A lot of airshow enthusiasts lament what they call the lack of variation at European airshows nowadays, with airforces relying on the same types of aircraft. One exception is the Serbian air force, which held an airshow to celebrate 100 years of aviation in Serbia on Sunday 2 September 2012.
The Serbian airforce has plenty of exotica in its inventory. Aircraft like the Super Galeb Utva 75, Lasta and Orao cannot be found anywhere else in Europe for instance, and Gazelle and Mig-21 displays have also become a rare occurrence in recent years. Add to that rare foreign appearances by a Mig-29M2 sent over from Russia by RSK-Mig and the Russian air force display team Striji and you have a show that's well on its way to claim its place in the memory of visitors.
Batajnica still bears the scars from the intensive NATO bombing campaign in 1999, but NATO aircraft were still more than welcome on the tarmac there, the USAF KC-135 being the biggest by far. Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Denmark even sent over flying displays, while Bulgaria, Turkey, France and Romania only participated in the static display. One of the hangars was dedicated to the Serbian aviation industry which is picking itself up and gaining some commercial foreign sales in recent years.
The static display was accessible from both sides so was difficult for photographers to get clean shots, but it could be done with some creativity, and Serbian aircrews were more than happy to assist foreign photographers. The static line-up included all types currently in service with the Serbian air force, and was therefore a real treat for foreign visitors.
With the flying display lasting about 5 hours, with gaps towards the end, and the long static line, there was plenty to watch and the base personnel made sure visitors enjoyed their time on base. While the press day on Saturday ran a little chaotic, this should not detract from the effort the organizers put into making the event a positive memory.
The Serbian airforce has plenty of exotica in its inventory. Aircraft like the Super Galeb Utva 75, Lasta and Orao cannot be found anywhere else in Europe for instance, and Gazelle and Mig-21 displays have also become a rare occurrence in recent years. Add to that rare foreign appearances by a Mig-29M2 sent over from Russia by RSK-Mig and the Russian air force display team Striji and you have a show that's well on its way to claim its place in the memory of visitors.
Batajnica still bears the scars from the intensive NATO bombing campaign in 1999, but NATO aircraft were still more than welcome on the tarmac there, the USAF KC-135 being the biggest by far. Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Denmark even sent over flying displays, while Bulgaria, Turkey, France and Romania only participated in the static display. One of the hangars was dedicated to the Serbian aviation industry which is picking itself up and gaining some commercial foreign sales in recent years.
The static display was accessible from both sides so was difficult for photographers to get clean shots, but it could be done with some creativity, and Serbian aircrews were more than happy to assist foreign photographers. The static line-up included all types currently in service with the Serbian air force, and was therefore a real treat for foreign visitors.
With the flying display lasting about 5 hours, with gaps towards the end, and the long static line, there was plenty to watch and the base personnel made sure visitors enjoyed their time on base. While the press day on Saturday ran a little chaotic, this should not detract from the effort the organizers put into making the event a positive memory.
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 |
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 |
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 |
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| MiG-21UM, MiG-21bis Serbian Air Force 16180, 17163 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18102 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18102 |
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| G-4 Serbian Air Force 23741 |
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| Mi-8MTV-1 Serbian Air Force 12551 |
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| Utva 75 Serbian Air Force 53252 |
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| An-26 Serbian Air Force 71386 |
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| Yak-40 Serbian Air Force 71504 |
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| SA341H Serbian Air Force 12803 |
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| MiG-29S-13 Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| Il-76MD Russian Air Force RA-76745 |
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| C-160D Turkish Air Force 69-033 |
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| MiG-29M2 Russian Air Force 747 |
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| C-27J Italian Air Force MM62250/46-91 |
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| Jas-39C Hungarian Air Force 32 |
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| G-4 Serbian Air Force 23741 |
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| MiG-29S-13 Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| MiG-29S-13, MiG-29UB Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| MiG-29S-13 Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| MiG-29S-13 Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| MiG-29S-13, MiG-29UB Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| MiG-29S-13 Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| MiG-29UB Russian Air Force Strizhi |
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| Saab 105Ö Austrian Air Force RF-26 |
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| Lasta 95 Serbian Air Force 54012 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18102 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18108, 18102 |
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18108, 18102 MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18108 |
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18102 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18108 |
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 |
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| MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18108 |
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| G-2A Stars Aerobatic Team YU-YAK |
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| An-26 Serbian Air Force 71364 |
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| B300 Air Traffic Services Agency YU-BTC |
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| Lasta 95 Serbian Air Force 54201, 54202, 54204, 54205, 54206 |
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| Mi-8MTV-1 Serbian Air Force 12550 SA342L-1 Serbian Air Force 12890, 12879 |
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| Mi-8MTV-1 Serbian Air Force 12250 |
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| SA342L-1 Serbian Air Force 12894 |
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| SA342L-1 Serbian Air Force 12920 SA341H Serbian Air Force 12833, 12806, 12821 |
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| SA342L-1 Serbian Air Force 12920 |
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force MiG-29B Serbian Air Force MiG-29UB Serbian Air Force |
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| MiG-21UM Serbian Air Force 16178 MiG-29B Serbian Air Force 18102, 18108 MiG-29UB Serbian Air Force 18301 |
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| J-22 Serbian Air Force 25530, 25528, 25155, 25154 |
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| J-22 Serbian Air Force 25530 |
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| J-22 Serbian Air Force 25528, 25530 |
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| J-22 Serbian Air Force 25207 |
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| J-22 Serbian Air Force 25207 |
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| J-22 Serbian Air Force 25207 |
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| EF2000 Italian Air Force MM7306/RS-21 |
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| EF2000 Italian Air Force MM7306/RS-21 |
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| F-16AM Danish Air Force E-194 |
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| F-16AM Danish Air Force E-194 |
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