Due to the length of this report, it’s divided in 4 parts. Click on the part you’d like to read:
Part 1 September 7 – 8, 1996
Part 2 September 9 – 11, 1996
Part 3 September 12 – 14, 1996
Part 4 September 15 – 21, 1996

Back in 1996 some friends and myself travelled to Ukraine to watch as many old Soviet planes as we could. This report was published in a Dutch Aviation Magazine and on my website afterwards.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, PRAHA (CZECH REPUBLIC), VODOCHODY, SLIAC (SLOVAKIA)

After leaving Utrecht at 5 PM to pick up Rick, we made the first stop in Apeldoorn at Alex’ parents for the last decent meal (Lasagne á la Hamelink) after which we drove to Praha in one go, where we found the first plane of this trip, a Su.7.

September 7th, Praha-Motol

6502Su.7BKLCL Stored at Avioexport

At 8 Am there was coffee at the Praha-Ruzyne airport. Both 707’s of Michael Jackson were here because of his concerts in Praha.

September 7th, Praha-Ruzyne

5V-TPAB.727-243Bemoair22165 
F-GFKTA.320-211Air France188 
G-BIKHB.757-236British Airways22179 
G-DCFRCe.550Chauffair550-0419 
G-OMGEBAe.125-800BMagec Aviation258197 
G-OMGGBAe.125-800BMagec Aviation258058 
XX491/KJetstream T.1RAF275 
LZ-BTRTu.154MBalkan87A-760 
N138SRB.707-138BKingdom Entertainment17697 
OK-EKKCe.172   
OK-IELF-28-4000Air Ostrava11138 
OK-REJJetstream 3102Air Ostrava719 
OK-SDAL.410UVP-E7Air Ostrava872018 ?See OM-SDA
OK-PEPSAAB 340AAir Ostrava340A-018 
OK-JBIIl.62MAir Praha2932748Stored
OK-JBJIl.62MBemoair4933456 
OK-OBLIl.62MBemoair4445032 
OK-UDSL.410UVP-E13Bemoair892321n/t
OK-WDOL.410UVP-EBemoair912538 
OK-VCPTu.154MCeska Republika90A-858 
OK-BYKYak.40KCeska Republika9940260 
OK-NKNCe.650 (III)Chemopol650-0010 
OK-XFAATR.72-202CSA285 
OK-XFCATR.72-202CSA299 
OK-WABA.310-340ETCSA567 
OK-WGGB.737-4Y0CSA24693 
OK-XGCB.737-55SCSA26541 
OK-XGDB.737-55SCSA26542 
OK-KBNIl.62MCSA4037425Stored, a/w, n/t
OK-HFLTu.134ACSA7349913 
OK-HFMTu.134ACSA7360142 
OK-IFNTu.134ACSA8360282 
OK-TCDTu.154MCSA88A-792 
OK-UCFTu.154MCSA89A-807 
OK-VCGTu.154MCSA90A-838 
YR-JCBB.707-321BKingdom Entertainment20022 

Because we had to cross the city center on the quest for the 3 MiG.15s at Holesovice, we got a good look at the huge statue of mister Jackson and all of the rest of the city center because of all the roadblocks.

September 7th, Praha-Holesovice

2601L.29CL Preserved
9903L.29CL Preserved
5-57MiG.15CL Preserved

At Vodochody there were at least five Let.39s with a yellow star in a red circle. At home we found out that this means Vietnamese Air Force. Unfortunately we got kicked away here, so that we didn’t manage to read any serials.

September 7th, Vodochody

OK-WDCL.410UVP-E8DAero Vodochody912531 

Alex had never been to Kbely before, so we made a short stop there.

