My Belgian Air Force career

a photo tour narrated by Philip Avonds

I have also compiled a few pilot stories from my career. These can be read here.

Pilot training

Initial military training

October 18th, 1976: my first day in the Air Force

I'm on the left, see arrow

We started with 52 student pilots in the 76B promotion but on the second day, we were only 50 as two guys had already left, deeming the training environment was too harsh for them... Ultimately, we would graduate with 20 of the initial 52.

panel with photographs of the 50 student pilots of the 76B promotion, taken at the start of the initial military training (I'm on the left, see arrow)

Exactly on the 50th anniversary of that first day, a memorable prom gathering was held in Spain, see further below.

About a year before we started the training, it had been announced that Belgium would acquire the F-16 and hence, it was obvious that the fighter jet would feature on our sticker and patch, see below.

This is the first edition of our 76B prom sticker with an early rendition of an F-16. Later versions of the patch would receive a more accurate rendition of the fighter jet which would later prove to be a highly successful asset in the Belgian Air Force.

uniform of the early days: blue battle dress

SF-260 Marchetti at the elementary flying school

Elementary Pilot Training on Siai Marchetti SF-260

1977-1978

125 flying hours / first solo flight: May 5th, 1977 with ST-09

celebrating my first solo on SF-260

"on the beach of Goetsenhoven, there we find as prom the best, 76B..."

posing at home in flying suit

Fouga Magister at the advanced training school

Advanced Pilot Training on Fouga Magister CM-170 in 1978

also later 1982-1984 and 2003

150 flying hours / first solo flight: February 28th, 1978 with MT-16 (read the stories behind my first solo flights here)

(anecdotic note: I made 4 flights with tailnumber MT-48, the subject of my scale Fouga Magister model)

Lockheed T-33 at the transition flying school

Graduation on Lockheed T-33A

1978-1979

90 flying hours / first solo flight: September 19th, 1978 with FT-36

(read about a scary moment I had on a T-33 flight here)

I received my Air Force pilot wings on March 1st, 1979

76B promotion at wings parade March 1st, 1979. This was also the day of the official presentation of the Belgian Air Force Alpha Jet (seen at the back on top photo and on next photo)

official presentation of the Alpha Jet in Belgium (1979)

extracts from VOX magazine of March 15th, 1979 (in Dutch)

44 years later and the hangar of our wings parade can still be found on the Brustem airfield (near Sint-Truiden)

Operational pilot career

Flying fast jets: my little boys' dream!

After pilot training, I was very happy to be assigned to Kleine Brogel to start my operational pilot career on the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter.

Back to the parking place after my first solo on TF-104G (tail number FC-08)...

...doing the shutdown checks...

...and receiving congratulations from the F-104 instructor pilots, from left to right: Swa Aerts, Marc Van Huysse and Tony Muls

May 22nd, 1979

Note that the first solo was performed in a TF-104G with empty back seat. The reason was that there was a slight difference in "feel" between single seater and two seater (due to the CG being more forward on the singleseater). My first single seater flight was performed the next day.

After the traditional "shower" from the fire truck, posing in front of the aircraft and drinking a well deserved beer together with my chase pilot Armand Van Reydt

Some 40 years later, I find my first solo aircraft on display at the open air museum of Savigny (France)...

First operational tour: 31 "Tiger" Squadron in Kleine Brogel

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter

1979-1983

645 flying hours

The F-104 was a very safe airplane, even if the perception was sometimes different. Read about some of my experiences flying the F-104 here.

F-16 Fighting Falcon

CO Alex Peelaers congratulates me after my first solo on F-16A (tail number FA-61)

July 8th, 1983

Second operational tour: 31 "Tiger" Squadron in Kleine Brogel

General Dynamics F-16A

1983-1984

160 flying hours

Helicopters: a whole new ballgame

Unfortunately, medical reasons brought my fighter pilot career to a halt. I had to choose between transport or helicopter. The latter became my choice for the simple reason that the location would give me better aeromodelling opportunities...

Initial helicopter training on Sikorsky HSS-1

From the most modern jet in the inventory to the oldest aircraft...

40 Squadron Search and Rescue (SAR)

1984-1985

75 flying hours / first "solo" flight: November 14th, 1984

I'm stepping down from the cockpit after my first "solo" flight...

...and being congratulated by fellow pilots Dirk Kerkhof and Patrick Eggermont

Westland Sea King SAR helicopter

1985-2003

3200 flying hours / first "solo" flight: March 18th, 1985

Read about some of my experiences while flying the Sea King here.

The only time I didn't land with the airplane I took off with...

AFF jump from a Sea King above Koksijde

Farewell party and last flight 22-24 October 2003

Tour through the city of Koksijde with the squadron fellows...

...and lots of smoke and flares!

Statistics

Photo session before the last flight

One more flypast...

...and my last landing as a Belgian Air Force pilot!

(anecdotic note: the same day and at about the same time, the last official Concorde flight was landing at London Heathrow...)

A well deserved beer at the conclusion of my Air Force career

presented by CO Erwin Deolet

Many years later: nostalgic ride in an SV-4b in 2014, read more

76B prom gathering in Spain

On October 18th, 2026, so exactly on the 50th anniversary of our first day in the Belgian Air Force, we held a memorable prom gathering, hosted by Roger Uytterhaegen and his wife Françoise and daughter Natacha at their premises in Spain. We are ever so grateful for all their efforts granting us these fine moments! Below are two photographs of this wonderful event.

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