1996 – 2019 – … Flying!

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Flying experiences…
On this page I kept track of some of my most significant experiences in the air (other than airline travel) and provide information on the planes I’ve had the pleasure to fly…

As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to fly aeroplanes…
One of the first opportunities was a 12 minute tour above Loosdrecht around 1969…. After that, apart from being an airline passenger, things got to a standstill, although I was present at a lot of air shows, and visited museums and airports as ‘spotter’… Things accelerated in 1997, thanks to a lot of people, but especially Wouter. He enabled me to get a significant amount of ‘unregistered’ flying time in Cessna 172’s, both in the Netherlands, and in the USA. After a lot exams (11 in total, 9 of which theoretical and 2 practice), medical examinations, excursions and training flights, I obtained my (national) flying license June 2003 and my PPL (international) license in August 2004.

Science, freedom, beauty, adventure,
What more can you ask of life.
Aviation combines all these elements we love…

Charles A. Lindbergh

2019 onward… no more flying? No way, although the main focus now is virtual flying, with or without VR. At home, honing my skills and testing General Aviation airframes and Airliners too. Primarily using MSFS 2020, 2024 and X-Plane 12
Flying the B737-800, the DA40NG and ‘jetfighters’ with visitors in the Aviodrome…
I enjoy supporting and guiding people (professionally) interested in aviation as well. Hence volunteering at simcoach.nl and sometimes lending a hand at simflying.nl. I’m being kept busy with keeping the (VR) simulators running too. Facilitating all kind of business and for-fun scenarios.

9 October 2012 The PH-MRB was replaced by the D-EDMJ, brief introduction flight with Wesley to learn about the differences and experience the increased performance of a constant speed propeller! Some basic aerobatics and a great hammerhead!
20 February 2013 While the (hopefully) last snow is melting another first…
Registration wise only…
Already familiar with the Diamond DA40D with ‘glass cockpit'(G1000)
16 February 2019 With many thanks to Guillaume another ‘first’ in an Ultravia Pélican (Experimental)
A nice winter flight in the sunshine; EHHV – EHSE – EHHV… Slow flying fun!


11 August 2012…

I thought I knew what aerobatics was all about until I had a (training) flight (bi-annual) in the PH-PGP.

A Pitts Special S2… at Wings over Holland…

Thanks Sebo!
28 July 2012 Another great ‘first’; flying the legendary Antonov AN-2 from Teuge (EHTE) to the Texel Airport Airshow 2012 (EHTX). The plane is kept in flying condition by Classic Wings
Many thanks Jeroen and Gerrit!
4 February 2012: following a beautiful flight with Marion and Shelley over ‘snowy and icy Holland’ we were ‘spotted’ by Berend Jan Floor www.AirOnline.nl
An almost flying experience… On Saturday 4 September 2010 I enjoyed the privilege to climb into the cockpit of the PH-BLE, a beautiful flying replica of the Bleriot XI.
‘Aviator’  Henk van Hoorn gave me an explanation of this aeroplane and subsequently I was even allowed to start the Lenape Papoose engine and play around with the gas handle.

Henk crossed the Channel in this aeroplane from Bleriot Plage to Dover on 21 May 2010, to commemorate the same journey in this type aeroplane by Jacques de Lesseps in 2010.

Allthough these pictores are taken on the grounds of the Aviodrome (Lelystad, NL) the PH-BLE is maintained in the hangars of the Stichting Vroege Vogels (Early Birds Foundation).
My favorite cockpit!
Another 2 years passed, many DA20 and DA40D hours later… Time again for the bi-annual checkride… Decided on a spin demo with the General Avia F22 B PH-MRB. Big mistake… pilot license renewed, c/o for yet another type of plane (F22, how does that sound!) and a week later I was following a basic aerobatics training by CFI Wesley.



Many great hours in the DA40D
Successful ‘check – out’ by Patrick van ‘t Foort in the Diamond DA40-TDI
with a ‘glass cockpit’ (G1000 in
PH-TDG), May 3, 2008 (photo: Diamondair)
In the PH-DAI (Diamond Star DA40 D) and the
PH-TDG below (after the G1000 checkride 3 May 2008).
Photo: Bert Visser; click on the picture for a full size photograph)
Biannual check(training)flight 16 August 2008 providing me to fly the General Avia F22 B PH-MRB with Sebo…
Followed by a ride in the left seat to the fuel station in the PH-DUK (Cessna 185 Skywagon). Impressive hight!
9 December 2007; unexpected pleasure to join owner and pilot Thies S. for an hour in his impressive Max Holste 1521 C1 ‘Broussard’ F-BNEX .

