I live in a good place...

[Pisis]

Hiya blokes!

I live in Letnany (it means "The City of Flyers" in Czech) and there are two big airfields in this area. One is the Letnany Airfield, a former WWII airbase of the Luftwaffe, after 45 of the Czech AF, now a Civil Airfield for ultralights but from time to time there are airshows with warbirds as well. The other big place for planes is the Kbely Military Air Base, with all the war technique - Migs, Tupolevs, Mi-24s, Aero L-159 Alcas and many more... Circa month ago, the Czech Army get a brand new fighters - Jas-39 Gripen. And since I live near to these two places, I simply live together with the planes and I see them every day flying over my head - some, especially the sport, at very low altitude. I'll try to make some more captures further, but it's hard cuz especially the army aircraft are very quick and if I don't wait holding my finger on the cam trigger, it's almost impossible to take a pic.

So here you go only some civil:

This is a pair of an ultralight Zlín Z-34 (I guess so) and a L-13 Blaník Glider just after the "deconnection".

L-13 Blaník Glider in detail. Notice the codes. "OK" is an international code for Czech registered aircraft.

This one is a unknown type of a "built-on_knees" flyer, equipped with a Trabant(?) car engine.

Well, that's it for now, enjoy the pics, more to come!

I'll try to post some pics of the military planes, last weekend a pair of Gripens were flying over my house for 1 hour in a row, at alt. max. 500 meters - but unbelievable quickly!!!


Cheers,
Pisis

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Neat stuff Pisis! I work with Blanik L-13s, 23ACs, and 33s at the US Airforce academy. Every so ofter I get to fly in them.

 

[Pisis]

Lucky you, Fly! I've never flown a glider nor ultralight, only as a passenger... And you're right it's L-13, not 14... I mistoke it!

Cheers,
Pisis

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I'm still a novice in the sailplanes, only got a little over 14 hours. Fix wing, I have over 700 hours, and I also instruct. I've only done a few ultralights, I rather stick to regular fix wing aircraft.

 

[Pisis]

Ah, so now I finally know the word... There are sailpanes (gliders), ultralights and fixwing airplanes. Yeah?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Yes, and rotor wing

 

[Pisis]

What is a rotor wing?

 

[Pisis]

Shit just missed a Mi-24 flying so low... god damnit!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

helicopter, and too bad on the Mi-24!

 

[Pisis]

So I actually missed the rotor-wing, namely Mi-24, hehe.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Do you ever go over to the airport and try to meet people who fly there?

 

[Glider]

Pisis. You have to have a go in a glider. In the UK there is a lot of rivalry between Glider Pilots and powered pilots as to what is flying and you can guess what side I come down on. If you want a real thrill go for a cable launch, not an aircraft tow, you will not forget it.

 

[Nonskimmer]

I've ridden as a passenger in one as a boy (never did learn to fly one ), and it was the cable launch that got us airborne. Glider is right, it's a thrill!

 

[Pisis]

Hey Glider,

yup I want to make a course in the future but it's a bit expensive - the most primitive class cost some 50,000 Czk (50 000,00 CZK = 1 117,42 GBP)... With my unregular income of cca 2,000 Czk (45 Pounds) it's almost impossible in the near time...

Cheers,
Pisis

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Well keep the course. I grew up very poor and I never thought I would be able to afford to get my pilots license, let alone to become a flight instructor. Lots of hard work and focus helped me to be a little better off than the rest of my family was, I consider myself very lucky. If you have the desire and drive, I think you can almost achieve anything.

PS - Nice Siggy!

 

[Pisis]

Yeah, that's honestly true. My family lost everything during the WWII, they started from the beginning then and after 15 years the Communists stole them everything again. So my family was very poor during the Red Regime and I can remember how it was. After the revolution in 1989 my family started to grew slowly in the financial way and although we're not rich we are in better conditions then we used to be.

I'm 20 now and since I'm still in the studying process I don't go to a regular job. Eventually I started to work for a quite large American Insurance company and they pay me very well, so it's not impossible to get the license - but it's in the far future.

Cheers,
Pisis

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Good for you - I wish you the best!

 

[Nonskimmer]

Good luck Pisis!

 

[Pisis]

Thanks guys, I'm working on it... Until then I'll send Observer Corps Spy Pics only...

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Good Show!