Is the Mig 29 historic?

Good question VoyTech.

Suggest you start a new thread with it & the pics at the top for the non-jet fans… 😀

or ask Mark12 to change the title of the thread he originated…

Good question VoyTech.

Suggest you start a new thread with it & the pics at the top for the non-jet fans… 😀

Cheers!

Interesting post VoyTech. How long have the 1 ELT MiGs been wearing the Kosciuszko Squadron badge? I can’t recall seing pictures of it before. Interesting that they wear it in addition to the 1 ELT crest, rather than as a replacement.

It must have first appeared on MiG-29s during the last year, as it certainly wasn’t there last summer.
The ‘Kosciuszko Badge’ was the officiall badge of the 1st Squardon for about 10 years or so, ever since the veterans of 303 Sqn gathered at Minsk Mazowieck to officially pass their traditions on. It was worn on uniforms by the squadron crew. Under the old organisation system the 1 PLM (Pulk Lotnictwa Mysliwskiego – Fighter Aviation Regiment) had two squadrons, and aeroplanes rotated between these, so they only had the mermaid badge of the entire regiment applied. Now, following a reorganisation, the whole unit has the title of the 1st Squadron, and I think the mermaid badge of the 1 PLM is going to go. I have not seen it on aeroplanes that were given new paint job recently, such as ’67’ in my photo.

I just got files with some photos I took last Saturday, 21 May, at Minsk Mazowiecki, the base of 1 Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego (1st Tactical Aviation Squadron) Polish AF. Their MiG-29s don’t seem historic to me, quite unlike the badge they carry under the cockpit, as shown here on three different machines.

The emblem, known as “Kosciuszko Badge” was first seen on fighters in 1920, during the Polish-Russian war (Oeffag D.III shown below).
Then it adorned several types during the inter-war years, ending with P.11s (see below) which took it into battle again, in 1939.
In 1940 it re-appeared on Hurricanes of 303 Sqn over London, and continued on the unit’s Spitfires during 1941-45 (S/Ldr Zumbach’s BM144 illustrated), finally adorning 303’s Mustang IVs when they escorted Lancasters to Berchtesgaden, the “Hitler’s Nest” on 25 April 1945.

This made me wonder: what other unit badges are still in use on operational aircraft in various countries, and date back 85 years or more?

Shades of the RAF claiming back Vulcans allocated to museums for use in the Falklands War in 1982?

Roger Smith.

did they? I though it was just equipment that was needed for the bombing role. Happy to be corrected.

best regards, Steve

This resulted in comments here that the Polish AF is flying fighter aircraft on loan from German museums…

Shades of the RAF claiming back Vulcans allocated to museums for use in the Falklands War in 1982?

Roger Smith.

Is the Mig 29 historic?
If you think so you might like to look at this press report just in from the Czech republic.
The video therein shows a engine failure during a display with textbook handling. Non fatal.
Mark
http://www.press.sk/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=295&Itemid

1) MiG-29 definitely is historic in the Czech Republic, as they don’t have any since the end of the last century.
2) The report was from Slovakia (if you read it carefully, you will realise it is in Slovak, not in Czech ;)).
3) IIRC there was a very widely covered accident of engine failure at low level, ending with a safe pilot ejection, during the Paris Air Show in 1989, which gives the type a nice continuous record of 16 years.

There was the infamous accident at RIAT about 10 years ago when one Mig 29 sliced through the other.

Probably the most impressive stunt in the history of RIAT, wasn’t it?

BTW, Poland has recently acquired all the ex-German MiG-29s. Apparently, the contract provides for at least five of these to be handed back to the Germans for static display purposes once they end their service in Poland. This resulted in comments here that the Polish AF is flying fighter aircraft on loan from German museums…

I’ve seen 2 seperate Mig-29 display’s cut short due to a problem.

One was definately a Czech (or was it Hungarian :rolleyes: ) Mig-29 at RIAT some years ago, pretty sure that was engine related….. :confused:

I think the last one might have been the occasion when the pilot was instructed to land after coming out of a manovure way to low. 😮

There was the infamous accident at RIAT about 10 years ago when one Mig 29 sliced through the other.

I’ve seen 2 seperate Mig-29 display’s cut short due to a problem.

One was definately a Czech (or was it Hungarian :rolleyes: ) Mig-29 at RIAT some years ago, pretty sure that was engine related….. :confused:

Incredible piece of footage, I noticed in the current issue of Flight Magazine “which I was flicking through in WHS earlier today”, that the Russians have grounded all of their MIG29’s pending an investigation, following a fatal crash.

Must have been rather alarming for the pilot concerned! 😮

I believe that this one was in Hungary, not Czech, Mark, and was the same pilot who did an excellent display at RIAT a couple of years back.

Mike,
Hungary – I am sure you are correct.

The report came to me today from a Czech aviation journalist.

Mark

Historic?

It is now….