CIAF Czech International Air Fest 8.-9. September 2012

[Eizo]

JAS-39 AČR
L-159 AČR
CASA AČR
L-410 AČR
Mi-171 AČR
1x SU-31 LSC Moravská Třebová
4x ZLIN 50 LX The FLYING BULLS
1x L-29 Alois Häckel
1x kluzák SWIFT Přemysl Vávra, Moravská Třebová
Cessna 337 Super Skymaster
Sbach 300 Marek Hyka
7x L-39 Albatros Breitling Jet Team
7x PILATUS PC-9M Krila Oluje
An-32
7x PZL-130 Orlik TC-II Aerobatic team "ORLIK"
EXTRA 300 SR Peter Besenyei
C-27J Spartan Lithuanian Air Force
C-27J Spartan Italian Air Force
Sea King German NAVY
2x F-16 Belgian Air Force
1x A-109 Agusta
4x L 23 Super Blaník Očovskí Bačovia

http://airshow.cz/

And a nice visitor will be the Swifts from RUSSIA! 7 years after their last visit.

2 июня – Пушкин, 4 МиГ-29 АГВП “Стрижи” и 4 Су-27 АГВП “Русские Витязи” (Россия)
14-15 июля – Farnborough Airshow, 2 Су-27 АГВП “Русские Витязи” (Великобритания)
11-12 августа – ЛИИ им. Громова, Жуковский, 100-летие ВВС РФ, АГВП “Стрижи” и “Русские Витязи”, совместное выступление 17 минут (Россия)
18 августа – авиабаза Кубинка, день открытых дверей, АГВП “Стрижи” и “Русские Витязи”, совместная программа (Россия)
8-9 сентября – Hradec Kralove, CIAF 2012, 5 МиГ-29 АГВП “Стрижи” (Чешская Республика)
13-18 ноября – Zhuhai, Airshow China 2012 (уточняется), (Китайская Народная Республика).

http://admin.strizhi.info/2012/05/19/2636

[Thunderbolt120]

Poland:

PZL SW-4 Puszczyk (F)

C-295 CASA (S)

[Eizo]

Canceled my reservation. Incredible how poor CIAF developed over the years.

2005, 2006 and 2007 were really great, I always booked for 5 days. But this year really is hitting the rock bottom, never seen such a small participants list.

If Strizhi will not come (still doubtful, never mentioned on CIAF homepage) it will turn out in a financial disaster for the organizers I guess. Who will pay 10 Euro or more entrance fee for this list? Most stuff static(!).


JAS-39 AČR
L-159 AČR
CASA AČR
L-410 AČR
Mi-171 AČR
1x SU-31 LSC Moravská Třebová
4x ZLIN 50 LX The FLYING BULLS
1x kluzák SWIFT Přemysl Vávra, Moravská Třebová
Cessna 337 Super Skymaster
Sbach 300 Marek Hyka
L-29 Blue Sky Service
7x L-39 Albatros Breitling Jet Team
7x PILATUS PC-9M Krila Oluje
An-32
7x PZL-130 Orlik TC-II Aerobatic team "ORLIK"
1x PZL SW-4 Puszczyk
1x C-295 CASA
EXTRA 300 SR Peter Besenyei
C-27J Spartan Lithuanian Air Force
C-27J Spartan Italian Air Force
Sea King German NAVY
BN-2 Islander Air Hamburg
2x F-16 Belgian Air Force
2x A-109 Agusta Belgian Air Force
1x C-130 Hercules Belgian Air Force
4x L 23 Super Blaník Očovskí Bačovia
2x BAe Hawk T1 RAF

[Chrisse]

In the UK, they will happily charge over 30 Pounds for a list that doesn't come anywhere near that

I suppose it depends on what you're looking for in a show. If you travel from abroad, do you travel to see the Belgian F-16 or the local stuff? For instance, I'm not travelling to Moscow to see the Red Arrows or Frecce Tricolori, to mee, that local SU-31 aerobatics display or Yak-52 are more interesting as I won't see those in Belgium.
With the Czech airforce not doing much of anything in the way of solo displays, and the Czech air force holding its show in Ostrava 2 weeks later, what more can you realistically expect? They have several military flying items from abroad (F-16, Krila Oluje, Orliks, SW4) on that list, that's not bad going for a civilian show. Most civilian shows don't manage that level of participation (hardly any). Let's face it, budgets are tight with every airforce, and the airshow scene will reflect this.

[Eizo]

In the UK, they will happily charge over 30 Pounds for a list that doesn't come anywhere near that

What does this argument have to do with my posting? It is obviously always the case. Every Asian or South American airshow has maybe stuff we would like to say in Europe, but this does not make the list of CIAF any better. And last but not least I even doubt that people would pay 30 pounds for this list.

I suppose it depends on what you're looking for in a show. If you travel from abroad, do you travel to see the Belgian F-16 or the local stuff? For instance, I'm not travelling to Moscow to see the Red Arrows or Frecce Tricolori, to mee, that local SU-31 aerobatics display or Yak-52 are more interesting as I won't see those in Belgium.

