Viper Varewell at Leeuwarden AB, The Netherlands

VIPER VAREWELL

AT LEEUWARDEN AB

VIPER VAREWELL

AT LEEUWARDEN AB

REPORT AND IMAGES BY JORIS VAN BOVEN AND ALEX VAN NOYE

ƒ xxxx ƒ xxx Of the four F-16s painted in the original 1980's colors, ƒ letzte zeile this aircraft had a specially painted tail: the dragon, which is the symbol of Leeuwarden AB.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) air base Leeuwarden said goodbye to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, also nicknamed "Viper". Originally scheduled for 1 July 2021, the flyout was delayed due to a crash of a Belgian Air Force F-16 at Leeuwarden AB during the Weapon Instructor Course (WIC). On 5 July, the RNLAF F-16s finally left Leeuwarden AB after 42 years at this Frisian air base. In 1997, Leeuwarden was the first air base of the Royal Netherlands Air Force to receive the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The 322 Squadron was the first unit to operate this type of aircraft and is now the RNLAF's first unit in the Air Force to replace the F-16 with the F-35A Lightning II. This is a huge milestone for the Air Force, as the F-16 was the backbone of the Royal Netherlands Air Force for many years. As part of an international coalition, the F-16 were engaged in many conflicts auch as those in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. For the "F-16 Fly-Out" or "Viper Varewell", the

unit painted four aircraft in the original colors of the Frisian airbase from the 1980s. Three of which had the original Frisian markings of the based squadrons. These aircraft are the J-509 with the full color badge of 322 Squadron nicknamed "Polly", the J-144 with the full color badge of 323 Squadron nicknamed "Diana", and finally, the J-201 with the full color badge of the Transition and Conversion Department (TCA). The fourth aircraft, the J-871, carries the dragon on the tail, which is the symbol of Leeuwarden AB. After the aircraft left Leeuwarden for the last time after 42 years, the F-16s landed at their new home base Volkel AB in the south of the Netherlands. Before this landing took place, the four F-16s made a tour along to almost all Dutch military airfields to say goodbye to the Leeuwarden F-16s. The last F-16 flights are planned for 2024 when Volkel will also have its "Viper Varewell", and the F-16 at the Royal Netherlands Air Force will come to a definitive end.

This F-16 carries the badge of 323 Squadron nicknamed "Diana".

F-16 with the Transition and Conversion Department (TCA) badge.

This F-16 carries the badge of 322 Squadron nicknamed "Polly".