In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had the world firmly in its grip. Travelling was virtually impossible, and for aviation enthusiasts there was almost nothing to look forward to. Airshows were cancelled, exercises were postponed, and base visits were no longer possible.
Instead of staying at home, we made the best of the situation by visiting Volkel Air Base on a regular basis to photograph the steadily shrinking Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 fleet while it was still operational. This report is a collection of images taken during several visits to Volkel throughout 2020.

The situation in 2020
In 2020 Volkel Air Base was entering a new era. The base was still home to the F-16 fleet of 312 and 313 Squadrons, but preparations for the arrival of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II were well underway. During the year, 313 Squadron gradually ended its F-16 operations, transferring its remaining aircraft to 312 Squadron before beginning its conversion to the F-35. The final operational F-16 flights of 313 Squadron took place in December 2020, marking the end of more than three decades of Falcon operations for the famous Tiger Squadron.