So what special things you will see in Hradec?! There is nothing. Also no "special" you do not see on most of the other shows, I do not go to CIAF for Krila Oluje and Belgian F-16. So what then? There is "nothing" interesting for someone who visits airshows regularly. Oh, forgot. The BN-2 Islander Air Hamburg. This is the star. ^^ For the parents with an annoying child and not knowing what to do at the weekend maybe a nice "filler", but for the rest? You put lipstick on a pig, but you also would not go to CIAF I you were honest!

With the Czech airforce not doing much of anything in the way of solo displays, and the Czech air force holding its show in Ostrava 2 weeks later, what more can you realistically expect? They have several military flying items from abroad (F-16, Krila Oluje, Orliks, SW4) on that list, that's not bad going for a civilian show. Most civilian shows don't manage that level of participation (hardly any). Let's face it, budgets are tight with every airforce, and the airshow scene will reflect this.

2005, 2006, 2007 it worked out quite fine. So this does not really count, the airshows are still full of participants. CIAF declined much more than other airshows over the years. This has more to do with the organizers than with the airshows and budgets in Europe. Also if you talk to people from CZ, they say they are not happy with the development of the CIAF.

[Chrisse]

I think CIAF is being hit hard by Ostrava, so they saw their competition go up. In Belgium, we can't compare the Sanicole from 10 years ago with the one now. It's still an excellent show, but not even 10 years ago, in one show, you had an A-10 solo display, 2 Mirage 2000 solo displays, a Harrier display, a Jaguar display, 2 F-16 solo displays, a Tornado display and I'm probably forgetting something left or right. They had another one with the Reds, Patrouille de France and Asas de Portugal. The times have undeniably changed. Back-then, the only other thing we had here were the wonderful defence days which 2 times out of 3 didn't have ANY aircraft. Now, we see spectacular foreign line-ups at the airforce's shows here (Coxyde 2011, Florennes 2012, hey, even that god-awful Beauvechain 2010 had lots of jets), and Sanicole has the Dutch F-16 display and the French Rafale as foreign military items that would be in your line of interest this year. Notice a similarity? And yet, I enjoy both a lot. I don't think there is any single reason and exceptions are always possible, but I see the same trend all over Europe. Spain are not doing any displays this year, the Italians don't have a solid trackrecord this year either yet for a variety of reasons (Rome, RIAT, Florennes all no-shows from RSV). The Dutch have cut their number of F-16 appearances, the French Rafale is also not out and about every weekend. Hungary is out of the game, as is the Czech Gripen display this year. And yet if the Swifts do show up, everyone will quickly forget the pre-show ramblings and fall all over them-selves to go there. After all, Farnborough was touted to be superb this year, until the SU-27 solo display got cancelled and the mood suddenly changed. I've come to accept the fact that it's only downhill. Static B-52s and KC-135s don't float my boat all that much, to each their own, I think. If you like big and loud mil jets, Ostrava is the place to be for you. The days where you can hope to have 2 such shows in a relatively small country are over.
Actually, on second thought, downhill is the wrong word. Things change, some will like the change, and some won't

Since you asked, any show where the Croatian team shows up, I already have my favourite item picked. To be honest, I was there in 2007 and didn't like the show all that much. Sure, it had some more jetpower, but it didn't seem to flow to me.

[Eizo]

And yet if the Swifts do show up, everyone will quickly forget the pre-show ramblings and fall all over them-selves to go there.

Swifts cannot replace a poor participants list.... Russian Knights maybe!

Since you asked, any show where the Croatian team shows up, I already have my favourite item picked. To be honest, I was there in 2007 and didn't like the show all that much. Sure, it had some more jetpower, but it didn't seem to flow to me.

Then you have not been there on departure day! B-1B, Tornados and all others: "Brno Tower, this is ***** we would like to ask for some low level activity!!! Hell the Monday was the best of the days!

But lets stop, I did not want to start a longlasting discussion. It is poor participants list to my friends and my eyes and we refuse to go. Nothing more to mention!

[Chrisse]

Agreed. Actually, I think we agree about the core of the matter, that militarily speaking, this is not an impressive list. And I was actually talking about CIAF in 2007, not Ostrava Sorry for the confusion.

[Eizo]

Agreed. Actually, I think we agree about the core of the matter, that militarily speaking, this is not an impressive list. And I was actually talking about CIAF in 2007, not Ostrava Sorry for the confusion.

Oh, me too. Was not Ostrava tower! But never heard louder AB than those of B1-B.

[Screenes]

Entrance fee hasnt changed during the last few years so I dont think that it will affect the attendance. In fact, CIAF 2007 is the last CIAF worth mentioning. What is more interesting is what I heard some time ago, that only 3 percents of visitors to an airshow are interested in what airplanes are there. The rest is satisified with the fact that "some airplanes are there". You can hardly imagine an average family checking daily for newly confirmed participants. They hardly know, that some Boeing or Airbus exists. For them, it is just an interesting day out. Anyway, organisers said (for one czech newspapers) that they are awaiting a list of conditions of participation from Russians. Then I heard, that "they are very far in negotiations" and last information was that "now it is the organiser´s turn"