FighterControl

From July the 16th till July the 18th 2007 a large Operational Integration Exercise took place at Kleine Brogel, Belgium. It was an amazing event with such a variety of participating countries and airframes (and still not a F-35 in sight, happy days!). While most photographers opted to position themselves near the beginning or the end of the runway I choose to walk the flightline, especially to see, hear and photograph the start-up from the two Greek F-4's and A-7's. Still remember it was a challenge to get the shots I wanted with rubbish like red fire extinguishers, ladders, engine covers etc around, waiting for the sunlight to return from behind the clouds and running in between the TA-7C dual (which I liked more than the single seater) and the Phantoms. Just traded my analog EOS5 for a digital 20D, but think shots came out well.

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More can be found on: https://www.final-approach.nl/2012/oie- ... rogel-2007

Best, Edwin Schimmel
www.final-approach.nl

Wonderful set, as are the rest at the link provided. Thanks for sharing!

Excellent

Superb set, Edwin

You started out at the top and kept there

Paddyboy

Thanks for sharing these with us, great shots. I attended this event too, very enjoyable day. It's such a shame that we have nothing like it in the UK.

Thanks gentlemen, glad you can appreciate 'em!

Mustang531 wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 29, 2024 11:53 am

Thanks for sharing these with us, great shots. I attended this event too, very enjoyable day. It's such a shame that we have nothing like it in the UK.

Say what?!?! With exercises like Cobra Warrior, bomber deployments at RAF Fairford, bases over there like Mildenhall, Lakenheath attracting so many interesting visitors, the RIAT at Fairford etc will pretent I didn't read that!

Hi Reaper02, the point I'm making there's not the public access like this event. Even if there is, it seems to be low key. Unlike mainland Europe, the UK no longer has many shows. RIAT is there, Cosford is another, I've only been to a couple of shows there and got fed up with the heavy traffic and I don't really wish to travel halfway up the country to experience that. No one knows if there will ever be a show at Yeovilton again, I did hear that 2028 was a possibility, but again it could be a rumour. Also I no longer want to spend hours outside a base waiting for something to depart or arrive, I rarely take photos anymore, but do appreciate what others (such as yourself) submit and enjoy viewing them. At this time of the year, I'm in an armchair with the heating on and possibly a beer nearby. I started spotting in 1968, and have seen types enter service and several years later, retire. So got plenty of memories and when I have visited museums in the UK and further afield, I've seen aircraft that I saw in service over forty years before. But please keep submitting your photos, I enjoy all that available.

Morning Mustang,

Understand completely what you're saying there. Also hate you have to travel that far nowaydays just to see something! Back in the 90's there was plenty to see over here in The Netherlands on our own Dutch bases, but nowadays with all the noise regulations and environmental measures visitors are very, very rare (even actively withheld by our Air Force), our own flying program is very limited and the last airshow we had here was back in 2019, so already 5 years ago (and never coming back because they are scared off environmental extremists like Extinction Rebellion). Afraid same is about to happen in Belgium, Germany etc in the near future, know Air Power at Zeltweg in Austria was almost cancelled this year because of this... So maybe that comfy chair with heating on and a cold drink nearby isn't such a strange idea and enjoy our memories of better times! In a few years time it will be all F-35's and a few Typhoons or Rafales if you're lucky anyway...

Thanks again for the compliment regarding my pics and happy new years eve!

Edwin