Which is faster – a Formula 1 car or the MiG 29 jet fighter? The result of the competition will become clear during the official celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Bulgarian aviation. 40 airplanes, 10 helicopters, and other aircraft will participate in the air show on the 3th and 4th of September in the city of Plovdiv, in which pilots from 10 different countries will take part. The first flights in Bulgaria started in Plovdiv. During the first international exhibition there three Bulgarians made a demonstration flight with balloon. The year was 1892. Exactly 100 years ago Tsar Ferdinand created the Bulgarian military aviation with a decree.
The air forces of Bulgaria, Italy Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Romania, Greece and Serbia will all take part in the Sky for All festival. The European, American and Russian aviations will be all represented by expert pilots who are to demonstrate some true skills. The Turkish Air Force will participate with F16 jet fighters, while Russia is to present the new fighter MiG 29M OVT. For the first time the Gripen and Eurofighter jets will be shown in Bulgaria. Bulgarian pilots are also to demonstrate all the types of aircraft used by the Bulgarian army. The Bulgarian museum of aviation is also to receive 4 retro planes for its collection, among them Albatross F2 and Nieuport 25 – biplane fighter.
A scientific conference entitled “100 years Bulgarian Aviation” is also to take place before the air show. There will be an exhibition of old aircraft too. The celebrations aim to show the past present and the future of the Bulgarian aviation. A retro parade of the planes take place before the fiesta finishes with the show of the paratroopers. The world-known Thunderbirds team of the US Air Force also made a show in Bulgaria two months ago to mark the anniversary. The guests to the show will have the opportunity to enter some of the exhibited planes and helicopters.
“It will be a remarkable event – one century of Bulgarian aviation,” General Rumen Radev of the Bulgarian Air Force said during a press conference. There are few countries in the world that have such rich and interesting aviation history. This year the Bulgarian ace pilots will show a very interesting and dynamic programme. It includes all types of air forces in Bulgaria, in order to demonstrate the main tasks of the different types of aviation.”
There is an important date in the history of Bulgarian aviation – October 16, 1912. On this day during the Balkan war two Bulgarian lieutenants have implemented the first spy and bombarding mission. This is considered the first attempt to use aviation in war and the experience of the two Bulgarian pilots is studied in a number of military academies in the world.
English version: Alexander Markov
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