Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (51) seems to have taken forest fire extinguishing training quite seriously. At least she optically took on the role of a true helicopter pilot. The monarch quickly slipped into a pilot’s uniform at the Dutch air force base in Gilze-Rijen. This initially included a khaki jumpsuit and massive, light brown shoes. She also wore a matching green flight jacket and mandatory helmet during the flight.
Maxima took part in helicopter training to extinguish forest fires and flew to the alleged scene with a Chinook transport helicopter of US design. As pictures of the training show, Queen Maxima had to struggle with the gusts of wind that whipped across the military airport at the time of training when she put on her helmet. Despite the strong winds, the helicopter took off to the planned destination.
The royal family also published a series of pictures of the training session on Instagram. The corresponding post says: “There will be more forest fires in the Netherlands in the future.” Experts had unanimously warned of this. If firefighters on the ground couldn’t get a fire under control themselves, they could resort to Dutch Air Force helicopters. Before the flight, in which a fictional area was erased, Queen Máxima received an introduction on cooperation between the authorities. After the flight there was a meeting with the responsible personnel.
