Mirage 2000 Heaven at Dijon's Base Aérienne back in 2004.

Dijon, the former home of the Dukes of Burgundy and, of course, the outstanding Burgundy wine, comes from the vines growing all around the area, and then there's Dijon mustard (Well, the recipe is from there), so what's not to like?

Oh! And, of course, there was Base Aérienne BA102, home to Escadron de Chasse 01.002 'Cigogne' (Stork) and 02.002 'Côte d'Or' (Golden coast), both flying Mirage 2000-5F. 

As one of Frances's oldest airbases, created in 1914, the Second World War saw Luftwaffe units seizing control in 1941. The USAAF later bombed it with its B-17s before being assigned to the USAAF  in 1944 as an operational base.

Back to the mission: visit BA102 for their airshow, which was held back in June 2004 and witness the show highlight of at least one Mirage 2000 from almost all the de l'Armée de l'air units operating the type in their many variants, all culminating with the arrival of the 'The King', a Mirage 1VP and its support KC-135 tanker aircraft.

"Bring it on."  

 

42/2-FH Mirage(5F), 122/12-YA(C), 367/4-AW(N), 91/12-KC(C), 659/3-XR(D), 72/2-EE(5F)SpM, and 59/2-EV(5F) part of an awesome line up of Mirage 2000s gathered at Dijon 94.

72/2-EE Mirage 2000-5F Escadron de Chasse. 01.002 'Cigogne' (Storks) sporting Special marks.                              

The 72 Mirage 2000-5F was written off on 27 February 2006.

659/3-XR Mirage 2000D EC.03.003 'Ardennes' arrives from BA133 at Nancy-Ochey.

659/3-XR taxies with its 'Hure de Sanglier-Berre Bleue' (Wild Boar Head-Blue Bar) tail markings.

Today, it is still active.

367/4-AW Mirage 2000N EC.01.004 'Dauphiné' arriving from BA116 at  Luxeuil/St Sauveur.

367/4-AW Mirage 2000N full stop.

Today marks a complete stop, as this aircraft is now an Instructional airframe at Base Aérienne 721 at Rochefort-Saint-Agnant airbase.  

Sadly, the weather was starting to haze as more Mirage 2000s arrived overhead for the break.

A four-ship of Dijon-based Mirage 2000-5F's 

42/2FH, 48/2-FX, 49/2-FF and 58/2-FO EC.02.002 'Cote de Or'.

More Dijon Mirages with 46/2-EN and 59/2-EV EC.01. 002 'Cigogne'.

Additionally, another wave of Mirage 2000s followed, with another run and break.

516/5-OL Mirage 2000B and 9/5-OJ Mirage 2000C, EC.02 005 'Ile de France' from BA115 down at Orange. 

122/12-YA Mirage 2000C EC01.012 arriving from BA103 based at Cambrai-Épinoy, it later became   315-YM.

48/2-FX Mirage-5F EC02. 002, it later became 2-EW and is still active.

42/2-FH Mirage-5F becoming 2-EY and still flying.

122/12-YA Mirage 2000C EC01. 012.

91/12-KL Mirage 2000C EC02. 012 becoming 188-YR and today stored at BA279 at Châteaudun.

58/2-FO followed by 49/2-FF, both from the EC02.002 at Dijon.

She looked as good then as she does today.

Before the storm, temperatures were blistering as the air filled with aviation fuel.

49/2-FF joins the lineup.

Getting up close with those infamous tail marks.

Dijon's best EC. 01.002 'Cigogne' coded (2-EA etc) and EC.02.002 'Côte d'Or' coded (2-FA etc).

46/2-EN Mirage 2000-5F EC.01. 002. 'Cigogne' completes the lineup.

Pilots and ground crews attending their Mirages whilst we await the 'King' of Mirages!

736/93-CH KC-135FR from ERV00. 093 'Bretagne' based at Istres/ Le Tubé delivers the 'King.' 

23/AV Mirage 4P ERS01. 091, formerly based at Mont-de-Marsan.

23/AV Mirage 4P downwind at Dijon. 

23/AV Mirage 4P taxing as the first large spots of rain start to fall. This is still the Iconic photograph of that great day out!

Happy Days! Indeed.

Mig-21bis Polish Navy displays at Gdynia Babie Doly Airshow 1995.

The Polish Navy's 34th Fighter Regiment (34 Pulk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego) hosted its premiere airshow on the first weekend of July 1995. It was a memorable event, with the Navy displaying fascinating older aircraft types, such as the An-2 "Colt" and the Mi-2 "Hoplite." 

They were well supported by the Polish Air Force units, including an Iryda I-22 M-93K. The European Marine teams were Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. Also displayed is a USA Marine Corps F/A-18C from VMFA-312 "Checkerboards" from Operation Deny Flight. They are part of an extensive flying program featuring aircraft from the "Cold War" era to modern-day jets and helicopters.

I had arrived earlier in the week to photograph the MiG-21 BIS aircraft from the 34th's two Fighter Squadrons (esk A/B). See the link below.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2021/01/mig-21s-of-polish-navy-in-show-of.html

My photographs are taken from the Friday practice and Sunday's airshow. I hope you find them interesting.

8705 MiG-21bis Eskadra 'A' "Siuksow"(Sioux) 34th Aviation Regiment Polish Navy.

0511 W-3RM Anakonda 1DLMW/C esk

Eskadra 'C' was the third squadron based at Babie Doly with the W-3RM Anakonda, M28R "Bryza", Mil Mi-2, and An-2 transport aircraft.

0506 W-3RM 1DLMW/C esk demonstrating a SAR mission.

1005 Mil Mi-14PL, 40EZOPR from Darlowo.

0405 An-28R "Bryza" 1DLMW/C esk.

0404 An-28R "Bryza" 1DLMW/C esk.

Both are based at Babie Doly.