September 7th, Praha-Kbely

CCCP-67500L.410UVPAeroflot851405Stored
N143JDC.3-229 1995Preserved
 L.410  Preserved, Czech flag
 L.410  Preserved
2105An.12BPCL4342105Preserved
7109An.24BCL17307109Preserved
 An.26CL Preserved, Camo c/s
 An.26CL Preserved, Camo c/s
 Il.14CL Preserved
 Il.14CL Preserved
 Il.14CL Preserved
 Il.28CL Preserved
 Il.28CL Preserved
0501 ?Il.28CL Preserved
2710Li.2DCL23442710Preserved
3002Li.2CL23443002Preserved
 L.29CL Preserved
 L.29CL Preserved
 L.29CL Preserved
0829Mi.8PCL10829Preserved, VIP c/s
1407Tu.134ACL1351407Preserved
OK-NAAIl.18BCSA189001604Preserved
OK-LDATu.104ACSA76600503Preserved
OK-010Yak.40VZLU  

At the maintenance facilities of Letnany we couldn’t get a sight-seeing tour. After a little pushing we could see two preserved aircraft.

September 7th, Praha-Letnany

0740L.39VCL630740Stored
3949MiG.15BisCL713949Preserved
0619MiG.21F-13CL740619Preserved at Gate as “8519”

To obtain a nice load of MiG.21s we took a tour around Sliac after which the car started making trouble.

Sliac, september 7th, 1996

1730L.39ZALOPS631730Stored
4701L.39ZALOPS934701 
4705L.39ZALOPS934705 
4711L.39ZALOPS934711 
0268MiG.21UMLOPS  
0710MiG.21F-13LOPS740710Stored
1918MiG.21RLOPS94R01918 ?Stored
1924MiG.21RLOPS94R01924 ?Stored
1.23 ?MiG.21LOPS Stored
2406MiG.21MFLOPS962406Stored
2708MiG.21MFLOPS962708 
3176MiG.21UMLOPS  
3741MiG.21UMLOPS516937041 
4310MiG.21MFLOPS964310Stored
7706MiG.21MFLOPS967706Stored
7715MiG.21MFLOPS967715Stored
7908MiG.21F-13 ?LOPS Stored
9501MiG.21MFLOPS969501Stored
9710MiG.21MFLOPS969710 
9713MiG.21MFLOPS969713 
9803MiG.21MFLOPS969803Stored
0820MiG.29LOPS35409 
0921MiG.29LOPS  
1303MiG.29UBLOPS50903028113 
3911MiG.29LOPS32039 
5113MiG.29LOPS  

It took us quite a few hours to repair the car, it turned out there was water in the carburator.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH, KOSICE, UZHGOROD (UKRAINE)

