Hilversum Airfield ( nl, Vliegveld Hilversum) is a

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

aerodrome south-southwest of Hilversum, a municipality and town in the

Gooi The Gooi () is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants, and its villas. The Gooi is known in the Netherlan ...

region and the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of North Holland in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The airfield is used for

including gliding and for parachuting. The field has three grass runways, 07/25, 12/30 and 18/36 with the respective lengths of , and . The majority of flights are with smaller single engine piston aircraft, either for training or recreational purposes. There have been rumours of a hard runway, but as of 2020 no concrete plans have been announced. Though founded in 1939 with civil aviation in mind, because of the unrest in Europe, the Royal Netherlands Air Force took control of the airfield, using it as a base for Fokker C-5, Fokker C-10 and

Koolhoven F.K.51 The Koolhoven F.K.51 was a 1930s Dutch two-seat basic training biplane built by the Koolhoven Company. Design and development The Koolhoven F.K.51 was the winning design in a 1935 Dutch government contest for a new trainer. Designed by Frederic ...

aircraft. On the 10 and 11 May 1940, the airport came under heavy attack by

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft. After

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

occupied the Netherlands later that month, they expanded the airport significantly for further military use. As it became clear that the field was going to be lost to allied forces, German military destroyed most of the field, to prevent use by the allied forces. After the war, the airport remained under military control briefly, but reopened to civil traffic again in 1948.

References

External links

Hilversum Airport
official website
Photos taken at Hilversum Airport (EHHV)
from

Airliners.net Airliners.net is an aviation website that includes an extensive photo database of aircraft and airports, as well as a forum catering to aviation enthusiasts. Created by Johan Lundgren, Jr., the site originated in 1996 as ''Pictures of Modern Air ...

Airports established in 1939 Airports in North Holland Hilversum {{Netherlands-airport-stub