50th Anniversary of 3 Авиобаза Graf Ignatievo (Bulgaria) 2001
The first (successful) visit concerning Bulgarian aviation takes the author to Graf Ignatievo on March 17, 2001, where the last remaining fighter base of the Bulgarian Air Force (BVVS) celebrates the 50th anniversary of its (re-)founding.
Assembly for the flag ceremony.
With the march-past of the guard of honour ...
... in front of the assembled base personnel, the event begins.
Soldiers and civilians have gathered in front of the airfield's historic buildings, built with German support before the Second World War.
The highlight of the event was of course the display of the MiG-21, which flew exactly once low enough for a reasonably frame-filling photo.
After landing ...
... the aircraft taxied past the spectators "up close", ...
... followed by an L-39, which also gave a flying display.
(Almost) like in the old days: ...
... on QRA stand MiG-21bis that, apart from the national insignia, ...
... look as they did in the days of the People's Republic of Bulgaria.
An An-26 had flown in from Sofia, ...
... which offered the opportunity to visit the cockpit.
After the event, the participating aircraft are returned to their parking positions by muscle power ...
... and heavy equipment.
Before the other aircraft are also towed away with local equipment ...
... there is still time for a souvenir photo ...
... as well as for close-ups of the MiG-21UM ...
... and MiG-29.
Access to the maintenance unit was unfortunately denied, but at least ...
... the wide-open doors allowed some interesting glimpses.
A proper празник (celebration) of course also includes a cultural programme.
Afterwards there was still the opportunity to look at the historic aircraft displayed on the base, including this MiG-21PFM with missile armament, ...
... MiG-19PM, ...
... Yak-23, ...
... MiG-17, ...
... MiG-15UTI ...
... and L-29.
Outside the gates of the base there was animal local colour ...
... and a MiG-19S gate guardian to see.
Before and after the event there was still time to look around the airfields in the area. The impressions included these An-2s of Balkan at an agricultural airfield ...
... as well as military ...
... and civil Mi-8s at Krumovo airport, ...
... a Russian Il-62 ...
... and an An-12 of a local cargo airline.
Finally, a MiG-21F-13 could be discovered in a front garden near the Sofia – Plovdiv motorway.
