What is an airshow which aims to present both modern and historic aviation without a proper D-Day veteran? Thanks to the Dutch Royal Air Force Historical Flight, you can see living history in action at the International Sanicole Airshow during the weekend of 13 & 14 September with their magnificent Spitfire MkIX.
The KLuHV Spitfire dates back to 1943 and fought during D-day. After World War II, this Spitfire joined the Dutch 322 Fighter Aircraft Division (322 JaVA) in Indonesia and returned to the Netherlands in 1951. The Spitfire MkIX is perhaps the best-known variant of this legendary fighter. With its beautiful elliptical wing and the wonderfully roaring sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, a demo of this Spitfire guarantees an unforgettable experience.
The Spitfire of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Historic Flight is an actual D-Day Veteran, taking part in the air war on 6 June 1944. This is also a great opportunity to pay tribute to the women who flew with the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War, a civilian organization in the United Kingdom that was crucial for ferrying military aircraft between factories, maintenance units, and Royal Air Force (RAF) airfields. This freed up male pilots for combat duties. This means that while women were not allowed to fly in combat in those days, they still played an important role.
The Royal Air Force Historical Flight has an extensive fleet of aircraft that are part of the Dutch heritage, and many of their aircraft are still in airworthy condition. They are based at Gilze-Rijen airbase in the Dutch province of North Brabant.
Don't miss this wonderful piece of Dutch air force history, which formed the basis for the modern Dutch Royal Air Force.
