The travelogue Peter Nägeli Seite 1
DAY 1 It was a beautiful day and we saw no clouds on the sky. Everybody was excited to start the IACE 2010. We met us on July the 20st 2010 at 8.15 by the Grenchen Airport hotel. Our departure was planed at 8:45. So we had enough time to drink a coffee and for the briefing. We got our presents for the exchange country and the last information. The pilot asked a question and the price was a place on the jump seat. I was very happy that I knew the difference between Super Puma and Cougar. A picture before the Cougar from the Swiss air force and soon our flight to Germany began. After the landing we loaded our package in the bus and drove to Frankfurt. There we have seen a lot of cadets from all over the world. Then we have enjoyed some food before the organization from the Netherlands welcomed us. We drove with a bus to Woensdrecht. The drive was 5 hours long but not too boring because we have seen the Cadets from Germany and Belgium for the first time. So we had a moment to introduce ourselves. As we were in Woensdrecht we got our keys and badges to be allowed to stay on the military base and to go in our rooms. Then we went to the dinner and at 19:45 we listened to a presentation about the base and some helpful information. Then we had the choice to go to the bar with the guards or to stay in our rooms. Peter Nägeli Seite 2
Day 2 In the morning we had to get up at 6 o clock to take shower before breakfast in the canteen. It was a big buffet and we had a hard choice what we want to eat. The bus was waiting for us and we went to the ESA-ESTEC Space Expo in Noordwijk. We visited the test Center with the big vibration machine. This is a simulator where they can reach the same temperature, low pressure and light radiation as in space. They are called Space Simulator. They use it to test their satellites and all kinds of material. This visit was very interesting and we saw a lot of different parts from the building and the infrastructure. The next station was the Noise simulator where they test if the material is stable enough to withstand the noise of the departure. The last thing we saw was the test room for the communication equipment. Then we went into a cinema room and got some 3D glasses. And we had the chance to watch a virtual introduction trough the ISS. We received some lunch bags to have our meal in the outside. After eating we watched a presentation about the 41st anniversary of the moon landing history from 1942-1969 and the most important missions. There we learned a lot of the history and why it was so important that the USA had the first man on the moon. After a short guided tour through the museum we have had time to take pictures, look at the things in the museum and to talk with each other. Then we went back to Woensdrecht. We went in our rooms and get dressed us with the nice uniforms. We ate special Dutch food in the officers pub. It was very delicious and the mood was very good! After the Dinner we did a rolling round and everybody had to introduce himself to the whole group. It was very funny and we could listen to a lot of very interesting and funny ideas. Then in the evening we went into a room and exchanged our giveaways. It was quite hectic but also interesting and we stayed there till late in the night. Peter Nägeli Seite 3
DAY 3 It was a very short night and everybody was very tired as we got up at 6am. The bus left as yesterday at 8 o clock and then we had 2 hours time to sleep in the bus. When we woke up, we were at the technical University in Delft. We were welcomed with some coffee and treats. And then we had a presentation with a Film as well as a little quiz. Afterwards we divided up in two groups. We saw the Aircraft simulator in action with its movements. After that we inspected three different wind tunnels where they simulated different situations and aerodynamics. The smallest air tunnel is able to pressure up wind speeds up to mach 11. After dinner we went do Delft and enjoyed some free time in the city. The market place is similar to the market we have in Switzerland so I enjoyed viewing all the little things on the market. After our free time we visited the Netherland army museum. We saw many Vehicles such as tanks and Jeeps. In the museum was lots of equipment from army boots up to different weapons. Back at the base we had a good dinner with stake and frits. After dinner we did some sports and learned a new sport, called Tampon hockey. Towards the end of the day they showed us the fitness room. Peter Nägeli Seite 4
Day 4 As usual we took a shower and gathered for breakfast. At eight o clock our bus left the base to the aviation museum in Soesterberg. The Museum had three different halls. The first hall that they showed us was full of airplanes which were built and used between World War 1 and World War 2. In the second hall they showed us many planes and copters which were used after World War 2. In the third hall we saw some simulators and we were even allowed to use the F-16 and the gliding simulator. That was all we did in that museum. We returned to the bus where we got a lunch package with three sandwiches to enjoy during the further bus trip. The further trip took us to Gliding Club of Soesterberg. We got a short briefing about the club and then we went up into the air with a tread. Then we had a little bit of time to glide down to ground on our own. But because the weather was not too good, the flight wasn t so long. After this great experience we went to burger king and ate a burger. Then we drove back to the base. In the evening some of us went into a pub to play dart and have some drinks. The others went to sleep because a lot of us were very tired. Peter Nägeli Seite 5
Day 5 Today we drove to the Rijgsmuseum and Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. The weather and the surroundings were wonderful. Then in the Museum we saw a lot of different pictures. And with the helpful explanations to each picture it was possible to understand what the artist wants to say with his drawing. After the visit of the Museum we split into groups. One group went sightseeing in Amsterdam the other one went to the Heineken Museum. I was on the sightseeing which was very interesting. We saw the typical houses. We saw the canals in Amsterdam and a lot of nice little bridges. Then we went through the shopping street. On the end of this street we came to the place in the middle of the city. There were a lot of artists which presented their show to the public. As the people from the Heineken museum were back, we walked to the other side of the City and saw the other aspects of Amsterdam. Our aim was to go to a little restaurant by the street which was called Pinocchio. There we had our dinner. We had a hard decision to make because we had to choice between four excellent meals. As everybody had a full stomach, we walked a bit further to the canals were we went on a boat trip. It was a new boat and very comfortable to sit in. After the drive back to the base it was already late in the night and it seemed to be a very short night. Peter Nägeli Seite 6
