The history of the Militaire Luchtvaart Museum go back to the sixties. In 1968 a group of Air Force employees, working on the airbase Soesterberg, set up the Luchtmachtmuseum (Air Force Museum). 3 July 1968 His Royal Highness prince Bernhard, opens the museum, that then was based in a hangar on the airbase.

In the years that follows, the collection grows fast and in 1980, the Luchtmachtmuseum moves to Camp of Zeist, witch is about 2 miles to the south of the airbase Soesterberg. With the relocation of the museum the objective is broadened. As of now the museum not only gives attention to the Royal Air Force, but also the Naval Aviation and the Air Force of the Dutch-Indonsian army. Within the framework of this relocation and because of the broadening of the objective, the name Luchtmachtmuseum is changed in Militaire Luchtvaart Museum (MLM).

Because of 40 years MLM, a number of speakers had been invited to give a presentation in relation to the past, the present and the future of the MLM. The past was presented by a actor, which was dressed in a uniform of an officer from a time of the beginning of aviation.

The first speaker was director of the MLM, dr. Jan Jansen. In his speech he thanked all the persons and groups who made the MLM in what it's today. One of this groups is of course the foundation friends of the MLM. The next speaker was the president of the foundation friends of the MLM, F.P. Schulte, Generaal-Majoor KLu b.d.

He thanked all the volunteers of the foundation for their commitment and their creativeness for finding missing part for the airplanes that are at this time in restoration. Then the deputy state secretary-general of defense, Drs. Jeroen Sikkel, told about the plans for the new museum and the new location on the then formerly airbase Soesterberg. In the new museum the MLM and the army museum will be joined together. Because of that, the museum will get a new name. The planning is that in 2013 the new museum will open it's doors.

The last speaker was the commandant of the Air force Luitenat-Gerneraal J.H.M.P. Jansen. The museum is important for the Air Force, because it's a beautiful and strongly promotion tool to get new personel. The last act was official revealing of the two new acquisitions of the museum. The F-86K "kaasjager" and the Fouga Migister. The F-86K was moved from the airbase Twenthe, witch was closed in 2005. The Fouga is painted in the colors of the Belgium Air Force, but it is from the France Air Force.

One extra airplane was present. Where normally the F-100 is standing, a F-104G from the Royal Dutch Air Force was place. This starfighter was painted yellow, with paintings form children over it. On the tail where the markings of 40 jaar MLM.

Text en photo's by François van Riel