2005 is the last Summer of activities for Brasschaat. During July, we can feel the base closure and the definitive transfert of the School to Dax in France before long. All Alouettes are rassembled in the same hangar, which also sheltered Gendarmerie's three Pumas in the past.

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Aerial picture series of the base taken by Pierre GILLARD on board A64 Alouette with OLT VL Jurgen VERLEYEN at the controls on July 12, 2005.

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"Friday May 12, 2006 : a date to mark with a black cross" titled the Wing Heli News No. 7 magazine (page 89) about the Brasschaat base closure. That event took place in two steps. A ceremony was conducted at first by School's last commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Luc VAN DEN NESTE. It was then time to sit for an excellent lunch to which many former personnel were invited, almost all of them having flown or worked on Alouette II. Pierre GILLARD photos.

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Back to the future ! Jean-Marie VANDERVORST (right), was the first Belgian Alouette II military pilot to be qualified, and Xavier VAN BEVER (left) was one of the three other first Belgian pilots to be rated on Alouette II at Dax. They met again during the lunch while the School should have to move to ... Dax, but almost 50 years later. Pierre GILLARD photo.

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Maurice "Ric" de RAIKEM was present at the event. This pilot had taken part in the base of Brasschaat reconstruction prior being involved in starting of 16th and 17th Light Aviation squadrons in Germany. Rated on Alouette II, he will have a son, Christian, who will also be qualified on Alouette II and become commander of 16th Liaison Helicopter Battalion. When retired, he became the untiring president of former personnel's association for years. On March 22, 2007, he definitively left us at the age of 82 in order to "take altitude". Pierre GILLARD photo.

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