Namur-Temploux: The never ending battle between preservation and vandalism
The local
flying club at Namur-Temploux inaugurated some ten years ago a memorial
for the Belgian Air Force pilots who lost their life on the Republic F-84F
Thunderstreak and RF-84F Thunderflash between 1955 and 1972. It consists
of a commemorative stone and two immaculately restored aircraft.
Thunderstreak FU-51 (s/n 52-7215) served with the 2nd Tactical Wing of the
Belgian Air Force from 1956 till 1971. Thunderflash FR-30 (s/n 51-17015)
was with the 42nd Reconnaissance Squadron of the 3rd Tactical Wing between
1963 and 1971.
A few
years ago, however, these aircraft fell victim to vandalism in the form of
stolen panels, a wrecked rudder and lots of graffiti. Out of respect for
the fallen pilots, the manager of the clubhouse repainted both aircraft in
their original colour scheme .
To deter
young hooligans to repeat such acts of vandalism, a warning is placed in
front of the exhibits that every damage inflicted to the monument will be
prosecuted by all possible legal means. It is worrying that such
historical aircraft, which are publicly displayed as a sign of respect for
their history and for the men who flew them, are in recent years loosing
more and more the battle against deep disrespect and unbridled vandalism.
The last remaining
Belgian Mirage VB preserved at Spa – La Sauvenière
When the
Belgian Air Force withdrew the Dassault Mirage VBA from use in the early
1990s all aircraft were placed in storage at the barracks of Weelde
reserve airbase. Subsequently, 25 airworthy aircraft were sold to the
Fuerza Aérea de Chile, while the remaining airframes went to the
specialised French company SAGEM for valorisation as spare parts. Only a
handful of aircraft were preserved in Belgium.
A number
of ground attack aircraft went on display (BA-15 in the Air and Space Museum in
Brussels) or were transformed into monuments (BA-22 in the Florennes
barracks and BA-26 at the Armed Forces Headquarters in Evere).
Two
reconnaissance aircraft
are
preserved (BR-10
at
the 1 Wing Historical Centre in Beauvechain
and
BR-04
at
the Lallemant
Memorial in Florennes). No complete twin seat trainer aircraft remained in
Belgium. The Royal Technical School at Saffraanberg disposes of BA-03 and
BA-17 as instructional airframes, while the Air and Space Museum stores a
number of incomplete aircraft or aircraft parts in its reserve at Vissenaken (BA-16, BA-45, BA-51, BA-55 and BD-13).
The final
aircraft in storage at Weelde was Mirage VBA BA-30. Late in the month of
June it was transferred to the civil airfield of Spa – La Sauvenière,
where it joined the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash FR-27, which was
officially inaugurated there as a monument on 3 August 1996. At present
the new display is still lacking a number of parts like the air intake
cones, the auxiliary air intake doors, the upper part of the rudder, the
Doppler antenna cover under the nose and some access panels. After the
summer holidays the aircraft will be completed with parts taken from
aircraft stored at the Vissenaken reserve of the Air and Space Museum
BA-30 (c/n 030) entered service with the Belgian Air Force on 7 February
1972. It flew with the No. 2 and 3 Tactical Wings at Florennes and Bierset
airbases respectively. The aircraft was damaged when it left the runway
during landing on 9 July 1991 following a brake malfunction. As the type
was then already destined to be phased out, the aircraft was not repaired.
Due to its landing mishap, it was also not suitable for sale.
µ
©
Text and pictures by
Jos Schoofs
(September 2005)
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