The 2005 Czech International Air Fest (CIAF) followed the inaugural airshow of 1993 and would go on to become a leading European airshow favourite for all military aviation fans across the continent. The airshow was held at Hradec Králové in Eastern Bohemia, approximately 100 kilometres East of Prague. Hradec Králové had become a Czech Air Force reserve base in 1992 with the departure of its many MiG-21 and Su-22 jets following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia and the air force's reorganisation.
The participation list for 1995 was once again excellent, with all current Czech air force types represented, including MiG-21s, MiG-23s, SU-24s, and Su-22s, sitting alongside United States Air Force Europe Aviano-based F-16 Fighting Falcons and Spangdahlem-based F-15 Eagles, among others.
Air Force aerobatic teams included the Italian Air Force's Frecce Tricolori with MB339As, France's Patrouille de France and their Alpha Jets, Sweden's Saab Sk60A team from F5, the Swiss Air Forces PC-7 team from 11St, the Slovakian Beily Albatros with the L-39Cs of 5LSP, Spain's Team Patrulla Aguila and their CASA 101EB's, along with the Grasshoppers from the Netherlands with Alouette 3's.
Helicopters were very well represented, with all the Czech Air Force's current types flying or on static display, including the Mi-24 display team and a Mi-2 and Mi-17 rescue helicopters from the LZS at Plzeň Lině. The l'Armée de Terre from France arrived with an SA342M and an AS532UL, the RAF with no less than two Wessex HC2, and the Army with a Gazelle AH1 and a Lynx AH7.
Let's stop waffling and get on with the photos of this great event, and see many more aircraft on show and display.
4644 MiG-23ML from 41slt Czech Air Force.
3756 MiG-21UM from the LZO Czech Air Force.
Status:-Sadly written off 07 June 1998.
Status:- Passed to Georgia as 20b, fate unknown.
Head on with 3348 Su-25UBK.
7309/41 Su-22M-3K 322tlt.
Status:-Passed to Vietnam as 8562.
0850 Mi-17 from the LZS at Plzeň Lině, today this beautifully marked helicopter is still in service, flying with 243 vrl.
0718 Mi-2 again from the LZS at Plzeň Lině; sadly, the Mi-2s have been replaced in service with the CLV at Lině, with four Enstrom 480Bs.
Status:- Stored with the CLV LOM at Pardubice.
XT671/D XS674/R Wessex HC2 from 60 Squadron RAF with Lynx AH7 XZ674 from the Army Air Corps awaiting departure.
Status:- XT671 transferred to the civil register as G-BRYC, XS674 was stored at Rdhill in Surrey. XZ674 Lynx AH7 was on the fire dump at Yeovilton.
XZ343 Gazelle AH1 from 659 Squadron AAC.
Status:- To the civil register as G-CMYW.
0001 Mi-9 arriving from Kbely Air Base.
62-3577/D KC-135R 351st ARS USAF.
Status:- Active with the 92nd ARW and now minus its serial.
80-0052/SP "52FW" F-15C with 80-0012/SP behind, both coming from the 53rd FS at
Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
Status: 80-0052 was written off in 2005, and 80-0012 in April 2002.
88-0550/AV "555FS" F-16C from USAFE Aviano; 89-1029/AV F-16C parked behind.
Status:- 88-0550 was written off in May 1999.
1107 An-30 344pztlt CzAF.
Status:- Preserved at Zruč-Senec Air Park.
0558 Zlin142C-AF CzAF.
Status:- Active at Pardubice.
60098/98 Sk60A F5 Flyvapnet, SwAF.
Status:- To an instructional airframe at Ronneby Air Base.
Biele Albatrosy "White Albatrosses" Slovak Air Force Aero L-39 Display Team arriving at Hradec Králové.
4357 L-39C Biele Albatrosy SloAF.
Status:- Written off July 1996.
0705
Mi-24V solo display team flown by crews drawn from 221st helicopter squadron at Náměšť.
