May 23

What happened on May 23 in aviation and space history.

• May 23, 2016

  The first Dutch F-35s touch Netherlands soil

  Milestone — The two Dutch F-35A test aircraft, AN-1 and AN-2, landed at Leeuwarden air base for a temporary stay of noise measurement and public display. This was not yet a permanent detachment: the aircraft later returned to the United States, where training and testing continued. The visit served above all to gauge the new fighter's acoustic footprint in a country where the noise debate weighed on the political decision.