2017 06 25 Ursel Avia

During the weekend of June 24 and 25, Ursel Avia was held a Ursel airport. A variety of old and modern aircraft both civil and military could be seen at this event. 
This year was very special for the Belgian Air Force aerobatic display team called 'The Red Devils'. This aerobatic display team celebrated their 60 years anniversary at Ursel Avia. They fly 4 SIAI Marchetti SF260 planes with the Belgian national flag colors. The name "Red Devils' appeared in the Belgian Air Force in 1957. Aircraft used during those 60 years are the Hawker Hunter F.6, CM170R Fouga Magister and today's Marchetti SF260. Currently all pilots are instructors on SF-260 aircraft with the Competence Centre Air located at Beauvechain Air Base.
A second celebration at Ursel Avia was 15 years Brussels Airlines. With a very special guest, the iconic British Aerospace AVRO RJ-100 (OO-DWE). This type of aircraft will retire later this year. Last flight for Brussels Airlines for this type of aircraft is foreseen end of October 2017.
Also a lot of participants from the UK, both military and civil joined URSEL AVIA 2017. Together with ATCC open door, Ursel Avia was able to offer a lot of participants from both Royal Air Force and Belgian Air Force.

2018 04 18 EHLW Frisian Flag

April 2018 saw the start of the annual edition on the full scale multinational exercise Friasian Flag at Leeuwarden Air Force Base in the northern part of The Netherlands. Air and ground crews from several NATO allies joined this annual large exercise hosted by Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), with some 75 military aircraft.
From 9-20th of April the 2018 edition of the full scale exercise “Frisian Flag” is taking place and is organized at Leeuwarden Air Base, The Netherlands. The exercise is conducted for two weeks in several designated areas over the North Sea to work out large complex missions with +/- 40 􀃕ghter jets, tankers and AWACS radar aircraft.
During this edition of the Frisian Flag six different NATO allies participated in the exercise; The Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Poland and the United States.
It is important that the pilots from all the different countries train together and to get used to each other during the missions. The exercise focuses on international coörporation, precision and the leadership skills from the participating NATO squadrons, to prepare the pilots for future co-operative operations within NATO. In order to create a realistic enviroment, several scenarios are plotted and prepared by the air crews. Twice a day missions are prepared and flown by waves of +/- 40 aircraft from Leeuwarden Air Base situated in the north of The Netherlands and close to the North Sea training area’s.
The aircrews have to prepare and execute specific scenario’s vary from air interdiction missions preventing hortile air forces to enter a designated area to attacking specified ground targets coörperating with forward air controllers both on land or at sea. During these missions the mission leader has to plan and execute the mission against these targets while minimize loses.
In addition to the participating NATO members, United States Air Force (USAF) F-15’s from the Oregon and Massachusetts Air National Guard (ANG) also
participated in the exercise. After the exercise the F-15’s will stay in Europe to continue the USAF presence as part of the expeditionary force Atlantic Resolve.