Tom 'Tom' Houquet

Hello, I am Tom and I'm interested in aviation from when I was still a little kid. I live close to Koksijde airbase (De Panne) and go already many years to the annual airshow at Koksijde. Since 1998 I try to visit as many as possible events in Belgium and the surrounding countries with my brother and friends. After my highschool, I studied for bachelor Aeronautics in the KHBO at Ostend. Since 1 August 2008 I work as helicopter/aircraft technician on MD900/520 and Cessna 182 with the airsupport of the Federal Police in Melsbroek. Some years ago I got interested in modelling. I already collected a whole workshop with all kinds of tools to make the models. After practicing a lot, I start to make the models with a lot of details now and as realistic as possible. I, together with my brother Wim, are responsible for making the webpages and keeping this website alive. In my free time, you can find me near the Koksijde airbase fence. On airshows I usually film everything, but when I don't film, then I take pictures with: Canon EOS40D Canon EOS400D Canon EF 70-200mm F 4.0 L IS USM Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM

Wim 'Wim' Houquet

I am Wim, the older brother of Tom. Just like Tom, I am also passionated by aviation from when I was still a kid. After my highschool I also studied bachelor Aeronautics at the KHBO in Ostend. After that I worked for 6 months at Sabena Technics at Zaventem. Since January 2007 I work at Ostend airport as marchaller/BCU. For me, this is a perfect job. My hobby is photographing aircraft. Most of the pictures I took from 1999 onwards that are published on our site, are taken with a Minolta 300Si with 35-70mm and 100-300mm lenses. In 2003, I bought a Canon EOS300V with Canon 28-90mm and 75-300mm lenses. In 2005 I changed to digital photography and this is the gear I work with now: Canon EOS20D Canon EOS40D Canon EF-S 17-85mm F 4-5.6 IS Canon EF 70-200mm F 4.0 L IS USM Canon EF 400mm F 5.6 L USM Canon EF 1.4x Extender II

Mike 'Tiger' Derijcke

My name is Mike and also I don't live far away from the airfield. This is also the reason I got passionated by military aviation. When I still was very young I went to the annual airshow at Koksijde every time, and later I went to the airfield during the year also to have a look what was going on at BKOKS. I am mainly responsible for some pictures on the website of airshows and the movements. I also cooperate to complete the daily movements. I love to stand in the middle of the runway to photograph the planes in full action when they take-off. I already take pictures from 1998 and used a Minolta 404Si with 28-80mm and 100-300mm zoom. From the beginning of 2005 I also changed to digital photography. Now I work with: Nikon D70 Nikon 28-80mm Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 EX APO DG My website: www.airshowpictures.fotopic.net

Kenny 'Maverick' Plaetevoet

Hello guys, I am Kenny. Aviation is something that always attracted me and the bigger the aircraft, the more I love them. This is how I got to know the other guys from SGKoksijde. I don't photograph, but I enjoy the aircraft in "live". From time to time, I join the rest to airshows in Belgium and the surrounding countries. I already work a couple of years with DHL in Zaventem and there I'm responsible that all aircraft are loaded on time and that the packages are getting on their destination in time. I also love to fly with Flightsimulator and I already have a couple of hundreds of hours on my counter. Further I try to collect the movements of Koksijde and always have a sharp lookout at the airfield.

Michaël 'Michaël' Vaeremans

Hey guys, I am Michael. My interests in military aircraft began in 1999 on the airshow of Koksijde. This was also the year I moved to Koksijde, not so far from the airfield, and since then I hang around the airfield almost every week. During the week, you will find me most of the times at the WAC. My biggest hobby is photographing military aircraft. I learned everything with my Canon 3000 and a Sigma 70-300mm lens. In the beginning of 2005 I also changed to digital photography and now I work with this gear: Canon EOS1D III Canon EF 400mm F 5.6 L USM Canon EF 70-200mm F 4.0 L IS USM My favorite planes are mainly Russian planes like the MIG 29, SU27 and SU31. But American planes like the F-14 and F/A-18 I also like very much. The last years my interest began to grow in the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, they are both a very nice example of European technology!

Soetkin 'Soetkin' Vandecandelaere

I became interested in aeronautics by watching the Belgian TV-series "Windkracht 10" about the famous Sea Kings. Then I went to the Koksijde airshow and I was quickly in love with the beautifull Sea King helicopters of the 40th Sqn. After Koksijde airshow, my interests in other aircraft came, and via my own website (www.bkoks.be) I got in contact with Spotting Group Koksijde. I learned a lot of photography with my Fujifilm Finepix S5000, but now I use the following gear: Canon EOS20D Canon EF-S 10-22mm F 3.5-4.5 USM Canon EF 70-200mm F 4.0 L IS USM Canon EF 24-105mm F 4.0 L IS USM Canon EF 1.4x Extender II Besides photographing airplanes, I also photograph landscapes, buildings, people ... A collection of my work can you find on my other personal website: www.soetkinvdc.be

