Belgian Air Force Days 2026

The Belgian Air Force Days took place at Florennes Air Base in Belgium on 27 and 28 June 2026, marking the 80th anniversary of the Belgian Air Force. I attended the Spotters Day on Friday, 26 June, which was the rehearsal and arrivals day, and returned on Sunday to shoot from outside the base to the north.

The conditions. Friday landed on the hottest day of a European heat wave, hitting 37°C. Despite the forecast being well known in advance, the organization struggled to cope. Only three buses shuttled a crowd of several thousand from the parking area to the spotting pen, which created long waits. The promised bottle of water at entry never materialized, and when water did arrive a couple of hours in, there wasn't enough to go around, so many people likely got none at all. There was almost no shade, and a single food truck served the entire crowd. At €50 for a ticket, the lack of basic facilities was hard to reconcile. Spotters are used to a lot of waiting, but on a day like that the thin provisions were a real problem, and hopefully a lesson for next time.

The flying. The organizational gripes aside, the aircraft made the day worthwhile. The undisputed highlight was the French Air Force Rafale Display Team, who spotted the spotters and set up mock attacks on our position. They were close, loud, and agile, staying tight within what looked like the base perimeter. Their support crew flew in aboard a smart-looking Embraer EMB 121 Xingu.

The Hellenic Air Force F-4E Phantom II was the personal favorite, "old smokey," with in-your-face burners on a day that hardly needed more heat. Fellow forum member roelreijne also caught the arriving Greek F-4s, and noted how accommodating the Greek aircrew were with fans. Other demo highlights included the Swedish Air Force Saab Gripen and the Hellenic Air Force F-16V, impressive if a touch conservative with the new jet, plus a Dutch F-35 arrival.

Warbirds were well represented: a TF-51D Mustang "Miss Ava" that gave a great display late in the day, an immaculate Beechcraft, and an A-4 Skyhawk ("Scooter") that alone made the ordeal worth it. Belgian hardware on show included a 31 Squadron F-16 "Tiger" Viper with a special anniversary tail, and a pair of Agusta A-109BA helicopters heading for the static, soon to be replaced by the Airbus H145M, one of which also flew in. Arrivals rounded out with a Panavia Tornado ("Tonka") in a hurry and a nicely flown Czech Air Force C-295 pass.

A standout moment came Friday evening. After giving up on the bus queue, we watched several F-16s, an F-35 and a Spitfire take off for unique formation passes commemorating the Belgian Air Force's 80th anniversary.

Sunday from outside. On Sunday I skipped the pen and stood north of the base, a tip from roelreijne, where the performers flew all around under grey, iffy light. It was a fun, more relaxed perspective with friendly fellow photographers, and the Phantom again stole the show.

Photography note. This was my first real outing with the Canon R7 and the 200-800mm, a great combination I'm still learning. I struggled early, especially getting clean angles on the Gripen demo, but it came together as the day went on. More practice needed, but a good day out.

Bottom line: a superb lineup of aircraft, including the Rafale, Phantoms, Skyhawk, Gripen, warbirds and an anniversary formation, let down by heat and thin organization on the Friday. Well worth attending, just come prepared for the conditions.