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Karo-Aviation
visit's the GLV-V near Oirschot
Article and pictures by Ronald de Roij
GLV stands for Gebied Laag Vliegen (Area Low Flying). In The Netherlands
there are eight low level flying areas for helicopters designated GLV I
to VIII. All areas are used, but the GLV V is the most frequently used.
On almost daily bases you can see here one or more helicopters on
exercise.
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The fastest way for a Chinook to deliver bulk supplies is as underslung loads |
The Oirschotse Heide is a large
training area used by the Dutch Ministry of Defence just north of
Eindhoven Airbase and next to the Generaal-Majoor De Ruyter van
Steveninck Kazerne.
It is used by both the army and the air force the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherlands Air Force) uses the GLV-V
to train helicopter crews.
Apaches, Chinooks and Cougars of nearby Gilze-Rijen Airbase on a
very regular base, where they either practice alone, with multiple
helicopters, or together with ground forces.
The terrain offers various
options to practice landings in confined spaces, brown-out landings, or
terrain masking techniques.
The area consists of woodlands, heath and sand plains, which offer a
good training ground for both land- and air forces. A unique feature of
this area is also that it is freely accessible for the public.
There are no fences and you can freely walk around, as long as you
stick to the rules mentioned at the entrances.
The sandy environment of
the Oirschotse Heide gives pilots a realistic training opportunity for
brown outs as encountered on missions regularly.
On this page is a small selection of the action recorded so
far in 2020.
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A CH-47F of the Royal Netherlands air force during the sunset
at GLV-V. |
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