This Saturday April 20th, 2014, Beauvechain's
1st Wing Historical Center (1WHC) unveiled an exhibition commemorating the
arrival of the first Lockheed F-104 G Starfighter at what was then the 1st
Fighter Wing of the Belgian Air Force.
In his opening address, the President of the
“Golden Falcon” stressed the importance of this event in the history of the air
base. Colonel (ret.) Georges Castermans, one of the most famous Belgian
Starfighter pilots explained the significant step in technology the F-104 G
represented. At that time, the Belgian Air Force was transitioning from the
classic Hawker Hunter, to the most advanced supersonic fighter in the west.
A photo exhibition about the Starfighter was
inaugurated by the Belgian Chief of Defence, General Gerard Van Caelenberg and
the Dany Van de Ven, President of the 1WHC.
Family members of Lieutenant-Colonel 'Steve'
Cailleau, who delivered the first Starfighter in Beauvechain on April 18th,
1964 unveiled a plaque near the Museum's entrance
The
first Starfighter to arrive in Beauvechain was the FX-04, now splendidly
preserved as a gate guardian near the entrance of the Museum after a rich
career in the Belgian Air Force. To remember the 50th anniversary of the
arrival the “missile with a man in it” was decorated with a special crest
The exhibition is open
to the public for the coming months. Website of the Museum : http://musee.1wing.free.fr/
First Wing Historical Centre Base Charles ROMAN
1Wing B-1320 BEAUVECHAIN
Open on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of'each month between 13.30 and 18.00 hr. Also open by appointment, call 0032.10.68.22.02. Admission is free.
The 1WHC was founded by "The Golden Falcon" an association of former Beauvechain Airmen.
