Today, 25 June, the 110th anniversary of the establishment of our combat aviation will be solemnly celebrated with an air demonstration at Graf Ignatievo Air Base. More than 10 types of aircraft will take part in the 4-hour air spectacle. Admission will be free for all, and BDZ is providing 8 complementary trains to the airbase.
The first combat flight in Bulgaria and Europe was conducted by the Bulgarian pilots Radul Milkov and Prodan Tarakchiev on 16 October 1912, a few days after the outbreak of the Balkan War. Its duration was 50 minutes, and the feat of the Bulgarian pilots is written in golden letters in the history of the Bulgarian Air Force.
Demonstration of combat maneuvering, interception of intruder in the air, aerobatics, evacuation from enemy territory and firefighting from the air will be shown by the crews of our Air Force. The motto of the parade is “We will survive!”.
Guests will observe aircraft formations and aerobatics, performance of elements of the main missions and tasks of MiG-29, Su-25K, C-27J “Spartan”, L-410, L-39ZA, PC-9M and helicopters Mi-24, Mi-17, AS-532AL Cougar, AS-565 Panther and Bel-206. Bulgarian pilots from the Air Force and Navy will present their skills and capabilities. Visitors will be able to see aviation equipment in the Air Force and Navy, as well as special service equipment at the airport. Complexes and equipment from the anti-aircraft and radio-technical troops will also be presented.
“We must preserve the capabilities of the military aviation because the Bulgarian skies must be protected by Bulgarian pilots. As we have said many times, unlike others, we do not protect territory, we protect the homeland,” said Lt. Stoyan Petkov, a pilot at Graf Ignatyevo Air Base.