Soesterberg Air Base

         A picture of a Soesterberg Eagle from a long time ago. This F-15A 77-0085/CR   

                               at Twenthe Air Base in September 1979.

        Also not a real visitor, but a former Soesterberg resident: F-15C 81-0048/CR 32TFS.

Visiting Leeuwarden Air Base for the Open House of the Netherlands Air Force ( June 1985)

One of the most beautiful Phantoms ever to land at Soesterberg  AB is, as far as I am concerned, 

 this F-4C of  the Michigan Air National Guard. It arrived on 13 June 1986 to be used for BDRT.

In the past everything seemed "better"...that's really true for Soesterberg AB, where in the eighties

this kind of aircraft showed up weekly. In this case Ramstein F-4E's of the 526 TFS. (24-08-83)

      Also the 480TFS flew with the F-4E Phantom, with home base Spangdahlem AB Germany.

                                                (Soesterberg 12-09-81)

Although too close to the fence for a perfect picture, this Spangdahlem 81 TFS F-4G Wild Weasel in SEA camo 

shows the ECM nose compartment pretty well. This is where in the E version the gun was housed . (12-09-81)

      A welcome visitor for Soesterberg in the eighties: F-5E aggressor of the 527 TFTAS from

                    Alconbury (GB) for Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT).

This Jolly Green Giant of the 601 TASS was parked in the grass, next to runway 13-31 on 12-09-81.

During several days in July 2007 this MH-53 of the 21 SOS was stationed at Soesterberg.

So now and then a F-111 touched down at  Soesterberg AB. In this case a  F-111E of the 77 TFS

   stationed at Upper Heyford Air Base (GB) for the Dutch Air Force Open Day on 12-09-81.

It happened that even in the late afternoon interesting aircraft arrived, like this 48 TFW F-111F

                                with home base Lakenheath (GB) (late eighties). 

   12 June 1984 was the day that the pilots of the demonstration team "The Thunderbirds"

               performed their show at Soesterberg Air Base in typical Dutch weather.

               Hahn F-16's also visited Soesterberg Air Base quite regularly. (05-04-90)

 Langley Eagles for the second time on deployment at Soesterberg. The first time was during the transition of

the 32 TFS from Phantom to Eagle. This time 71TFS was temporarely stationed at Soesterberg in June 1982.

         Before the 9 TFS flew with F-117's the squadron was equipped with F-15 Eagles.

      Here one of their Eagles is seen on deployment at Soesterberg during May / June 1986.

   Another beautiful deployment; this time in June 1990 with Eglin Eagles of the 60 TFS / 33 TFW.

     For the last time Eagles on the taxitrack: Spangdahlem 53 FS F-15C on TDY ( 19-07-95).

On the last (official) operational day of Soesterberg AB 2 Lakenheath F-15's showed up (12-11-08).

Totally unexpected! After an absence of 12 years; Eagles at Soesterberg. This F-15E arrived together

with a buddy on 08-03-07. This all due to an engine malfunction and subsequent precautionary landing.

             A noisy and smoking beauty, this KC-135A 56-3642 of the 92 BW.                                                   

A not yet stretched version of the Starlifter, 60 MAW C-141A 66-0148. (Soesterberg 12-09-81)

Zweibrücken Sherpa's, almost boring stuff in the eighties. Nowadays it would be the visitor of the month...

       The biggest US military cargo aircraft at Soesterberg AB; the C-5 Galaxy. (early nineties)

         Departing during the exercise "Cooperative Spirit", a Ramstein Hercules. (28-10-94)

          20-09-08 for the last time "Market Garden" memorial flights from Soesterberg

      On 9 Oktober 1998 this Spangdahlem A-10 made several approaches at Soesterberg AB.

This C9 Nightingale showed up at Soesterberg in April 2001 to make some practice approaches as well.

           This 203 AVCO Blackhawk 82-23695 was a guest on 1 September 1984.

           Another nice helicopter at the same occasion is this Kiowa 69-16105 62 AVCO.

                                                 (Soesterberg 01-09-84)                 

One of the guest stars for the 55 years jubilee of 298 Sq. was this US Army Chinook. (Soesterberg 18-04-00)

          Low approach of "Duke 29" Huron or Beech King Air of the US Army on 11-02-2008.

                A rare visit of a US Navy C-26D at Soesterberg Air Base. (24-11-04)

      Wow, that's a visitor! Marines Herc 164105/NY-105 of VMGR-452. (10-11-06)

This splendid MC-130P was at Soesterberg for the memorial flight of operation "Market Garden" (17-09-04).

                    Another beautiful special forces Hercules from Mildenhall. (17-09-04)

     During 2005 several Globemasters visited Soesterberg AB to pick up Dutch helicopters

    for operations in Afghanistan. One of them was this bird from McChord AFB (25-04-05).

       On 03-05-05 at 20.30hr another C-17A Globemaster of the US Air Force arrived

                                from Charleston AFB at Soesterberg Air Base.