Successful ‘type-check’ in the Diamond DA40-TDI (PH-TDI, PH-CAE, OE-KPM etc.), July 30, 2005 (photo’s; Marc Boon)

My faithful sponsor!
Successful ‘type-check’ in the Cessna 172, March 9, 2004 (I was already quite familiar with the C172; thanks Wouter)
Los komen van de grond is los komen van je beslommeringen. Overzien waarvan je dacht dat het niet te overzien was. Alles in vakjes verdeeld tot een groot geheel. Alles past precies in elkaar. Wat maak je je druk. Het komt best voor elkaar. Meegenomen in een vlucht die je open en licht maakt. Zo vrij, vrij in de lucht gedragen worden en gewiegd. Tot in je binnenste geraakt, dat gevoel als je vliegt. In zo’n superklein vliegtuig die tot grote hoogte kan stijgen. Ja, als een vogel, een vogel zo vrij. Niet genoeg van te krijgen!” Mariette van den Boogaard, december 2004
On my own, with or without passengers, as from July, 2003 (photo: Yorick)
First solo, July 2, 2001
The flight-training put me in the ‘left seat’ in the HOAC/Diamond Katana DV20; PH-USJ , PH-USI and PH-USH
Owned by Wings over Holland, the company managed by the famous pilot Bert Huizenga. My flight instructor was Ron Handgraaf.

Another great experience! June 10 2006, together with Marion in the PH-PHY, with 2 splash & go’s south of Urk; have a look at the website of a great team that’s enabling people to enjoy this great experience and keep history alive and flying!

July 18, 2003: With Ron and Marion to Germany in a C172: PH-LFA, roundtrip: EHLE-EDWR (Borkum) -EDWL (Langeoog)-EHLE
Final EHHV
PH-853 cockpit
Final EHLE
July 13, 2003, a beautiful Sunday, ‘strolling through the air’ from EHVB (Valkenburg), to EHHV (Hilversum), EHLE (Lelystad) and back to EHVB in the PH-853 with Frank Philips.

Pictures above: January 9, 2003: After waiting for almost 2 (winter) months for suitable weather I finished my ‘long overland (triangle, > 270 km)’. 
A fantastic winter-flight. EHLE-EHTX (Texel) -EHHO (Hoogeveen) -EHLE

Opportunity to ride in the backseat of the DV40 again, joining Wouter and Bert on January 8, 2003

The
Rotax engine
The ‘office’
The magnificent view from the cockpit.

October 12 up to and including October 20, 2002: another great week on the East – Coast of the USA. Together with Wouter again, over 20 hours in the excellently equipped Cessna 172SP, N645PD, experiencing VFR, IFR and night VFR… And… a first helicopter-ride over Disney from Kissimmee (near Orlando) in the backseat of N206RV,  a Bell 206B.

October 16, 2001: what to do if all Katana’s are grounded? Just enjoy a great lesson in a classic Piper PA18-150 Super Cub.
This old-timer was build in 1954 but is in great shape. Challenging and fun to fly!
January 8, 2002: after my regular instruction flight in the Katana, an opportunity to join Ron Handgraaf and Eric Maassen in the brand-new DA-40. With it’s impressive state-of-the-art avionics, beautiful and spacious cabin and fantastic view from all positions insight. And it seems to handle fine too, well we’ll find out later on…
October 13, 2001, great ride in a DC3 PH-DDZ; EHAM, Alphen a/d Rijn, Renswoude and back, joined by Yorick
I’ve been up and down London with the commercial variant as well, but the seating is not exactly the same… 
Another great ride! Thanks to the society ‘
Onze Luchtmacht’, June 26th 2002 I went on a ride with a KLu Fokker F60. Starting from Eindhoven, via Den Bosch, Dordrecht and the Moerdijk back to Eindhoven again. 
On ‘Hemelvaartsdag’ May 9, 2002 Frank Philips offers Marion and me a ride from the best glider location in the Netherlands; Terlet near Arnhem.We rode the PH-457, a Schleicher ASK-13, build in 1973 owned by the
Zuidhollandse Vliegclub. 
Scheibe Motorfalke SF-25 C PH- 853 (archive picture)
On a clear summer evening, May 11, 2001, 55 minutes with Jan Brouwer (PIC) in the PH-853 over the coast in the Scheveningen/Noordwijk area from the Navy airport Valkenburg (EHVB)
Alexander Schleicher Kaiser AS-K21 PH-759 
Followed by 20 minutes with Christian van Musscher (PIC) after a ‘lierstart’ in the PH-759.
Thanks to Frank Philips and the
‘Zuidhollandse Vliegclub’
Joining Wouter and his guests, many hours cross country flying through the Netherlands in the Cessna 172 (PH-JBB). Thanks Wouter!
October/November 1998, New Jersey, NY etc. first of 3 flying-trips with Wouter to the USA; details per trip on this website as well.
October 28, 1998. In the jump seat of the Cessna 414 N9NM from the private strip of Inductotherm Rancocas to Glenns Falls (NY) and back., close to the Canadian border. A genuine IFR flight…
In 1995 a ride in the
Piper Cadet PA-28  (PH-LED) of
‘Vliegclub Flevo’ with Frans Breusker in the company of Yorick.
On April 14, 2001 I had
instruction flight with Henk Ceulemans in a sister – plane: the PH-VFA.
November 1989, a hot air balloon ride with Erik Bosman,
1 hour and 24 minutes from Amersfoort to Hilversum.

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