TLP 2005-1 : the first week

[Vonsmalhausen]

Today it was the first mission, luckily i could leave work early, so i made it to Florennes for the departure.
To bad the taxiway along the fence is out of use for a couple of day's (weeks ?) due to problems with the tarmac so i had to wait for the arrivals to make good pics

you can find them from here on : tfp.fotopic.net/c395291_13.html
i like this one a lot tfp.fotopic.net/p10720426.html

[Vonsmalhausen]

Second week of TLP is already well advanced, most ( if not all ) missions have been cancelled this week due to bad weather today i left Florennes at about 13.10h., and no activity on the TLP apron ; so also today no mission
i saw just this visitor from Geilenkirchen making a trainingflight with 2 T/G's but weather was realy bad, with rain, wind and heavy clouds
B707-307C : LX-N19997
tfp.fotopic.net/p10956949.html

[Fabke]

Yesterday (20th) I took a free day but weather was that bad I didn't made the long trip to Florennes , I also received a mail today to tell me the spottersday of the 3rd February is fully booked so again no spottersday for me , when is the best moment to book a place? Or they tell me I'm to late or to I'm early

[Vonsmalhausen]

i'm sending my request the week proceeding the session, it gives me a reasonable rate off acceptence
i must say that with the new rules, people who have been denied entrance now, have priority for the next session, so you are well placed for the next session with the 6-8 F4's just enter your request a few day's before the beginning of session 2005-2, and you are in !!! ;D

[Fabke]

Vonsmalhausen said:

i'm sending my request the week proceeding the session, it gives me a reasonable rate off acceptence
i must say that with the new rules, people who have been denied entrance now, have priority for the next session, so you are well placed for the next session with the 6-8 F4's just enter your request a few day's before the beginning of session 2005-2, and you are in !!! ;D

Thanks mate , will give in another try next month in the hope I can get finally in , in the past I always was able to get in but the last TLP's it isn't possible due the high number of people who are interested in those superb spottersdays

[Flyboytjen]

Hmmmm,

So like I see it isn't very easy to go "in".
Maybe someone know some nice place around the base where U can take great shots?

FB

[Faan]

Ofcourse, depends on what runway is in use, I know the places, but can't describe ow to get there. I think Fabke & Vonsmalhousen can explain that.

[Vonsmalhausen]

hoy Flyboytjen, aldo it's not that difficult to find the spottingplaces at Florennes, it's not evident to explain how to get there
the main spot is rather easy to find ;
comming from Philippeville ore Dinant, you wil come to a roundabout with a F-84F on a pole, here you follow the markings to the TLP main entrance ( it's a white sign) when you arive at the entrance of the base : there's a "watertoren" on you're left, continiue for about 1 km., at the first crossroad ( with a friterie on you're righthand ) take LEFT and then you come to a "spitsing", there you can take eighter left ore right ;
if you take left : follow the road till you are in the fields, there you can take a little countryroad on the right ( not easy to see, so drive not to fast ) this will leed you right to the "spotterscorner" (this traject has the advantage to be in the right direction to park you're car on the side)
if you take right, you continiue till you pas a little cemetery on you're right, 30-50 meters further you wil have to make a sharp turn to the left, follow that road (it's the same as in the "left" option) and you will arrive at the spot , just follow the fence, and you wil have a good vieuw on the RWY and taxyway.
This is the place to be for T.O.'s on both 08 and certainly 26 and landing on 26 ( T.O. from 08 can't be spotted from the spots located there )
IF landing is on 08, i suggest you ask a "expirienced" spotter if you can follow him to the other spot(s), those are not that easy to explain here.
VERY IMPORTANT : respect the rules of spotting at Florennes:
park you're car so that traffic can pass easely ( the local farmers have to use this road a lot !!!!!! )
stay as close to the fence as possible, walk in one line !
don't leave garbage in the fields ore on the road !

most important site to find everything about Florennes, TLP and how to spot there is this one www.florennes-as.be/ , go to the "TLP Goodies" page, and you will find everyting you need to know.
another good site is this one tlp.scramble.nl/

hope this helps you, and see you there one day

[Fabke]

Vonsmalhausen said:

hoy Flyboytjen, aldo it's not that difficult to find the spottingplaces at Florennes, it's not evident to explain how to get there
the main spot is rather easy to find ;
comming from Philippeville ore Dinant, you wil come to a roundabout with a F-84F on a pole, here you follow the markings to the TLP main entrance ( it's a white sign) when you arive at the entrance of the base : there's a "watertoren" on you're left, continiue for about 1 km., at the first crossroad ( with a friterie on you're righthand ) take LEFT and then you come to a "spitsing", there you can take eighter left ore right ;
if you take left : follow the road till you are in the fields, there you can take a little countryroad on the right ( not easy to see, so drive not to fast ) this will leed you right to the "spotterscorner" (this traject has the advantage to be in the right direction to park you're car on the side)
if you take right, you continiue till you pas a little cemetery on you're right, 30-50 meters further you wil have to make a sharp turn to the left, follow that road (it's the same as in the "left" option) and you will arrive at the spot , just follow the fence, and you wil have a good vieuw on the RWY and taxyway.
This is the place to be for T.O.'s on both 08 and certainly 26 and landing on 26 ( T.O. from 08 can't be spotted from the spots located there )
IF landing is on 08, i suggest you ask a "expirienced" spotter if you can follow him to the other spot(s), those are not that easy to explain here.
VERY IMPORTANT : respect the rules of spotting at Florennes:
park you're car so that traffic can pass easely ( the local farmers have to use this road a lot !!!!!! )
stay as close to the fence as possible, walk in one line !
don't leave garbage in the fields ore on the road !

most important site to find everything about Florennes, TLP and how to spot there is this one www.florennes-as.be/ , go to the "TLP Goodies" page, and you will find everyting you need to know.
another good site is this one tlp.scramble.nl/

hope this helps you, and see you there one day

Well explained mate , for the other spot , you have to take left when you're at the roundabout with the F84 (coming from Philippeville) , drive about 1 kilometer and then take the small road on the right (sign Chaumont or so...) , drive throught the small willage and when you passed between two walls turn left and immediately right into a small farmer road , continue and you'll arrive at the place to spot from , the runway is quiet far from here so you have to get down into the field between the cows to get near the landing lights

If you want to come with me , no problem , if weather permits I'll go next Thursday , the 3rd February

[Vonsmalhausen]

i'l be there to

[Faan]

Yep, me too, spottersday. First time I'll get to try my new Canon 300D and Sigma 70-300 APO

[Fabke]

Flyboytjen and others , I finally made my spottingguide for Florennes , you can find it at fafafabe.free.fr/Spottingguides/Mil/Florennes/Florennes.htm , feel free to leave you comments about it