The centerpiece of the festivities was a large historical exhibition, retracing with photographs, multimedia projections, works of art and numerous exhibits the past 60 years of the air base and some important historical events of earlier dates that still affect the present-day air base. The exhibition filled the entire TLP-hall, as well as the apron next to it, totaling more than 4,000 square meters. Each of the different squadrons and groups of the 2nd Tactical Wing was represented there, as were some of the major players in Belgian aeronautical industry and cities with close ties with the air base. The exhibition was set up in close cooperation with the Brussels Air Museum, the White Bison Museum relating the history of Bierset Air Base and of course the Florennes’ Spitfire Memorial Museum.

 

 

A number of conferences were held around topics like the creation of the Belgian Air Force and the reconstruction of Florennes Air Base in the wake of the Second World War or the participation of the 2nd Tactical Wing in international peacekeeping operations. Other themes were the development of the Belgian aeronautical industry and the synergy between the air base and its surroundings.

Twice a day, it was possible to join in on a one and a half our long guided tour along an educational route with numerous points of interest at different locations on the air base. The tour brought the visitor among others to the Spitfire Memorial Museum, to historical buildings going back to the Second World War and to the GLCM Alert and Maintenance Area (GAMA) from the 1980s and the brief nuclear era of Florennes Air Base.

A book describing Florennes Air Base as it was in the past and as it is nowadays and a DVD with many historical and topical stills and films were available for those who want to have a more in-dept look at the air base.

Fabian Goossens, one of the pilots of the 2nd Wing with a talent for drawing, related the air base’s history in a comic strip. Florennes has indeed a close link with comics, not only because it regularly organizes exhibitions around this theme, but also because one of the episodes of the former French television series “Les Chevaliers du Ciel”, which was based on the well-known comics of Tanguy and Laverdure, was filmed at Florennes Air Base in the late 1960s. The now 72 years old actor, Christian Marin, who played the role of Laverdure in this series, was present at Florennes on 15 June.

The programme of events closed on 21 July 2007 with solo displays of Fouga Magister and F-16, a mass fly-by of the aircraft participating in the Belgian national holiday fly-past and numerous free flights in an Embraer ERJ-135 or ERJ-145 aircraft of the 15th Transport Wing.

 

 

Source: Skycontrol - Digital Eyecatcher
Pictures provided and copyrighted by Skycontrol - Digital Eyecatcher - Alain Thimmesch
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