NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

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tailslides
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NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by tailslides »

I took advantage of cheap flights from Luton to Brno with Wizz to travel to the 2012 NATO Days at Ostrava-Mosnov.

Thankfully the weather was very good and I managed to get lots of pictures off base of arrivals and the flying displays at the weekend. I did venture onto the static display early Saturday morning to buy some souvenirs but photography was all but impossible, the barriers were very close and weaved around the aircraft contours.

As a free show it was fantastic, a few gaps in the flying display for ground displays but generally quite busy, having not been to the former Eastern bloc most things attending were new to me, from a Polish Police Hip to the brand new Czech Airbus VIP there was so much I wanted to photograph, I sadly missed the Estonian AN-2 as it arrived in the dark and a few other highlights arrived on the wrong end of the runway or hovered directly to the static park. Overall though it was well worth the trip, looking forward to 2013.

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1. Started on Thursday morning in a field at the 04 end of Ostrava, first in were the “SoloTurk” F-16s
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2. The main reason for my trip after being unable to get to Florennes
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3. A nice C-130H from the Air Force Reserve at Niagara
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4. Later in the day we moved to the dynamic ramp and from here caught the RAF King Air display
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5. We were able to get very close to the display aircraft
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6. Friday saw a change in the wind and into the fields on runway 22
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7. Slovak Let.410 was another first for me
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8. Several Czech “Tiger” aircraft were present
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9. Yak 40 made some very low passes before landing
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10. Nice to see the weapons fit on the L.159
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11. Marked up Gripen for 10,000 flight hours
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12. A nice bright Zlin
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13. Swedish Argus attending for a second time
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14. One of three Hinds in for the opening flypast
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15. JG74 Typhoon for the static park
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16. The tower had asked all aircraft to do low passes or approaches, happy days!
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17. Another unit I had not photographed before
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18. With little wind the tower started to complicate things with some 04 arrivals, thankfully after flypasts for some
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19. Back on 22 for ILS approach, something else I have not shot before
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20. The list goes on, an Estonian L.39, new for me
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21. Thankfully I had seen one of these earlier in the year at Leeuwarden
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22. A great approach, low pass and steep turning climb preceded this aerodynamic braking roll out by the NATO E-3
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23. A nice VIP visitor from Sweden.
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24. Late evening arrivals from Norway
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25. A pair of Netherlands F16s also for the static park
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26. More VIPs arrived on the new Czech Airbus’s
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27. Parked in the Static over the weekend I caught this Spartan on Friday evening, yes, another new one for me
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28. To the weekend displays, first on was the Austrian Typhoon both days
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29. The light was not really right for this display but it was another first for me
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30. As was the Austrian Blackhawk.
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31. Great displays by the “SoloTurk” each day with flares
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32. The other “Tiger” Hind in the flying display
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33. Supporting two Hips in the demonstration
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34. Polish “Fitters” roared around the skies
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35. Mock dogfighting by two Slovak MiG 29s, very weak flares
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36. Made up for with some extra jet heat
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37. This was “Right place, right time”, tried again on Sunday but the break was different :(
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38. Reserve Buffs came in from Leuchars on Tuesday but at least one flew for us
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39. Italian test unit Typhoon making clouds
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40. Some of the best photo opportunities ever, up close with the Hips
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41. Not too close here, he’s got a gun and a Darth Vader Mask
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42. There goes that cloud maker again
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43. Just could not get any better for the mid-day displays
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44. “SoloTurk” to finish for today.
Last edited by tailslides on Thu 27 Sep 2012, 9:20 am, edited 2 times in total.

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nigelblake
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by nigelblake »

Very nice, especially #36! :clap:

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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by doogie »

Great pics! Would love to go next year! :clap: :rock:
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Tim Laurence
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by Tim Laurence »

Looks like a very enjoyable show. really like 37! Great moment, well captured.

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p2philip
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by p2philip »

Wow awesome, despite the heavy metal from the east the mirage photo is my fav!

Whats the equipment used and did you have a ladder for the runway pics?

Thanks, post some more :rock:

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Weather Watcher
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by Weather Watcher »

Very nice set :clap: Great quality nice planes.

David

Genstab
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by Genstab »

Great photos, but none of the Reds. :sad:

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tailslides
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by tailslides »

p2philip wrote:
Whats the equipment used and did you have a ladder for the runway pics?



I was a one bag 10kg(ish) traveller with Wizz so I had to go quite light, EOS7d's, 70-300mm L IS, 400mm f/5.6 L and 24-105 f/4 L (for the static, ha :lol: ha!)

The end elements on those lenses fitted through the large gap fence that borders the runway although 3 step ladders would have been better, the dynamic display a/c parking area fence is about 5 feet high mesh so I just held the camera higher, or borrowed some nice Dutch photographers steps.

Most of the flying displays were 400mm, longer lenses would have opened up some more options, also the strong wind we had on Saturday blows my light lenses about too much. My f2.8's weigh too much for Wizz but when I go next year I may pay for a checked bag.

It's one and a half hours from Brno, flight, hotel and car hire all quite cheap, I estimate my four days cost £210 in total, not bad for solo travel.

Thanks for all the nice comments

Pete

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tailslides
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by tailslides »

Genstab wrote:Great photos, but none of the Reds. :sad:


Okay, tomorrow, they were brilliant!

DeanW
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by DeanW »

Great set all round by the shot of Ramex Delta - yeaaaah! :biggrin:

What's the story with the Estonian L39? I thought the aircraft attending was from the Estonian Air Force, but that seems to be a Baltic Bees scheme with strange tail markings?!

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tailslides
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by tailslides »

DeanW wrote:Great set all round by the shot of Ramex Delta - yeaaaah! :biggrin:

What's the story with the Estonian L39? I thought the aircraft attending was from the Estonian Air Force, but that seems to be a Baltic Bees scheme with strange tail markings?!


Not sure about the L39, I did a quick google search and that confirmed it was Estonian, why it's in the Baltic bees scheme was not indicated.

Glad you like the Ramex Delta, getting that was like a lottery win :smile:

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Chrisse
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by Chrisse »

It's military allright. Don't know why they used the same scheme as the Baltic Bees. It also attended Aalborg earlier this year.

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Russ
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by Russ »

Great set all around, the Mirage 2000 break stands out for me - brilliant! :clap: :cool:

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tailslides
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy)

Post by tailslides »

Genstab wrote:Great photos, but none of the Reds. :sad:

Just for you :smile:
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1. Opening with the Czech colours
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2. Pulling out with vortices
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3. Rolling over the top
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4. Half and half, clouds and sky
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5. Tight formation as usual
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6. Synchro pair, I concentrated on the wrong one
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7. Back seat fun

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Stu
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by Stu »

Ace selection there thanks for posting them all up :clap:
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tankbuster
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by tankbuster »

Another excellent set, looks like the photographers dream show
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Genstab
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by Genstab »

Thank you tail slides! Great photos of a great team who, despite the tragedies and chaos at the start of the season, have come through with colours flying!

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swingy
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by swingy »

Great shots from what looks like a great show. #36 is fantastic and not often I would say that about a shot. :clap:

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IanOlder
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by IanOlder »

Worth the trip on this evidence, the weather looked stunning as do the Su22's and Migs :clap:

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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by r.e.hendriks »

Awesome shots!!!

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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by henk99 »

Very nice set! #37 and #39 for me :rock:
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Craig_85
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Re: NATO Days, Ostrava-Mosnov, (very heavy) now with "Reds"

Post by Craig_85 »

Mirage break and the three reds together for me :smile:


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