My 47 km cycle ride this morning was again to the north of Heerlen and partly in neighbouring Germany.
Because I left home before 07:00, I was a little too early at the mobile bar on the village green in Frelenberg, Germany.
Sadly, it always seems closed whenever I pass this way.
A little further along my route I cycled past the end of the runway at the NATO air base at Geilenkirchen.
Although this is an active air base, I have never seen any activity on previous rides this way.
Today, however, at the stroke of 08:00 0ne of the 14 aircraft based here was about to take off on another mission.
I managed to take a few pictures as it prepared to depart and I certainly didn’t realise just how noisy and smoky these old aircraft are.
