The Chinook fleet of the Royal Netherlands Air Force stands for a few busy weeks. This Monday, two of these transport helicopters are participating in low-flying exercises above, among others, Central and Southeast Brabant. The Ministry of Defense warns against nuisance.
Two other Chinooks, from the Gilze-Rijen airbase, will be deployed from Tuesday to combat natural fires in northwestern Spain. These devices are equipped with water bags. With these so -called Bambi Buckets, around 8000 liters of water can be dropped per flight.
Low -altitude
The exercises in their own country are done by two Chinooks, which have a flight base in Gelderland, as a base. Focus 298, as these training sessions are called, last every day from nine in the morning to half past five in the afternoon. The training sessions will take place this and the coming week from Monday to Friday.
An important part of the training is flying at a low altitude. By flying low, helicopters can better protect themselves against threat from outside during a mission, says Defense. In a low -flying area, helicopters to, as Defense expresses it, may fly to the thrust height. This means that we do not continue to flown continuously, but that extra noise nuisance must be taken into account.
The Chinooks will fly above the southeast of our country and will spare residential areas as much as possible.
Commitment to large fires
The use of two Chinooks to tackle natural fires is done at the request of Spain. They will be used until 1 September. The devices are accompanied by around sixty soldiers from the Defense Helicopter Command, they will be temporarily stationed near León. The deployment also receives support from advisers from the North and East Gelderland Safety Region, which often come into action in large fires, at home and abroad.
Due to a persistent heat wave with temperatures of up to 44 degrees, a strong wind and an extreme drought, large natural fires have been created in several regions in Spain. The national weather service has released red alarm. This year, more than 150,000 hectares of nature have already been burned: almost double the annual average. Spain itself uses large -scale resources and extinguishing aircraft, but because of the size of the fires, international support has been requested.
One Chinook transport helicopter stays behind at Gilze-Rijen Air Base to be used in your own country for large fires.