Texel (Netherlands)

Leaseweb Texel Airshow

4 August 2018

The Royal Jordanian Falcons appeared with a new type of aircraft. Because of the low cloud base at the end of the afternoon they had to cancel their show for safety reasons. Besides the participants of the flying programme that could also be admired on the ground, the static show was supplemented with a RNLAF Chinook, Apache and PC-7.

The PC-7 featured tail art for the 30-year anniversary of 131EMVO squadron. Besides the Dutch Dornier 228 of the Coastguard, the German Navy was also present with a Dornier 228 that is used for Pollution Control operations. The Belgian Air Force had replaced the cancelled Sea King demo with an NH90 TTH for the static show. The Polish Army was present with a Mi-17AE, which is configured for medical evacuation flights.

Visitors

Credits: Harrie Kraaijeveld has published a report about the Texel Airshow and was so gracious to let us use his text. The majority of the aircraft information has been provided by Texel Airport and Frank Kramer sent us an additional log. Several weblogs by Berend Jan Floor have been very helpful for providing additional information.

In the Netherlands and abroad, the island of Texel is best known as a holiday and leisure destination, but once every three years the isle also manifests itself with the Texel Airshow. The airshow of Texel is a unique event for Dutch standards. It has been organized since 1980 at Texel International Airport, a grass strip airfield mostly used by skydiving and recreational flights. The twelfth edition of the airshow took place on 4 August 2018. The event offered a great diversity of both historical and current day, both military and civilian, airplanes and helicopters.

Air show programme:
In the early afternoon the airshow was opened by the Para Display Team of Paracentrum Texel followed by an “aerobatic cloud experience” by the main sponsor Leaseweb’s EA-330LT. Military participation in the flying programme consisted of a CSAR demonstration by a Mi-35 ‘Hind’ and a Mi-171Sh ‘Hip’ of the Czech Air Force, a German Luftwaffe A400M fly-past, and a fly-by formation consisting of a Royal Netherlands Air Force KDC-10 with two Belgian Air Force F-16AMs. Belgian F-16s are currently on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty for the cooperative air policing of the Benelux. This fly-by emphasized the close ties between the two air forces even more. The Czech Mi-35 ‘Hind’ flew again later in the programme to perform its solo display.

The flying programme also provided display slots for various historical aircraft. Among these participants were the Flying Bulls from Austria with their F4U Corsair and T-28 Trojan, the Bronco Demo Team from Belgium with their OV-10B, the Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht (“RNLAF Historical Flight Foundation”) with their Beechcraft D18S and AT-16ND Harvards, Stichting Vroege Vogels (“Early Birds Foundation”) P-51D Mustang “Trusty Rusty”, and a AT-6A Texan in Royal Netherlands Navy colour scheme.

The Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation also attended flying a short pass with the Hunter, which had just returned to the Netherlands after maintenance in the United Kingdom.

The Breitling Jet Team, Dutch Thunder Yaks, Frank “Woody” van Houten, Brendan O’Brien’s Flying Circus and the Royal Jordanian Falcons completed the flying display with their aerobatic shows. Not listed are the gate guards, museum aircraft and the static Dutch Air Force F-16.

Although listed with the visitors Yak-52 PH-KWI was used by the Dutch Thunder Yaks for their show as a replacement for PH-DTY which stayed on the ground. It is rare that a bizjet lands on a grass runway. Usually pilots prefer a solid, hardened runway for their bizjet. Cessna 501 PH-DEZ decided to land on the 4th on the dry and dusty grass runway at Texel Airport in order to attend the air show. Not many of the thousands of visitors have noticed that this was quite a funny and unique event.

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