About

Soesterberg Air Base was a Royal Netherlands Air Force Base located in Huis ter Heide, 10km (7 miles) eastnortheast of Utrecht. It was first established as an airfield in 1911, and in 1913 the Dutch Army bought the field and established the Army Aviation Division.

For almost 40 years, United States Air Force facilities at Soesterberg, named Camp New Amsterdam was a major front line USAFE airbase during the Cold War. The base is closed on 31st of December 2008 due to budget cuts in the Dutch Army. The airbase ceased flying operations on November 12 2008 when the command was transferred from the Dutch Air Force to Dutch Defense who will take care of the base until it will be given back to nature.The last fighter ever to depart, delayed due bad weather at Aviano AB was an Greek F-4E. The former USAFE part stays in military hands and will be called Camp New Amsterdam. This name was also used in the USAFE time.

History

During World War I, the Netherlands was a neutral country and flew border patrol missions from Soesterberg airfield. The Dutch confiscated all foreign aircraft landing inside the borders of their country during the war and added the operational ones to their inventory to be used for pilot training at Soesterberg.

At the beginning of World War II, the Dutch again declared neutrality but the German force's blitzkrieg overran the country in 5 days and Soesterberg was occupied by the German Luftwaffe on 15 May 1940. A variety of German aircraft was stationed there during the war, flying anti-shipping missions along British convoy routes in the North Sea, bombing missions over England, and fighter defense against Allied bombing missions. Throughout the war, Allied Air Forces caused enormous damage to the airfield and by September 1944 the Luftwaffe acknowledged Soesterberg airfield to be more or less useless.

In May 1945, Canadian forces liberated the airfield. After the War an extensive Dutch construction program was started to build, new hangars, extending the runways and several locations around the base, used as service areas during the War, were upgraded. On 5 August 1951 the RNLAF declared it operational and gave it an air defense mission. The Royal Netherlands Air Force has maintained flying units at Soesterberg since then.

On the base two monuments were erected. The monument for Fallen Aviators (Monument voor Gevallen Vliegers) is the official Royal Netherlands Air Force Memorial and located near the main entrance of the base. On Memorial Day, 4 May the Royal Netherlands Air Force holds a ceremony to remember and commemorate the fallen of World War II.

The other at the base is the monument for Executed Resistance Fighters. It is the symbol for the sacrifice that 33 resistance fighters gave for freedom. Every year on 19 November there is a memorial service. During World War II the German Army (Wehrmacht) secretly executed the 33 resistance fighters in the woods of the base. The resistance fighters were part of several resistance groups and most of them were caught due to betrayal. Although the execution was held in secret there were rumors about it, and after the War the base was minutely searched. The grave, camouflaged by buried trees, was located by Major A. Siedenburg. His son was one of the victims.

In 1954 the Dutch government agreed to the stationing of a US Air Force fighter squadron to augment air defense. The USAF forces operated from a part of Soesterberg Air Base which was named Camp New Amsterdam, in honor of the first Dutch settlement in America, Nieuw Amsterdam, later renamed New York City.

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General Info
Country	Netherlands
ICAO ID	EHSB
Time	UTC+1(+2DT)
Latitude	52.127306 52° 07' 38.30" N
Longitude	5.276194 005° 16' 34.30" E
Elevation	66 feet 20 meters
Type	Military
Magnetic Variation	000° W (01/06)
Operating Agency	MILITARY
Alternate Name	UTRECHT
Near City	Utrecht
Operating Hours	SEE REMARKS FOR OPERATING HOURS OR COMMUNICATIONS FOR POSSIBLE HOURS
International Clearance Status	Airport of Entry
Daylight Saving Time	Last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October

Communications
TWR Opr HO, OT ctc Dutch Mil Info 132.35	129.925 341.575 257.8
APP	373.425
RAPCON WEST	123.575 375.875

Runways
ID	Dimensions	Surface	PCN	ILS
09/27	10089 x 148 feet 3075 x 45 meters	ASPHALT	-	YES

Navaids
Type	ID	Name	Channel	Freq	Distance From Field	Bearing From Navaid
TACAN	SSB	SOESTERBERG	105X	-	At Field	-

Supplies/Equipment
Fuel	Jet B, Wide cut turbine fuel, Without icing inhibitor.
Oil	O-148, MIL L 7808 (Synthetic Base), Turboprop/Turboshaft Engine O-149, Aircraft Turbine Engine Synthetic 7.5c St
Other Fluids	LHOX, Low and high pressure oxygen servicing LOX, Liquid oxygen servicing OX, Indicates oxygen servicing when type of servicing is unknown
JASU	DSA 150 28v DC 25 amp, 115/208v AC 15kva 400hz 3 phase 4 wire

Remarks
CAUTION	Tree growth sur afld to incl final apch to Rwy 09. Wx balloons released 3 NM W of afld ev 6 hr beginning at 0000Z.
FUEL	Avbl 24 hr PN. A1+
JASU	2(DSA 150); (DSA 600);(JAS).
MISC	Gldr act Sat, Sun and hol SR-SS. Base OPS C034633-6523.
OIL	0-148-149
OPR HOURS	Opr 0700-1545Z++ Mon-Fri.
RSTD	PPR. Req PPR fr OPS Coord Cntr (OCC), fone C034633-8985, fax C034633-8989.
TFC PAT	All VFR jet ftr tfc should enter tfc at pt ALPHA, 180 7 NM SSB TACAN. Apch pt ALPHA on a N hdg, Wg level at 2000'. Rpt to Soesterberg Twr over pt ALPHA.
TRAN ALERT	Opr 0700-1500Z++ Mon-Fri. Ltd tran prk. Drct inquiries for svc and PPR to OPS Coord Cntr C034633-8985.

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