilland Tiger Moth|de Havilland 82A Tiger Moth]]
 * [[de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver]]
@@ Line 66: / Line 65: @@
 * [[T-6 Texan|Noorduyn Harvard IIb]] (6x)
 * [[B-25 Mitchell|North American B-25 Mitchell]]
-* [[Piper Cub]] (5x)
+* Piper Cub (5x)
 * [[Ryan ST|Ryan ST-M]]
 * [[L-5 Sentinel|Stinson Voyager]]
@@ Line 95: / Line 94: @@
 *{{NWS-current|EHGR}}
 *{{ASN|GLZ}}
-{{Airports in the Netherlands}}
 {{Wikipedia|Gilze-Rijen Air Base}}