Low Flying Area 5, Oirschotse Heide, 2017

Helicopters at the Oirschotse Heide; Text and Photograph's by Alex van Noye

This year the Oirschotse Heide was again visited a number of times. Usually this location provides spectacular photos of the Dutch helicopters of the DHC. Early in the year an Apache appeared in front of the lens. In February, a single Chinook from Gilze-Rijen came in front of the lens during several practice landings. During this period it was quiet on the heath due to a number of other major exercises. The best photos were taken in August when the heath was in full bloom. The moorland is then beautifully purple colored on the photos. An Apache of the no 301 Squadron was intensively training at that moment and it used the present photographers as targets for his exercise.