Royal Netherlands Air Force

By Royal Decreet, the Royal Netherlands Air Force ( RNlAF )was installed on the 1st of July 1913. It started with a single leased 'Brik', an updated Farman biplane, one commander and three pilots. They operated from Soesterberg which is still one of the active airbases of the RNlAF. More aircraft arrived and the RNlAF made its start as a professional air force. During the First World War, the Netherlands remained neutral politically and was unable to obtain a large amount of aircraft. However, as lots of foreign planes made an emergency landing on Dutch soil, these aircraft were confiscated and bought. Consequently, at the end of the First World War, the RNlAF had obtained 71 planes, all different types by different manufacturers. With more active aircraft, there was also a need for more airfields. New airbases were build at Gilze-Rijen, Venlo, Vlissingen and at Schiphol.
In the Interbellum, the RNlAF was equipped with aircraft locally built by Dutch manufacturers like Spyker, Koolhoven and Fokker. From 1921 and on, the red-white-blue roundel was introduced, replacing the orange roundel