Near this airfield, the Germans selected a large heath area (between Houthalen, Genk, As, Peer and Opglabbeek) where they installed a firing range.

After World War I, the name of the airfield was changed to Asch (as it was spelled at the time) and it became the Flying School of the Belgian Military Aviation, later in March 1920 called Aéronautique Militaire.

Situated 2 km SW of the town centre of As, this school had a large 1100 by 800 metres grass airfield at its disposal and several metal hangars and brick support buildings.

After the Flying School was abandoned in 1924, the airfield was closed to make room for the proposed construction of a canal, and moved to Wevelgem, the field gradually became a dense wooded area.

The Fw 190s and Bf 109s of JG-11 arrived at Asch just as the 487th FS of the 352nd FG were rolling down the runway, the ensuing battle came to be known as the Legend of Y-29 and encapsulated the failure of Operation Bodenplatte as a whole.