Status:- Preserved at Náměšť in full Tiger Colour scheme.
O
YD-04 Yellow J1Ø5Ö JBG AustAF.
Status:- Dismantled at Linz-Hörsching.
3H-FN PC-7 FlS AustAF.
Status: To the USA Civil register as N76XC.
F207/64-GG C-160NG ET64 AdlA.
Support aircraft for the Parouille de France.
1107 An-30 344pztlt CzAF.
2408 An-26 63dlt CzAF.
Status:- To the civil register as ER-AUD.
0219 Mi-24D 331vrlt CzAF.
Status:-Preserved at Baarlo.
4011 Mi-24D 331vlt CzAF.
Status:- Preserved at Nitra in Slovakia.
0702 Mi-24V 331vlt CzAF.
Status:- Stored at Náměšť.
MM62130/RS-51 G-222TCM RSV ItAF,
and joined by MM62114/46-80, which supported the Frecce Tricolori.
Status:-MM62130 became 46-31 and was withdrawn from use in 2001 at Pisa; MM62114 suffered the same fate.
CF01 SA226T Swearingen Merlin 3A 20sm BAF.
Status:- To the civil register as LX-NOP.
TE.12B-41/79-94 C-212E Esc792 EdA.
Status:-To the Colombian Air Force as ARC-702.
MM7131/RS-13 AMX from the Reparto Sperimentale Volo (RSV) at Pratica di Mare and the first AMX delivered to the ItAF.
MM7121/3-31 AMX 28° Gruppo ItAF from Villfranca.
Status:- Written off January 1996.
XX116 Jaguar GR1A 16 Sqn RAF.
Status:- To RAF Manston as an instructional air frame.
XX116 Jaguar GR1A 16 Sqn RAF.
"Black Cat" in the famous display colour scheme, unofficially known as the "Saint" and flown by 16 squadron at RAF Lossiemouth.
Status:- Preserved on the gate at RAF Honington as a GR4.
ZG713/G Tornado GR1A 13Sqn RAF.
Status:- Scrapped.
13 Squadron Tornados are carrying out a low and fast pass.
3H-FN PC-7 AustAF taxis past RAF Harrier GR7s and Spanish and French teams.
SwissAF PC-7 Team taxi for departure with their ten PC-7s.
OK-JZE
Let C-11 be a licensed-built Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-11. Operated by the Military Historical Institute in Prague (VHÛ), based at Kbely. One of only a few, it was built in 1955.
0832 Mi-17 332vrlt CzAF. Prepares for departure.
Status:- Active with CLV LOM at Pardubice.
0703 Mi-24V 331vrlt CzAF.
Status:- To the Afghanistan Air Force as 114.
Mi-24V by three are preparing to land.
J-003 F-16A 306Sqn RNLAF.
Status:-Passed to the Ukraine.
FA-115 F-16A 10W BAF.
Status:- To the Jordanian Air Force as 156.
XX284/CL Hawk T1A 100Sqn RAF.
Status:- Stored at RAF Shawbury.
XX847/FX Jaguar T2A 41Sqn RAF.
Status:-Instructional air frame RAF Cosford.
Status:- 12 sold to the Indian Air Force and 513 to the Brazilian Air Force.
Status:-Preserved at Sliac Air Base.
3911MiG-29A 1SLP SloAF.
Status:- To Ukraine.
80-0012/SP F-15C 53rd FS USAFE.
88-0550/AV F-16C 555th FS USAFE.
E.25-25/79-25 '5' Casa 101EB Team Aguila EdA.
Status:- Stored Albacete.
1523 L-410FG 344pzdlt CzAF.
Status:-Withdrawn from use, parked at Ostrava Fire Station.
0403 L-410MA LZS CzAF.
Status:- To the civil register as OM-PGD.
Hope you made it, and what a reminder of this well-organised and friendly airshow.
Happy Days indeed!
