Geilenkirchen AB, Germany - 15/06/2007

Having already booked to spend three days at Volkel for their show, when we heard that Geilenkirchen was hosting a special NATO 25th Anniversary event, we thought it might be an idea to try to catch the arrivals on the middle day of our trip.

We awoke to grey skies and they stayed with us the whole of the 120km or so journey from our accomodation in Tilburg.

When we arrived the road running down the side of the base was absolutely heaving with European spotters. Sensibly one of the fields at the end of the runway had been opened up for parking, so we joined the merry throng and made our way onto the slopes by the approach.

To say the weather was indifferent would probably best sum it up. While the sun never made a full-on appearance during the day, there were occasional glimpses of blue, mixed in with dark blacks and heavy rain showers.

The action did go some way towards making up for that though, with first glimpses for me of a German Navy P-3C (recently acquired from the Dutch), a pair of Hungarian Gripens and a Greek C-27J Spartan. The Polish Su-22 Fitter and Yak-40, Greek Corsairs, Portugeuse Alpha Jets, and most of the other participants were all very welcome too.

We were assured that the arrival of the B-52H signified the last expected arrival of the day, so we headed back to Tilburg for an evening of steak and beer.