Gilze-Rijen Air Base (Dutch: Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen, IATA: GLZ, ICAO: EHGR) is a military airbase in the south Netherlands. It is located between the cities of Breda and Tilburg, both in North Brabant. The airport is mainly, but not exclusively used as a base for attack helicopters. The airfield has two runways, the longest, complete with instrument landing system (ILS) is 2,779 metres (9,117 ft) long by 45 m (148 ft) wide in the 10/28 direction. The shorter runway (without ILS) is 1,996 m (6,549 ft) by 30 m (98 ft) in the 02/20 direction.

Gilze-Rijen Air Base Vliegbasis Gilze-Rijen (Advanced Landing Ground B-77)
Antonov An-124 being loaded at Gilze-Rijen in 2005
IATA: GLZ ICAO: EHGR
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Military of the Netherlands
Operator	Royal Netherlands Air Force(RNLAF) Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu)
Location	Gilze en Rijen, Netherlands
Built	1910
Elevation AMSL	15 m / 49 ft
Coordinates	51°34′02″N 004°55′54″E
Website	www.luchtmacht.nl/gilzerijen/
Map
EHGR Location of Gilze-Rijen Air Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 10/28 2,779 9,117 Asphalt 02/20 1,996 6,549 Asphalt

History

Gilze-Rijen Air Base is one of the oldest airfields in the Netherlands, the first aircraft to have landed there being a Blériotin 1910. The first military aircraft activity dates back to 1913, when a Farman aircraft used the field for military exercises which established it as a military airfield.

Gilze-Rijen Air Base.

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak as a gateguard at Gilze-Rijen Air Base.

In 1940, the airfield came under heavy attack from the German Luftwaffe, who later took control of the base and expanded it for their own use. While in German hands during the Second World War, the field came under frequent attack from allied forces until the liberation of the south of the Netherlands, after which the Royal Air Force took control of the airfield.

In 1946, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) resumed operations from the airfield, using it as a training base for pilots and air traffic controllers. In 1962, training activity was suspended, and Gilze-Rijen was reduced to a reserve base for bomber aircraft. Training activity was resumed in 1967. In 1971, the training activity was suspended again when a fighter squadron was moved to the airfield, which also included a significant upgrade of airport facilities. Initially the Northrop NF-5A/B, and later its replacement, the General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, were operated from the base up until 1995. It has 30 Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS).

In 1995, as a part of a large scale reorganisation within the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the fighter aircraft were moved from Gilze-Rijen, and instead the base became the home of Bolkow BO-105 helicopters. In 1998, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters followed, while the BO-105 helicopters were slowly being phased out.

In 2009, helicopter operations from Soesterberg Air Base were moved to Gilze-Rijen Air Base, which resulted in CH-47 Chinook and AS 532U2 Cougar Mk 2 helicopters being based at the airfield as well as the Alouette III for VIP transport, making Gilze-Rijen the main operating base for military helicopters in the Netherlands.

Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht

The Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht (Royal Air Force Historic Flight Foundation) is also located at Gilze-Rijen air base, owning and operating a collection of mainly historic military aircraft. The current fleet consists of the following aircraft:

• Auster Mk.III
• Beech T-7 Navigator
• Cessna 172P Skyhawk (for training purposes)
• de Havilland 82A Tiger Moth
• de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
• Fokker S-11 (4x)
• Noorduyn Harvard IIb (6x)
• North American B-25 Mitchell
• Piper Cub (6x)
• Ryan ST-M
• L-5 Stinson Sentinel
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

Units

• 298 Squadron CH-47D/F Chinook (includes Vlucht 5, 5 Flight, conducting special operations). Squadron was formed in 1950 at as the successor to 6 ARVA (6e Artillerie Verkennings Afdeling or 6th Artillery Reconnaissance Section), flying Austers. From 1968 it was at Soesterberg flying the SA 316.
• 299 Squadron (Training and Standards)
• 300 Squadron Eurocopter AS 532U2 Cougar Mk 2 and Aérospatiale Alouette III
• 301 Squadron AH-64D Apache
• 604 Reserve Squadron (partial)
• 670 Security Squadron
• 930 Maintenance Squadron
• 931 Support Squadron
• 932 Logistics Squadron

Gilze-Rijen Air Base.

The above content comes from Wikipedia and is published under free licenses – click here to read more.

* * *

General Info
Country	Netherlands
ICAO ID	EHGR
Time	UTC+1(+2DT)
Latitude	51.567389 51° 34' 02.60" N
Longitude	4.931833 004° 55' 54.60" E
Elevation	49 feet 15 meters
Type	Military
Magnetic Variation	000° W (01/06)
Operating Agency	MILITARY
Near City	Breda
Operating Hours	SEE REMARKS FOR OPERATING HOURS OR COMMUNICATIONS FOR POSSIBLE HOURS
Daylight Saving Time	Last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October

Communications
TWR Outside HO contact Dutch Mil Info 132.35.	125.325 369.5
GND Opr HO	234.925
RAPCON WEST	123.575 281.475

Runways
ID	Dimensions	Surface	PCN	ILS
02/20	6549 x 98 feet 1996 x 30 meters	ASPHALT	-	NO
10/28	9118 x 148 feet 2779 x 45 meters	ASPHALT	-	YES

Navaids
Type	ID	Name	Channel	Freq	Distance From Field	Bearing From Navaid
TACAN	GZR	GILZE RIJEN	111X	-	At Field	-

Supplies/Equipment
JASU	DSA 150 28v DC 25 amp, 115/208v AC 15kva 400hz 3 phase 4 wire ST-56 56kw 28v DC 700-1500 amp

Remarks
CSTMS/IMG	CSTMS avbl - 30 min PN.
FUEL	A1+, J8
JASU	1(DSA 150) 1( JAS) 1( ST-56)
MISC	Wx.
OPR HOURS	Opr 0700-1545Z++ Mon-Fri. PPR H24.
RSTD	Rwy 02-20 unfit for jet acft, no A-GEAR. F/W 72 hr PPR. Rwy 10 cable O/S.

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2018.
We don't guarantee the information is fresh and accurate. The data may be wrong or outdated.
For more up-to-date information please refer to other sources.