Day 6 It was Sunday and our brunching-room was closed. So we had to walk to another cantina. But as we were there it was also closed So we had to wait for our bus. Then in the bus the guard gave us some food and something to drink. We were very happy because we thought that we wouldn t eat. It was interesting that we had something to do in the bus and so the bus drive was shorter than usually. As we were finished with our breakfast, we went to the museum of the Battle of Arnhem. This museum has got 3 stages. We started in the 3rd stage. There we saw first a film and after that a lot of old uniforms and orders. In the second stage we saw old newspaper articles about the battle and about the affected people. Then, in the first stage, there were a lot of pictures from the soldiers. Everybody could feel the people how they felt in this time and the museum was so good that everybody was concerned. Then as we wanted to leave we saw that it had an underground and so we went downstairs. There we saw the battlefield and we could go into the houses and everywhere you have heard pistol shots, the machine guns and the cries. So we felt it as if we were actually in this battle. A lot of us were shocked but also fascinated. After our lunch bag we went into the National Gliding Center in Terlet. We got a short briefing and then we went to the grass runway. Now everybody went to fly glider. Because we had a lot of time to wait, we talked a lot and had really great fun. As everybody finished their flight it began to rain. We were very lucky that it rained when we were finished and we went into the restaurant by the Gliding Center to have our dinner. And after this great meal we went back to our base in Woensdrecht. Peter Nägeli Seite 7
DAY 7 This morning was a rainy day. The program for this morning was to visit the military airbase in Volkel. We were there at 11.00 am. First we saw a presentation about the history and today s operations. We saw a movie of an operational insert in Afghanistan. It was good and now we had a more realistic idea about the missions in and about Afghanistan. We got around in the base and had a look of different operations about the management of the base and also about the maintenance crew and their tasks. A very interesting part was also the equipment from the pilots. We go into the officers bar where we had our dinner. Strengthened, we went and looked at the hangars. We went in one of them and there was an F-16 in it. We went to the runway so that we could see how the planes took off. It was very loud and very nice. Many cadets were just perplexed! In the maintenance hangar we learned more about the weapons from the F-16 and their weapon systems. As we were back at the base we had a football match against the team from the base. We lost clearly. But after the match we went to drink with the other team in the bar and enjoyed the end of this day. Peter Nägeli Seite 8
Day 8 At 9 o clock am our bus left to the other end of the base. We went to the elementary flight training and their planes the PC7. Then we went to the station of the Fire prevention Academy. They showed us the plane models and the kind of fire they can simulate with these models. We were so surprised what they can do! A burning oil laugh, an engine fail with throttle idle or military, a fire in the cabin or in the passenger room or a burning helicopter. These are just some examples of what they can do. It was one of the highlights when we drove around with their trucks and they explained us very detailed how these trucks work. It was so impressive to see how much water they can carry and how fast they can put off a fire. After the dinner we went to the weather station and after a presentation and a short briefing we could walk around and look at the weather radars and all the different stations in the room. Later we went into the technical training center and they explained us how the training for the F-16 technicians looks like. And they even allowed us to do some maintenance work on the PC-program. In the evening we visited the city of Antwerp in Belgian. There we got around and explored the city. Peter Nägeli Seite 9
Day 9 Today we visited the Gilze Rijen Airbase. The weather was not very good but we were only a short time outside. As we arrived we were welcomed with a coffee. We listened to a presentation about the rescue and survival training. Then they showed us around in the building and the different equipment for the different environments. After that we had our lunch on the base. We split up in two groups and we had a look on the Apache and the Chinook helicopter. Later we saw an air show from an Aluette 3. Now the weather became better than in the morning and we could see the sun for the first time. The dog show which we watched there was absolutely amazing. We learned how they worked and how they used their dogs as a weapon. But the dogs are extremely disciplined and listen exactly to the commands of their master. To achieve this it needs many years of training. After dinner we went into the historical flight museum. The members of this group renovate their planes themselves. We were amazed by the endurance of these people. They use 2-5 years for every airplane. They earn their money by flying at air shows and parties on which they do passenger flight. Then we went back to the base and enjoyed our evening. Peter Nägeli Seite 10
