27-6 and 28-6 - 2026
Florennes Air Base
Belgium
Anybody going? I’m attending the spotters day on Friday.
There is a good chance that i will be there…
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Alright. Could be a fun meet. They’ll even have Turkish Phantoms.
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Ooof this is going to be a scorcher… will be there on Friday only I think. The hottest day will be enough for me…
On the hottest day of the heat wave we’ve been having here in Europe, I decided to attend the Spotters Day on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Florennes Air Base in Belgium. It was the rehearsal/arrival day for the Belgian Air Force Days.
So before I get into the actual flying and shooting, I want to share a little rant. Consider yourself warned, so you can skip right over the next few paragraphs if you only want to see my mediocre photography. I hope others who were there will chime in and show us how to really shoot an airshow 
This being the hottest day (37 degrees Celsius), I came prepared with lots of water, light but fully covering clothing, enough food and of course sunscreen. The Belgian Air Force came less prepared, I am sad to say, especially when you consider they know their meteo and were well aware it would be hellishly hot.
At the start of the day, 6am, there were three buses to move people from the parking to the spotting area. I’d guess that was about 3-4 buses too few, which resulted in long waiting times. Once we arrived at the spotting area, there were already ladders up front, and those without were shit out of luck.
We were in a pen in the middle of the airfield, close to the runway, which is of course great, close to the action. But as we all know, our hobby consists of a lot of waiting, and for those without any good covering clothes, it would have been nice to have at least a small shady area. We were supposed to get a bottle of water at the start, but we didn’t. Once there was water, after a couple of hours, there wasn’t enough for everybody. Ultimately I think a lot of people didn’t get any water at all. Yes, you should come prepared, but that doesn’t relieve the organizer of their responsibility to be prepared as well.
After the arrivals, we were moved on foot to the minimum distance crowd line, as the show rehearsals were about to begin. This being a rehearsal day, there was of course a lot of downtime: no set show program, and things might cancel or run late. There was a lot of downtime, still not much shade, water was still a problem, and there was one food truck. For a couple of thousand people. So again, not enough facilities for that many people.
The fact that I paid €50 for an entrance ticket makes me wonder what that money was used for. Definitely not for facilities for the couple of thousand enthusiasts who were looking for a day of being close to the action in a safe and responsible manner, considering the circumstances. I hope some lessons were learned… /rant
Now on to the photography. Since it’s still hot as hell here and air conditioning is nonexistent, I am going really slowly through my photos.
I was struggling with the R7 and the huge 200-800mm. Great kit, but I’m an old man without any recent experience. I had fun though. And throughout the day it got better. I just need to keep practicing.
First highlight of the day was the French Air Force Rafale Display Team. They spotted the spotters and decided to set up mock attacks on our position. Awesome, especially since it was some much-needed action after a slow morning. Really cool to see and hear.
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I’ll reply in my own thread, still getting used to the thread in a thread system of Discourse… One of the early arrivals was this immaculate Beechcraft. Great to see these old beauties up close and still flying around.
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Another oldtimer, TF-51D Mustang “Miss Ava”, taxying to the static, after just landing. At the end of the day she gave a great show, love the sound of that engine.
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Also flying in for a spot on the static where a pair of Belgian Air Force Agusta A-109BA’s, soon to replaced by the Airbus H145M. One of those flew in as well, but my struggles with my new kit didn’t give me any good results…
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Support for the French Air Force Rafale Demo Team traveled with a snazy, good looking, Embraer EMB 121 Xingu.
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Like I said, the highlight of the morning arrivals session was the French Air Force Rafale Demo team. They tore up the air around and above us, giving us some close looks at their Rafales in flight, as well as showing off their agility by staying, what looked like, inside the air base perimeters. Awesomeness.
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Last edit for tonight, a Tiger Viper from 31 Squadron of the Belgian Air Force sporting a special tail.
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Doesn’t sound like it was too well organised Roger but hey, it’s a day aviation spotting, also a day practicing with your new kit. From what I see it looks like you got to grips with it pretty quickly. I love the anniversary viper 
Darren
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Thanks! For me it was a really good day.
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That’s all it’s about mate 
Darren
Awesome shot of an awesome plane!
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So on Sunday I went to have a look from outside the base, just to the north. Light was iffy, grey skies abound, but it was a lot of fun. Planes went all around us and I even got some decent shots.
Here’s old smokey giving us a good look at it’s profile. What a beast, so glad I got to see one flying again after a long time… The Hellenic Air Force F-4E Phantom II.
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One more arrival and a departure… Just love the sights and sounds of these oldtimers… and the pass of the Czech Air Force C-295, perfect.
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