Slovak International Air Fest 2012, 1-2 September, Sliac AFB

[Chrisse]

Doubt it'll be Serbia, they won't even do one at their own show. Only a dogfight demo with the Mig-29.

[Screenes]

Most likely a mistake, there is no airworthy MiG-21 in Slovakia. It will probably be a retired MiG-21 for a static display (in the list that MiG-21 is from Slovakia, but no MiG-21 is in flying display schedule)

[Eizo]

Most likely a mistake, there is no airworthy MiG-21 in Slovakia. It will probably be a retired MiG-21 for a static display (in the list that MiG-21 is from Slovakia, but no MiG-21 is in flying display schedule)

Yeah, I thought maybe mistake with the flag... Already removed from Website in the meanwhile....

[Screenes]

Slovak Air Force will probably show a "special" L-39C Albatros with sqn. ldr. Otto Smik, DFC. (http://312.jinak.cz/home/history/smik1.html) painting on a tail on static display.

[Traveller]

About time, it's been at Trencin for months waiting to be finished.

[DeanW]

Wasn't that the one that was meant to be at RIAT two years ago?!

[aviodromefriend]

Wasn't that the one that was meant to be at RIAT two years ago?!

From what I understand this would be a plane with the man himself painted on the tail (a bit like the Polish Fulcrums at this year's RIAT). The one that was announced at RIAT was in the colours of his aircraft during the war:

But what about ‘Skim’ I hear you say. What was the significance of the word?

Well, as I said in my subsequent post, had I been feeling generous when I posted the original clue I would have put the word in italics thereby signifying an anagram. However, with only four letters I felt this might be a little too easy. Instead I thought I’d wait to see how far you got without it.

Had you Googled all the different combinations of the letters in ‘Skim’, you would have eventually come to ‘Smik’ – Maj Gen Otto Smik to be precise. Maj Gen Smik was one of the most successful Slovakian pilots (then Czechoslovakia) who served with the RAF during WW2.

The significance of mentioning him, though most of you would probably be unaware, is that the Slovakian Air Force hope to paint one of their L-39s in the colours of Otto Smik’s Spitfire as part of the RAF’s flagship commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain at the Air Tattoo.

Even if you didn’t know this, Smik’s Slovakian link should still have been a help.

(bold edited by me)

[Screenes]

MiG-29AS with tiger tail: http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos- ... 8810_n.jpg

L-39CM "Otto Smik" Albatros: http://www.fotogaleria.lietadla.com/view.php?id=48560

[Screenes]

And another photo of the tiger: http://www.fotogaleria.lietadla.com/view.php?id=48561

[Traveller]

They are not paintings these days, they are decals. Sat with the Frecce right now at Kaskady Hotel and looking forward to B52 cockpit tour tomorrow plus those SU22s that came over the hotel do well. For anyone in England moaning about freeloaders on the opposite site (of which I am not one) get a life, it is unbelievably better on the non health and safety side!!!

[Eizo]

Weather tomorrow is even worse than today. Poor SIAF!

[Leadfoot]

Weather tomorrow is even worse than today. Poor SIAF!

We thought a lot about which day to choose. In the past week, I kept checking 6 or 7 weather sites and read 6 or 7 different forecasts, which changed fom day to day (hour to hour, even).
Finally, we went for Saturday.

IMHO the weather was not that bad. Sure, lights were crap for photographers, but I prefer this weather to the scorching 35-38 degrees we had earlier this week. Noting a good raincoat can't handle.

[Traveller]

Did the British Spitfire turn up does anyone know?

[Leadfoot]

Did the British Spitfire turn up does anyone know?

Not on Saturday. I was told it could not take off from Germany due to the unfavourable weather conditions. I have no info about Sunday.

[Traveller]

Thanks. It was barely VFR Sunday so doubt it came.

[Screenes]

Commentators (horrible by the way, be glad you do not speak slovak) didnt even bother to inform the crowd that those planes would not perform the display

[Traveller]

Prosim?!!