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For 2013 the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, the organizers of the International Air Show and Military Display at Kecskemet, had done an excellent show! Perhaps the BEST air show in Europe this year, and if we look at the toned down air shows in North America, Kecskemet's had to be one of the BEST in the world! |
| Over 100,000 visitors attended the air show in Kecskemet. It was one of the hottest weekend in Europe, with the temperatures rising upwards to 40°C. Many visitors had difficulty coping with such high temperatures and suffered from heat exhaustion, keeping the Red Cross very busy.
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For 2013, the organizers introduced a specially priced spotter package that included food and refreshments, and it was available from one to six days in total duration. Furthermore they offered to help in finding accommodations nearby. These changes were very much welcomed by the air show enthusiasts. The air show grounds were well organized, with plenty of refreshment and food stands, and just as importantly well distributed sanitations facilities. |
The static displays not only included aircraft but some displays from the Hungarian Army and by civilian institutions. Of course, the visitors came to see the outstanding list of display teams from Europe and they were not disappointed, as the teams put on an excellent show. The teams included the Russian “ Russikiye Vityazi” (or better known as Russian Knights), the Croatian “Wings of Storm” the Italian “Frecce Tricolori”, the Spanish “Patrouille Aguila”, from Turkey the “Turkish Stars”, the Swiss “PC-7 Team”, the civilian Estonian team “Baltic Bees”, two fantastic F-16 solo displays, one from the Belgian Air Force with Captain Reanaud “Grat” Thys and from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Captain Stefan "Stitch" Hutten in the cockpit. |
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Now add five Gripen s from the Hungarian Air Force in demo role. Also from the Hungarian Air Force a formation flight with two Gripens and a single Antonov An-26, a single Mil Mi-8 and a Mil Mi-24. From the NATO’s we had the Pápa based Boeing C-17 Globemaster for a short show to show off the STOL properties of this aircraft. If all these were not enough, add the two Sukhois Su-22 Fitter’s in the flying display from Poland. This type of rare aircraft may retire by the end of 2014, it was a fantastic opportunity to watch the silhouette of this old swing wing cold war warrior. The Romanian Air Force showed a rare airplane in the flying display, the legendary twin seat version of the rarely seen Mikoyan Mig-21, the UM Lancer B. What a bang when the pilot turns the afterburner on! From Austria the Saab 105 with the fantastic orange painted Tiger Meet scheme and a new blue painted Pilatus PC-7 in the sunny sky over Kecskemet. |
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There were helicopter displays from the Belgian Air Force, the Agusta A-109 demo team, a civilian Mil Mi-2, and from the Italian Cost Guard a brand new Agusta Westland AW 139 in a SAR-Demo. Historic aircraft, like the Antonov AN-2, Polikarpov Po-2 , the world’s only Lisunov Li-2 and some other civilian aircraft completed the flying program. |
| The static display included some interesting surprises: Bulgarian Air Force the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot, and from the Ukrainian Air Force the legendary Sukhoi Su-27 UB in the wonderful blue/grey paint scheme, the German Navy's Dornier Do-228NG and the special painted Sea King Mk41. Casa C-295s were from Spain, Czech and the Polish Air Force. A rare transport aircraft was the support aircraft for the Russian Knights, the Iljuschin Il-76 MD and the Serbian Air Force Antonov An-26. |
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| The following aircraft participated either as flying display or static:
Belgium F-16, A-109 C-130
Bulgaria SU-25, C-27
Czech Republic JAS-39, L-159A, Mi-35 C-295, L-159T, JAS-39
Netherlands F-16
Croatia 6x PC-9 (Wings of Storm)
Poland 2xSU-22, C-295 Hungary 5xJAS-39, AN-26
NATO E-3 AWACS
Germany Do-228, Sea King Mk41
Italy 9xMB-339 (Freece Tricolori), C27J Spartan C-27, AW-139
Russia 5xSU-27 (Russian Knights), IL-76
Austria SAAB-105, PC-7
Romania MIG-21, C-27,
United Kingdom GR4 Tornado, Hawk T1
Serbia AN-26
Slovakia Mi-17, L-39
Slovenia PC-9 Bell-419
Spain 7xC-101 (Patrulla Aguila) CASA-295
Turkey 6xF-5 (Turkish Stars)
Ukraine SU-27, AN-26
NATO C-17 from Pápa
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International civil Galeb G2
Kraguj J20
MIG-15,
Baltic Bees 5xL-39
AN-2
Hungarian civil Aerotechnika L-29
Bücker, Bell-407GT
Besenyei Péter - Corvus Racer
Veres Zoltán - MXS
Nádas Tamás - Edge 540
Vári Gyula - JAK-52
Goldtimer - Li-2, PO-2, Kánya
Komo Sky Team - L-29, Apollo Fox
Forgószárny Kft. - Mi-2
Rendőrség - MD-500
Z-50, Corvus, AN-2 OMSZ - EC-13
Cirrus, Z-43
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Rating: 10 out of 10 |
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