::: In 2004 the annual Royal Netherlands Airforce (RNLAF) Open House was held at Volkel at 18th and 19th June.

::: The weather during the arrival of the aircraft on Thursday was gray and dull. But this was not the biggest problem that day. The rude and aggressive behavior of the Military Police (KMAR) outside the base caused a lot of problems for the spotters. It was not a problem they were sending people away, it was more the way they acted. They were very aggressive from the start and were threatening people with arrest without any warning. A MP in civilian cloths used physical violence against some people without any form of identifying himself. The RNethAF Security was very polite on the other hand.

::: The weather during the Saturday (19th) was much better. A few huge showers ruined some of the demonstrations, but the sunny periods in between resulted in excellent photo opportunities. Nice sunshine on the aircraft of the static combined with some dramatic dark clouds. Perfect !

Next: The Participants (Part 2)