| Wilrijk |
Guy Van de Merckt Collection.
Wilrijk aerodrome during the first "heavier than air" meeting, called the "Luchtvaartweek", held between 23 October and 2 November 1909.
Guy Van de Merckt Collection.
Aerial view of the Wilrijk aerodrome taken at 12h00 on 24 June 1920 from a height of 1000 meters by the crew Adj. Holbrechts (pilot) and observer Lt.Hansenne.
Daniel Brackx Collection
One of Belgium's earliest airfields, Wilrijk has seen a lot of activity before and during the first world war. During the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games the airfield hosted another very famous airshow, but when a very heavy storm destroyed the main hangar and with it a good number of the Aviation Militaire Ansaldo A300's parked inside, the authorities decided to abandon the site and develop a new airfield at Deurne. Collaborative research-work by BAHA-members made it possible to identify these rare pictures.
Last updated 23/01/05 08:50 Daniel Brackx