Day 10 We went with the bus to the Navy Port Den Helder. As we arrived there, we split up in two groups. They showed us around on the base and we saw the older helicopter but also the brand new helicopter for search and rescue and it is also a transport helicopter. Then we could go into the simulator which was unfortunately not operational because they did some maintenance work on it. As we went outside of the building we saw a nice air display with a lay pass over our heads and some different rescue maneuvers in front of us. We went back to our home base for lunch. We went with the bus to visit the Naval Harbour and Navy Museum. Here we saw a submarine. For most of us it was the first one in their live. We felt what small space they had and how hard it must be six month without sun. Then we were free and visited the two ships or the shop of the museum. After the visit we went back to the base and ate our dinner. In the evening we just sat by each other and talked a little bit before we went to bed. Peter Nägeli Seite 11
Day 11 We went to the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. We slept less than last night and so we were very happy that we took the chance to sleep during the one and a half hours bus drive. As we arrived in Schiphol we became a coffee first. Then we listened to a presentation about the airport. After that we wanted to go to the city of Rotterdam to go shopping. But because we had a lot of traffic we just had half an hour time in the there until we had to go back into the bus. Then we went to the Rotterdam port. We learned a lot about the traffic in the Port and how it works. The most interesting part was definitely the radar system and after the presentation we went into the room where all the radar systems are placed. We saw the big monitor and all the data about the ships which want to come in or go out of the port. It looked a little bit like an airport control tower. By the time we were back at the base in the later afternoon we had time enough to go out and do some sports. Peter Nägeli Seite 12
Day 12 Our program for today was to go to the delta dams project Neeltje Jans. So we had to leave the base at 8 o clock in the morning. We did not really have an idea what that meant. As we arrived there and went out of the bus, we felt that it was a very windy place. We were happy to go into the delta museum because it was very fresh. And in this museum were a lot of unusual things exposed. The sea lion show was my personal favorite. But also the sea seal show, the cool waterslide with boats and the storm machine which were a bit like a wind tunnel with 133 Km/h winds where we could go in. That was amazing. After the dinner we went on a boat tour where not only the Dam was interesting. So we had a lot of fun on the boat. As we returned back we had just a few minutes to get ready for dinner. It was a nice restaurant where we prepared the meat ourselves. It was a large selection of meat and salad. And it was also very good! After this big meal we stayed at this restaurant until after midnight. Peter Nägeli Seite 13
Day 13 Everybody was very happy that we could sleep till 11 in the morning. Everybody was refreshed thanks to the 10 hours of sleep. We went to the beach of Domburg. The weather was good and not so cold. But just a few cadets went into the water. But it helped to wake up and the water was just a little bit cooler than the air. But also the sand was very nice! Then we went to the City and bought some things. We had a lot of time to talk to each other so we had a great day with each other. In the evening we had a great dinner with chicken and a mix of vegetables. Later we went to play hockey together. It was funny because nobody could really do sport because we all ate too much. We went back to our rooms and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Peter Nägeli Seite 14
Day 14 In the early morning we went to the KLM flight training Center in Schiphol. Everybody had the chance to go into one of the Boeing 747 simulators. It was one of the highlights in these two weeks. Not everybody landed very nice. And we even had some crashes. Some of us were very happy that it was just a simulator. We had two simulators and just 3 people could go into the simulator at the same time. The rest of the group had to wait. But with a good coffee and a guide who answered our questions; a good atmosphere and a lot of funny conversations the time passed very fast. In the afternoon we went to the jet support center. There we listened to a short presentation what they do and after that we went in the Hanger and visited their airplanes and asked questions to the guide. After the bus drive back to the home base we had our dinner. Today was the last chance to go and play sport together. It was maybe the first time that we realized that our time in the Netherlands comes to an end. Peter Nägeli Seite 15
Day 15 Today we went with the bus to Eindhoven. First we wanted to go into the base but because they had no time for us we waited for a while and then we decided to go to the city first. And so we had time to buy, to look and to eat something. After dinner we went back to the airbase. Now we found out why they had no time for us in the morning. A group of soldiers had to leave to Afghanistan and they had a good bye party on the base with their families. They showed us around in the base. The best thing was that we could sit in a bus and listen to the guide whilst we drove around. Then we left the bus and saw a landing of a DC10 in front of us. They showed us a lot of different parts of the Base. The cargo stations and the check in and checkout area were very interesting! In the evening we went to a BBQ. We had some special food which was very tasty. It was the last evening. We talked and discussed a lot, took a lot of pictures, exchanged our mail addresses and did some toasts. After we were in the pub and later we all went to the rooms to pack our things to go back to our country and to our families in the morning. Peter Nägeli Seite 16
Day 16 It was the day to go home. So we had to get up early. We had just time for a short, but a very intensive good bye. After that we went into the bus and drove back to Frankfurt. We had our lunch in this bus. We were very tired and so we were also happy to sleep maybe two hours of our six our bus drive. As we arrived in Frankfurt it was midday. We went to the Mc-Donald and ate our lunch. When every cadet from Switzerland was back we got back to the Super Puma. Today it was a little competition which one can sit in the Jump seat. Jonas was the happy one. Then we had a beautiful flight back home and the family was there to wait for us. A big thanks goes to all the sponsors and organizers who allowed this exchange to happen. It was a possibility to learn about other cultures and find out more about aviation. A special thanks goes to the Aero club Swiss and the IACE organization committee. It was a one in a lifetime adventure! Peter Nägeli Seite 17