Kosice-Barca, september 8th, 1996

3803F-4FLuftwaffe4613 
3857F-4FLuftwaffe4767 
043/62-IACN.235M-100AdlA43 
18/2-FLMirage 2000CAdlA  
508/2-FEMirage 2000BAdlA  
ZF140Tucano T.1RAFS6/T6 
ZF406Tucano T.1RAFS125/T96 
ZD324/5Harrier GR.7RAFP5 
ZD402/31Harrier GR.7RAFP31 
XX194Hawk T.1ARAF312041 
N50FJDa.50Dassault Falcon Corp.244 
64-0495/FTC-130EUS Air Force3979 
84-0087C-21AUS Air Force35A-533 
3H FAPC.7ÖLSK412 
3H FBPC.7ÖLSK413 
3H FCPC.7ÖLSK414 
3H FEPC.7ÖLSK416 
3H FFPC.7ÖLSK417 
3H FGPC.7ÖLSK445 
3H FHPC.7ÖLSK446 
3H FIPC.7ÖLSK447 
OM-JISAn.2T 1G18630 
OM-JITAn.2R 1G18631 
OM-KIUAn.2R 1G19015 
OM-RIPAn.2 117410 
OM-4101L.13   
OM-OFSL.200A 170213 
OM-PLFL.200A 170719 
OM-AXMMXP.741 AG-03-95-50-026 
OM-SGBM.18A 1Z01720 
OM-TGFM.18A 1Z01813Acoording to register: 1Z01815 !
OM-TGRM.18A 1Z01916 
OM-ARUZ.526AFI-U 99050 
OM-CROZ.326F 1180 
OM-IFEZ.226MS 741 
OM-MFNZ.226T   
OM-WMNZ.226T 102 
OM-WQKZ.226T   
OM-AITZ.37 13-30 
OM-AJAZ.37A 11-21 
OM-AJYZ.37 12-06 
OM-CJIZ.37 16-27 
OM-CJQZ.37 15-04 
OM-DJWZ.37 18-19 
OM-DKNZ.37 19-22 
OM-FJUZ.37 21-15 
OM-FJVZ.37 21-16 
OM-JJXZ.37 24-04 
OM-OJRZ.37A 25-28 
OM-OJUZ.37A 25-40 
OM-VKBZ.37 01-20 
OM-XJJZ.37 07-11 
OM-YXQZ.37Ac3 3038 
OM-ZJGZ.37 10-08 
OM-KNSZ.142 203 
OM-LNQZ.142 234 
OM-LNSZ.142 249 
OM-ONTZ.142 387 
OM-DORZ.43 15 
OM-ARDZ.50   
3208An.26LOPS13208 
1930/1L.29LOPS691930 
2845/3L.29LOPS892845 
2846/2L.29LOPS892846 
3404/8L.29LOPS993404 
3405/6L.29LOPS993405 
3407/7L.29LOPS993407 
3408/5L.29LOPS993408 
0002L.39CLOPS130002 
0003L.39MSLOPS40003 
0101/4L.39CLOPS530101 
0102/6L.39CLOPS230102 
0112/1L.39CLOPS330112 
0443/7L.39CLOPS530443 
0730L.39VLOPS630730 
1701L.39ZALOPS31701 
4355/3L.39CLOPS834355 
0404L.410MLOPS750404 
0927L.410TLOPS820927 
2615MiG.21MFLOPS962615 
4820MiG.21UMLOPS Instructional
7703MiG.21MFLOPS967703 
9904MiG.21F-13LOPS749904Instructional
6821MiG.29LOPS OF “6812” !!!
6930MiG.29LOPS36069 
8217Mi.2LOPS518217063 
0707Mi.24V1LOPS730707 
0833Mi.24V2LOPS  
0845Mi.17LOPS108M45 
3316/FSu.22M-4KLOPS33816 
1008Su.25KLOPS25508110008 
OM-SDAL.410UVP-E7Seagle Air872018 ?See OK-SDA
OM-ODQL.410UVPSlov Air841320 
OM-BYLYak.40Slovak Gvt.9940560 
1602An.26PWL/WLOP1602 
510/9TS.11-100Bis BPWL/WLOP1H0510 
702/3TS.11-100Bis BPWL/WLOP1H0702 
709/8TS.11-100Bis BPWL/WLOP1H0709 
726/2TS.11-100Bis BPWL/WLOP1H0726 
827/10TS.11-100Bis BPWL/WLOP1H0827 

After the airshow we thought it would be a good idea to actually find out what caused the water in the carburator. It turned out out there was a hole in the gastank which we repaired with a piece of tape.

We crossed the border in a relatively short time and then we scored the first aircraft inside the Ukraine, at Uzhgorod.

Uzhgorod, september 8th, 1996

CCCP-15621Mi.2 5210006106Stored, Camo c/s
CCCP-23516Mi.2Aeroflot525919118Stored
CCCP-23599Mi.2Aeroflot534620026Stored
HA-BCVMi.2 524013025Stored
HA-BCZMi.2Fönix Air525741088Stored
UR-14362Mi.2 535110027 
UR-14367Mi.2 535115027 
UR-20261Mi.2 547219071 
UR-20407Mi.2 529905086 
UR-20409Mi.2 529907086Stored, No rotor
UR-20582Mi.2 524706036Stored, Also “CCCP-20582”, No rot.
UR-20652Mi.2 526422119 
UR-23517Mi.2 525920118Stored, No rotor
..-20826Mi.2 548049033 
UR-25604Mi.8   
UR-88290Yak.40 9840459n/t
UR-26007An.26Antonov Airtrack5807Antonov Motor
UR-47281An.24BAvialiniï Ukraïny7306501 
UR-47801An.24RVAvialiniï Ukraïny17306810 

Part 2 September 9 – 11, 1996