Celebration Starfighter 50 Years in Belgium

In April 1963, the Lockheed Martin F-104 Starfighter arrived for the first time in Belgium to serve as Belgium’s primary fighter. 50 years later, we celibrated this event with the airforce, the veteran pilots and a bunch of pure airplane lovers.

Location of the celibration was a very cute airforce museum in Beauvechain: the 1st Wing Historical Center. This museum is very much worth the detour and the visit, both the inside and the static outside. The museum features almost all aircraft that flew for the Belgian airforce, and much of its tales can be found inside the wall of the old historic farmhouse around which the Beauvechain airbase (EBBE) was constructed.

Painting of StarfighterGod created Aircraft Mechanics so that pilots can have heroes too

The celibration started with speeches about the illustrious F-104 “rocket with stubby wings”, the unveiling of a dedicated placard and a brass band. Belgian’s Chief of Defense even took a seat in a restored model to reminiscend old times in this venerable platform.

Belgian CHOD in F104 StarfighterPlaque to remember 50th birthday

The gatekeeper of this airbase, the FX04 Starfighter, got adorned with a dedicated sticker indicating its 50th birthday in Belgium.

50th birthday50 years Starfighter in Belgium

The museum outside is very very interesting. It oozes Cold War and old times !

Old Ford truckOld routeboardFollow-me Volkswagen

Old airplanes are intermixed with very interesting other artefacts, all freely touchable, smellable and adorable.

Mig-21Rocket !

Mig-21, Mirage 5, Republic F-84 Thunderjet, Gloster Meteor, and the still operational F-16.

Mirage 5RF84

Gloster MeteorF16

In one of the many sidebuilding you find a Stampe Vertongen SV-4, and a Alouette helicopter.

SV4Alouette

Worth the detour when you are near Beauvechain !

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *