Memories of Bram Faasse
Bram Faasse’s favorite spot: over the fence…and preferably all the way over the runway…hit and run (back). Bram shares his memories on spotting at Soesterberg Air Base.
I, Bram Faasse, was thirteen years old when I went to Soesterberg for the first time. I cycled around the entire field on my bicycle to get as close to the planes as possible. The first suitable place was near the fire brigade, a large woodpile. The excavation site became the eventual “spotters’ site”. The name ‘spotters’ did not yet exist. I felt more like a spy, keeping track of which planes took off and which ones landed. This was written down and kept well tracked, with up or down arrows. It was exciting if at the end of the day there was an up arrow left. Would he have crashed…
My first registration booklet starts on 24 June 1963. You didn’t take photos, that was forbidden. There was also strict security. If they saw you writing down numbers, your paper would be taken away. I remember that a boy from De Bilt, with whom I often cycled to Soesterberg, was caught by the American MP (em-pie) and had to strip down to his underwear. We never saw him again after that. But that’s what made it exciting for me. The first photos were taken with a ‘click’ or a ‘clack’. The device was hidden among the many stones at the excavation site. People also climbed over the fence occasionally to take photos up close.


We also did that once on a Saturday near the “Hunter taxi track”. There were about six of us. But there also was a soldier who did not appreciate that. He managed to grab two boys and put them in his car, a Renault 4 or something like that. But he wanted to get more. He came towards us, and in the meantime the other two boys managed to escape from the car. That was one of the most exciting experiences.
Rolls of film were also sometimes removed from the equipment. Especially by the American Military Police. They also took you away, and you were returned neatly after an hour.
Something simular happened on the day that there were three F-101 Voodoos. Together with Dick Heinen I climbed over the fence on the American side to get a better view of them. But a Dagger returned from the test location, just as the three Voodoos arrived. We ran in front of the Dagger, took pictures with shaking knees and, chased by the Americans who belonged to the Dagger, ran to our bicycles. I got stuck on top opf the fence and landed on Dick’s head with my camera. It later turned out that he had a mild concussion.

I stopped going to Soesterberg every day off, in 1970. In my draft military service, I worked at Soesterberg as a forecaster for almost four years. There wasn’t much of a chance to take pictures, because I didn’t want to have any problems with my work, and hey, the excitement was gone too. Then I became a teacher, a mathematics teacher and later I returned to the weather. I worked at the Dutch National Meteorologic Institute in Hoek van Holland, where I made forecasts for shipping, but also for several helicopters and Coast Guard aircraft. I still take pictures of airplanes every now and then. The last time was during “Frisian Flag 2017”. Fanatic, no, I’m not anymore. But when I hear an airplane, I have to look to see what it is, and everytime it starts itching again…it is a kind of virus that never disappears.
Bram Faasse – 2018