Gilze – Rijen AB

Sevenship echelon right formation of NF-5’s about to break for the patern.

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.

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 NF-5A/B were operated from the base up until 1995. It has 30 Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS).

In the later years of opperating the NF-5, experiments were executed with the colours opf the airframe. At first the two tone brown-green was applied in grey-grey: the co,ourts of the F-16’s. Later a full light grey scheme was applied as wel as an F-16 scheme.

All gray camo with small numbers and a small roundel.
The small roundel was stil in the original colours. That later changed as well…
K-3016, of 316 sqn arriving from a navigation flight most likely.
316 sqwn with the high vizz markings.
NF-5A from 316 sqn on very short final at Gilze Rijen.
K-3063 ready to leave for a practice flight to the range. Practice bomb can be seen inder the centerline pylon.
Some aircraft receive coloured patches on the fuselage for identification in DACT.
K-4011 rolling out of the shelter area south of runway 27
K-4014 tried the two toned grey paintscheme, but it was not widely adopted
K-4023 retruning with the centerline store bombs expended.
53-6916 to netherlands AF in 1957 as P-191 with No 316 Squadron, and later with No. 311 Squadron. SOC 10/2/1970. To Eindhoven-Gilze-Rijen mid 1971 for decoy duty. On Display as gate guard at Gilze-Rijen since 1979.
Sevenship echelon right formation of NF-5’s about to break for the patern.
Breakinf overhead for landing is number one from a six ship formation.
Formation of six overhead the active runway.
A camouflaged Fouga Magister oif the Belgian Airforce. MT-35 Fouga CM-170R Magister C/N 292
K-3054 from 316 sqn was fully operational in 1985. Here seen prior to departure in Gilze Rijen.
Short final runway 27 at Gilze Rijen.
The spottersplace at Gilze Rijen was a dream. ONly a 50cm high barb wire fence
A dual seat NF-5B ready for the range.
The F-5 started life as a privately funded light fighter program by Northrop in the 1950s. The design team wrapped a small, highly aerodynamic fighter around two compact and high-thrust General Electric J85 engines, focusing on performance and low cost of maintenance. Armed with twin 20 mm cannons and missiles for air-to-air combat, the aircraft was also a capable ground-attack platform.
In the mid-1950s, Northrop started development on a low-cost, low-maintenance fighter, with the company designation N-156, partly to meet a U.S. Navy requirement for a jet fighter to operate from its escort carriers, which were too small to operate the Navy’s existing jet fighters. That requirement disappeared when the Navy decided to withdraw the escort carriers, but Northrop continued development of the N-156, with both a two-seat advanced trainer (the N-156T), and a single-seat fighter (the N-156F) planned.
The dayglow square on the fin was meant for quick recognision with Dissimilar Air Combat Training
K-3016 with a full load of feul

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