Barry 'Pulle' Vangeerdeghom

Hello, I am Barry and when I'm together with Steve in my outfit, everyone calls me Pulle. My interests in aviation was already given to me due to my father when I was a baby. My father always took me to go to the RC aircraft flying club. I still fly myself now ath the Golden Wings club in Zedelgem, so when there are some interested people, come and have a look on Sunday. When I'm at home I make some models too from time to time. I specialised myself in models with a scale of 1/32. In the past my interests were going to civil aviation, but because I got to know the guys from SGKoksijde, my interests in military aviation began to grow. In 2004 I bought my first digital camera and thats how I learned photographing. Now I work with the following gear: Canon EOS40D Canon EF-S 17-85mm F 4-5.6 IS Canon EF 70-200mm F 4.0 L IS USM Canon EF 400mm F 5.6 L USM Canon EF 1.4x Extender II My favorite aircraft are the aircraft with lots of noise, the more the better, but my preference goes to Russian aircraft.

Steve 'Rogers' Rottiers

I'm Steve and I'm also sometimes called as Rogers or Del Rogère! I am the person that brings a ambiance in the group and try to let everybody lauching when it is boring or there is nothing to see in the sky! I love going out or sitting quiet after my PC. Though I have an interest in the airforce from when I was a little kid. Since the year 2000 I take pictures of airplanes with my reflex camera, a Nikon F60 with a Nikon 28-80mm and Nikon 75-240mm lenses. A year later I bought a third lens, the Vivitar AF 100-400mm. In 2005 I changed to digital photography and I bought myself a Nikon D70s. In 2008 I descided to change to Canon and for the moment I take pictures with the following gear: Canon EOS40D Canon EF-S 17-85mm F 4-5.6 IS Canon EF 70-200mm F 4.0 L IS USM Canon EF 400mm F 5.6 L USM Canon EF 1.4x Extender II Canon EF 50mm F 1.8 II I also have a personal website, but this has to be completed in the future... My website: www.luchtsteun.be

Michel 'Michelovic' Avonds

I've got my passion for aviation because my dad was a pilot, first at the 31 SQN at Kleine Brogel and the largest part of his career at the 40 SQN at Koksijde. I am only shooting pictures at airshows and basevisits with my digital camera (Minolta Dimage Z3). For the moment, I work with the following gear: Canon EOS30D Canon EF-S 18-55mm F 3.5-5.6 Canon EF 75-300mm F 4.0-5.6 III USM Tamron 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 Di-II LD Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 EX APO I am flying radio controlled aircraft, especially jets. In the picture you can see my biggest proudness, an F-16 model build at a scale of 1/6.8. The aircraft is 2.10 meters long and has a span of 1.30 meters. It is driven by a real miniature turbine engine which gives me almost 8 Kg's of thrust. Speed: almost 300 Kph, weight: 9 Kg without fuel. It carries 3 liters of kerosine. We can fly the RC planes each Sunday at Koksijde AB. When you stand close to the WAC, you can see us fly. My favourite aircraft are rather unknown: F-107 Super Sabre, XB-70 Valkyrie, X-15 (The fastest one). The F-104, Fouga Magister, F-16, L-29 and Rafale A are also some of my favourites (future RC projects...). My website: www.avonds.be.tf

	Filip 'Flip' Candaele

Jens 'Jens' Lingier

I am Jens and live in the neighbourhood of Koksijde airbase. Because I see the Sea King flying over my house every day, I got passionate by this beautifull helicopter. This is the way I got into aviation. I got contact with some other guys of Spotting Group Koksijde and during the summerholidays I went spotting to the aeroclub. I am the youngest boy of the group, so I am the successor of the others :-) Because I don't have a driving licence yet, I can luckely always drive together with some other friends of the group to events. In contrary of the other guys I never photographed with an analog camera. I put all my savings into my first digital camera, which I learned to photograph (with the great help of the others ofcourse). This is what I work with: Nikon D70s Sigma 70-300mm F4.0-5.6 APO DG Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DC HSM

Robin 'Robin' De Nys

Hello fellow aviation enthousiasts, I am Robin De Nys. I live in Koksijde, not far from the famous base. I am already passionated by aviation a couple of years and from 2006 on, I come to the base from time to time to watch the daily movements, especially during the schoolholidays. Together with Jens, we are the new generation of the group. Thanks to my fellow photographers, I can go to other shows or airfields from time to time, but this will happen more in the future. I also photograph and this since 2006. This is the gear I learn how to make good pictures: Canon EOS300D Canon EF-S 18-55mm F 3.5-5.6 Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 EX APO Sigma 70-300mm F4.0-5.6 DG Macro My website: http://robindenys.fotopic.net

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