The former Polish Air Force machine is bound for European skies…

In news that raised many an eyebrow across the British preservation scene the Warsaw, Poland-based Fundacja Eskadra announced on October 20, that it had acquired perhaps the most exotic resident at Essex’s North Weald Airfield – David Miles’ former Polish Air Force PZL-Mielec Lim-5, G-MIGG.

A Polish licence-built example of the famed Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 Fresco, the Fundacja Eskadra plans to return the long-term static jet to the skies.

Delivered to the Polish Air Force in 1958 as ‘1211’, the jet arrived in the UK via the Duxford, Cambridgeshire-based Old Flying Machine Company in 1995 for a planned returned to flight as G-BWUF. Repainted in the North Vietnamese colours it still wears today, the jet was stored at Duxford until it was acquired in 2003 by David Miles, who ultimately moved it to North Weald following a spell on loan to the Bournemouth Aviation Museum at Hurn. Registered G-MIGG, the jet underwent further work to return it to the air – although this never happened.

In its statement, the Fundacja Eskadra (which currently operate both a MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTI) said: “In the coming weeks, the aircraft will be transported from the North Weald to Warsaw Modlin Airport in Poland where the restoration to flying condition will begin. During the restoration, the aircraft will receive its original Polish Air Force markings, and [once] completed this will be Europe's only airworthy MiG-17.”At the time of the announcement the Fundacja Eskadra expected ‘1211’ to perform its debut display during the 2025 display season.