By Sascha Jussen
Each TLP flying course normally features between 20 and 30 aircraft of different types and from various air forces. With Florennes airbase providing some excellent vantage points for watching, spotting and photographing/filming aircraft in action even from outside of the perimeter fence, it was almost inevitable that the base began attracting a growing number of enthusiasts, once the Tactical Leadership Programme established itself at Florennes in 1989.
However, as the airbase is surrounded by fields and pastures owned or leased by private farmers, the improper behaviour of a minority of aircraft enthusiasts lead to various conflicts with local residents, military personnel and Belgian police. On the military side, guards used to act very strict against spotters
and photographers. This changed when in 1993 a spotter's corner was established near the runway 25 approach of the airbase. However, this corner was restricted to a small hill of mud and a few small signs leading to it. No further infrastructure was ever added and any evidence of the corner has almost disappeared now.
On the positive side, military personnel at Florennes became used to the appearance of aircraft enthusiasts around the airbase, and this attitude of "laisser-faire" has not changed, even after the terror acts of the September 11th in 2001, which lead to increased security measures at many military installations world-wide. It now seems that spotting and photographing is tolerated around Florennes by military personnel and officials, as long as enthusiasts behave according to the law and rules of "normal" social behaviour.
Although we neither can nor want to enforce any "rules" for any enthusiast visiting Florennes, we would like to recommend you to behave in a way, which will not provoke any conflict between aircraft enthusiasts and local residents, military personal, or Belgian police. Such conflicts might lead one day to a stronger response by the authorities, which could mean degradation or even the end of the viewing and photographing possibilities that are available today.
So, when you visit Florennes, we would like to recommend behaving according to the following "rules":
Please do not walk or park on any land under cultivation
Please do not throw away any garbage (please take it back home with you)
Please do not block any roads with your vehicle (Florennes is situated in a farming area, with a lot of traffic using the roads around the base)
If you use lattice gates for entering pastures, please close the gate behind you immediately
Please do not climb on or cross the perimeter fences of the airbase
Please behave according to any instruction of military guards or Belgian police
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