1242 Mil Mi-2RL NATO calling "Hoplite."

Today, it resides in the Lennundusmuuseum in Tartu, Estonia.

0615 Mil Mi-2P, they were mainly used for training and liaison.

Status: It is sadly withdrawn from use and is on the dump at Nadarzyce.

5338 Mil Mi-2R visiting from Dęblin. Today, this colourful aircraft is stored.

2950 Mil Mi-2RM. It had arrived from Darlowo and is believed to be stored there today.

2703 Mil Mi-2 RM 40EZOPR also from Darlowo. I was pleased to see that all these Mi-2s had different colour schemes. Behind is An-28 1022 1DLMW/C esk's third aircraft. 

 

New kid on the block 0209 W-3T Anakonda. A mere twenty-one years after this photo was taken, it was converted for the SAR role in 2006. I imagine it became a W-3RM. It also now features a stunning new grey and orange colour scheme.

 

7356 An-2T NATO calling "Colt." 

Passed to Olesnica as an Instructional airframe.

1317 An-2R.

Preserved at Rudzienice.

 

1465 An-2P

Stored at Random AB.

301 Iryda I-22 M-93K 58 training combat regiment (58 LPSzk-B) arriving from Dęblin.

The First of just 17 registered jets. The PZL-Mielec I-22 project is likely one of Poland's most controversial home-built aircraft.

It flew at Dęblin between 1992 through 96.

By early 2001, it was rumoured that the fleet of seventeen stored airframes would be passed to the Navy. Still, the financing of this aircraft project deteriorated, especially for the manufacturer PZL-Mielec.

 With a sad end in sight, aircraft were passed to museums. 

A dejected end for an aircraft, said by pilots who flew the jet to be a superior training aircraft. One test pilot marvelled that it could self-recover from a flat spin.

 Number 1 aircraft, ANA 003-01, was registered SP-PWI/301 in 2008. It was on display at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Warsaw, but it is no longer flying.

  

044 Yak-40 36SPLT Warszawa.

Today, it is preserved at the Wojska Polskiego Museum wearing the VIP Red and White paint scheme.

See more below.

http://www.muzeumwp.pl

045 Yak-40 36 SPLT.

Preserved at Dęblin museum Sil Powietrznych.

See more in the link.

https://muzeumsp.pl

043 Yak-40 36 SPLT.

Sold to the civil market as 9L-LDI

039 Yak-40 36 SPLT.

Sold to the civil market as 9L-LDY

728 Mil Mi-24V Polish Army.

728 Mil Mi-24V 

 The good news for this aircraft is that it still flies with the 56 Blot.

The 3617 SU-22-M4 unit has yet to be discovered but is presumed to be 6PLM at Swidwin AB, arriving for the airshow static display.

It is preserved at Swidwin AB and carries the 6 PLM markings.

3911 Su-22M4 6PLM, one of the three flying, makes a late afternoon low pass.

Today, it is stored in Bydgoszcz.

3811 and 3812 Su-22M4 from 7PLM lead 3911 of the 6PLM as seen above.

455,456, and 459 MiG-23MF  28PLM, scorching the air above Babie Doly AB.

016 PZL-130TC-1 "Orlik" 60 LPS.

013 was the spare aircraft.

016 made a spirited display. Status is no longer flying, but fate is unknown.

728,742, 956, and 737 Mi-24V's, 56 Blot, arriving to display from their home in Inowroclaw/Latkowo.

As 728,742, 956, and 737 swept in, I was reminded of the 1979 film Apocalypse Now and the "Ride of the Valkyries." 

A Mil Mi-24V was shot down in Afghanistan in July 2009 while operating with the SGPsz (Independent Air Group) on night missions. Also damaged was the 737 Mil Mi-24V, which was again flying here in the overhead transparencies.

 

728 Mil Mi-24V from 56 Blot's 3rd Escadra arrives for their display's fantastic climax. 

 728,742, 956, and 737 Mi-24s are performing an incredible manoeuvre, one I have never witnessed again, sadly.

956 and 737 Mil Mi-24 job done and move out. Aircraft 737 wound up in Afghanistan, and Aircraft 956 is still flying.

633 Mil Mi-8Ps today, the remaining MiL Mi-8Ps are part of 1BLTR, and their aircraft bear the red and white VIP colour scheme. 

164274/AJ-340 F/A-18C VMFA (AW)-312 "The Checkerboards".

164274/AJ-340 F/A-18C VMFA (AW)-312  with the motto "The Fight's on"

XZ921/CU-587 HAS6 Seaking 706 Squadron RN participating from RNAS Culdrose.

XV661/CU-824 HAS5 Seaking 771Sqn "Ace of Clubs" also from RNAS Culdrose.

30 Super Etendard 11F FN participating from its base at Landivisiau in Brittany. 

 Preserved at Montélimar airport.

45+36 Tornado IDS MFG-2 GN  from Eggebek.

Status scrapped. 

For me, the 45+36 Tornado IDS was the best fast jet of the flying display.

From fast passes to touch and goes.

Tornado IDS 45+36 finally makes a landing to applause.

89+59 MK41 Seaking GN and beyond S-142 Lynx Mk80 Søv Fl.

Challenging with the cloud as 11 TS-11 Navy Trainers form the "Anchor" flypast.

 

In the typical Baltic weather, they are back in the Blue for a few minutes before the rain sets in to end the day.

8552 An-2T in the early evening light.

1320 An-2T, rain, fumes, and noise, wow! The An-2s depart Sunday's airshow. 

It was a fabulous few days, for sure, and I have great memories of them.

More Polish Navy MiG-21BIS Photos Are Available at the link below.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2021/01/mig-21s-of-polish-navy-in-show-of.html