Flare demo Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team spottersday Klein Brogel 2013

14-9-2013; Renaud "Grat" Thys was born in Verviers on 23 April 1983. He joined the Belgian Air Force in 2001 and started pilot training with No.5 sqaudron at Beauvechain Air Base in 2002. After completing basic flying training on the Alenia Aermacchi (formerly: SIAI Marchetti) SF-260M/D and basic jet training on the Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet 1B, he received his pilot wings in 2004. He then went to Cazaux Air Base in France for advanced jet training on the Alpha Jet 1B.

"Grat" returned to Belgium in 2005 and started flying Lockheed Martin F-16’s with the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) Squadron at Kleine-Brogel Air Base. He is now with No.350 Squadron at Florennes Air Base and has more than 2.000 hours flying experience of which around 1.500 hrs on the F-16.