International Air Show Batajnica 2009

[Maximowitz]

Looking forward to the photos, great that you had such a wonderful time.

 

[imalko]

Thanks for your comments guys. It was a great experience and now on with the photos...

First is the photo of me and Martin in front of Serbian MiG-21. I wanted to take a photo in front of Czech Mi-17, but he insisted to be in front of some Serbian airplane.

Few fallowing pictures show a general overview of the static display - line up consisted of light and civil propeller driven aircraft, then helicopters, light and training military aircraft, aircraft of Serbian AF, modern fighters and combat aircraft and finally VIP and transport aircraft. Some 40 aircraft all in all according to the organizers (didn't count them myself though). Gripen, Eurofighter, F-16 and Hercules were stars of the static display, at least for me as I've never seen any of this planes in person. It was also very interesting to see British Hawk which was painted with attractive paint scheme. And in the end, I'm always pleased to see aircraft of our AF. More photos of particular planes in static display will fallow in future posts.

The last photo shows new control tower recently build at Batajnica Air Base.

 

[imalko]

As I mentioned in one of the previous posts the flights were taking place quite further from the audience then I remember from before, so with my small camera I wasn't able to make some spectacular photos. Martin had much better camera so I will leave it to him to post photos of aircraft in flight at his own choosing...

Here are just a few photos of my own - flights of J-22 Orao, Hungarian Mi-24 and "Stars" Serbian aerobatic team with G-2 Galebs. Finally, there's a photo of Spanish CASA C-295 on the runway which showed impressive aerial display, untypical for transport aircraft. At one point aircraft was in a steep dive closing to the ground fast and people in the audience (myself included) thought he will crash. But the pilot pulled out at very low altitude as if he was flying an fighter and not a transport. I was so transfixed with this sight that I didn't took any picture. After the flight the aircraft rolled to the static display area so we were able to see it up close. Rumor has it that our AF is interested in purchasing few of this aircraft as a replacement for elderly An-26s currently in use.

Dannish F-16 also put a quite impressive aerial display. Others were good too. The flight program started with flyby of all types of aircraft currently on the Serbian AF inventory. Our MiG-29s simulated a dog fight. Other participants in aerial display were Hungarian Gripen and Mi-24, Danish F-16, Spanish C-295, French Alpha Jet, Czech L-159 Alca, British Hawk, Romanian MiG-21 Lancer, Slovenian Pilatus PC-9, then old timers once serving with Yugoslavian AF - Kraguj, Utva and G-2 Galeb. In the end there was "Stars" aerobatic team. (Hope I haven't forgot someone.)

 

[imalko]

Here are the photos of helicopters on static display - there were machines from Austria and Slovenia, Mi-17 from Czech Republic, same as helicopters in service with Serbian AF and Police (Mi-8, Gazelle, GAMA - Gazelle antitank version, Bell AB 212). On one of the pictures an instrument panel in Gazelle cockpit can be seen.
Some Serbian helicopters were not displayed. Two Mi-24s and two Mi-17s previously serving with Police Force, but now transferred to the AF, are currently grounded and waiting for overhaul and modernization.

 

[imalko]

Austrian Alouette was interesting to see (strangely looking bird was my first thought), but even more interesting to me was Czech Mi-17. Impressive looking machine and nice paint scheme too. Main external difference between Mi-17 and Mi-8 I've noticed right away is differently shaped cargo bay doors and aft part of cargo department which is more squarish in cross section...

 

[Airframes]

Great pics Igor! It's good to see many of the types we don't often get to see in the west of Europe, thanks for sharing.

 

[imalko]

Thanks Terry, there's much more still to come in future posts.

 

[evangilder]

Nice stuff, Igor. Looks like it was a good show.

 

[imalko]

Thanks Eric, it was great and I enjoyed myself very much.

Now, before we switch to airplane photos here's the final set of helicopter photos with several shots of Hungarian Mi-24. Specially painted to represent Hungary at airshows, this Mi-24 performed great flight program before joining static display. Prior to the flight this helicopter stood in semi-restricted area, but as you can see in the photos people managed to get close (myself included) and take a better look. At the end Hungarian crew members even posed for photos next to the helicopter.
The last photo shows this Mi-24 after flight program at static display area.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Nice pics, especially of the helicopters and crews.

I really miss flying out to airshows and sitting at my bird answering questions and stuff.

 

[beaupower32]

Great pictures.

 

[lesofprimus]

What kind of animal is that supposed to be on the side of the Hind, a female Moose???

 

[imalko]

You know, I was wondering that myself. The crew told us its supposed to be a hind (female deer) as the nickname of the type suggest...

 

[Gnomey]

So it is nominally a female deer then, could easily pass a moose or elk female too. Still great pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

[imalko]

As a side note I just wanted to add that looking at the photos I've posted so far you could get the wrong impression of the number of people present at this event. Most of my photos at the static display were taken either early in the morning or late in the afternoon after the end of flight program, basically at times when there weren't so many people around. But here's one photo from Airshow official internet presentation which shows the crowd at the high of the event photographed from control tower (as I suppose). According to some assessments there were more then 150.000 people present.

 

[Airframes]

That's some crowd Igor - and the reason I no longer go to air shows! I suppose I got too used to being on the 'live' side of the fence!!

 

[pbfoot]

looks like a good first airshow and good pics of aircraft that I don't get to see at all and that sure is a large crowd , I feel spoiled

 

[Heinz]

Great shots mate thanks!

 

[Milos Sijacki]

Great photos there Igor, wish I took a picture of myself with a Mi-24 crew .

Cheers

 

[imalko]

Thanks for your comments guys.

Before switching to the jets, here are few photos of propeller driven military aircraft on static display. These were Pilatus PC-6 and PC-9M from Slovenia and Lasta 95 (Swallow) - new Serbian basic trainer, which flew its maiden flight in February this year. There will be 15 examples build for Serbian AF, while Iraq ordered 20 aircraft of this type. Utva 75 basic trainer which soon will be withdrawn from service was also displayed.

One of the photos shows cockpit of Slovenian Pilatus PC 6.