The last flight of the Bulgarian MiG-21
The technical resource of the vehicles ends 31 December 2015. From the first day of the new, 2016, year, the MiG-21 are transferred to the operational reserve of the Bulgarian Air Force. Aircraft will be maintained in readiness for flight. The pilots and the trained engineering staff for them still have Bulgaria. But because of the exhausted technical resource regular flights to these machines are no longer foreseen.
12 November 1963 Cap. Ivan Bedrozov became the first Bulgarian pilot to guard the sky of the country on the MiG-21F-13 aircraft. The first aircraft of this type (product 74) in Bulgaria received the 19 th Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP) stationed in Graf-Ignatiev. The planes were assembled at the Moscow plant No. XXUMX (“Banner of Labor”) from the 30 and 10 production batches. Later, some of them were transferred to the 12 th reconnaissance air regiment (rap) in the town of Tolbukhin (now Dobrich). They mounted intelligence cameras "AFA-26", and the machines were designated MiG-39F-21Р. In January, 13 1965 MiG-12PF (ed. 21) received the 76 Squadron 2-oiap (Gabrovnica). In 18, eight of these machines, already with the MiG-1988PFR index, replaced the out-of-life MiG-21F-21Р in 13-оpp in Tolbukhin. In 26, the 1965 th iap (Ravnets) received the 15 MiG-12PFM (ed. 21A), and in 94-1977. - More 1978 such aircraft. In 36-1969 1970-iap (Graf-Ignatievo) received 19 MiG-15M. After the new cars were run in and mastered by Bulgarian pilots, some of them were handed over to 21-iap (Uzundzhovo). In 21, the 1969 th rap (Tolbukhin) received the 26 MiG-6P (ed. 21P) - a reconnaissance version of the MiG-94PFM. From August 21 to October 1974 d. 1975 th iap (Dobroslavtsi, 18 th esk. - Gabrovnitsa) received 2 MiG-20МФ. In 21 they were transferred to 1978-iap (Graf-Ignatievo), and in 19-1983. - 1984-iap (Uzundzhovo). These airplanes guarded the sky of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria and the southern European frontiers of the Warsaw Treaty Organization (ATS) until the collapse of the USSR in 21.
The Bulgarian Air Force received the first "Mongol" (NATO designation Sparky MiG-21U) in 1966. One piece (ed. 66-400) was divided into three. It was used alternately by 15, 18, and 19. In 1969-1970 The country has received 5 sparks MiG-21US (ed. 68A), produced at the plant number 31 in Tbilisi. In 1974-1982 The Bulgarian Air Force received 27 new Sparks MiG-21UM (ed. 69), and in 1990, another 6 used cars from the “excess” aircraft fleet of the USSR Air Force found themselves overnight.
15 December The 1983 of the new MiG-12bis flew into the Graf-Ignatievo 21. In 1984, the 19-iap received another 18 machine of this type, and in 1985 - the last five, which served until 2015. ), Balchik, Ravnets, Uzundzhov, Dobroslavtsi, Gabrovnitsa and Kamenets passed 20 pieces of various modifications of MiG-226 aircraft. In Bulgaria, the plane gained fame as a “strict” and demanding car, not tolerating freedom and pilot error. Over the 21 years of operating these aircraft in the country, there have been 52 accidents with it.
12 November 2013 in the already NATO aviation base in Bulgaria, named after Russian Count Nikolai Pavlovich Ignatiev, an Orthodox Pan-Slavist, diplomat, minister and member of the State Council of the Russian Empire, held a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the 50 anniversary of the MiG-21 in Bulgaria. The current Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolai Nenchev would have been easier to donate half of his blood than to repeat such a truly national holiday. To the joy of their overseas owners, Nenchev ordered not to hold any ceremonies, and to prevent citizens, journalists and even veterans from the last flight of the MiG-21 on the base in Graf-Ignatiev. According to the plan of the former sergeant of the construction battalion and the current Minister of Defense of Bulgaria, this flight was to take place like any other everyday task.
But can a single minister, even the most compliant, corrupt and invertebrate, be able to resist the whole Slavic and Orthodox Bulgarian people? The struggle of the Bulgarian people with the Western European pro-Atlantic clique hostile to them is going on with varying success. In contrast to the predetermined “bargaining” for the repair and modernization of the Bulgarian MiG-29 in Poland, this time the victory was ours. Our cause is just, and in the end we will definitely win!
An open letter from Bulgarian journalists to the Minister of Defense Nikolay Nenchev (in Bulgarian):
MR. MINISTER, EMPTY THE JOURNALISM YES SHOOT LATEST FLIGHT TO PLANE-LEGEND MIG-21
At the edges on Dekamvri, the Graf Ignatiev air base, the last flight of the MiG-21 in the Bulgarian sky had been idyllic.
D'lboko was confused, that of a comrade who was historically related to the BBC, for the army, for the aviation community and for the sake of Bulgaria, for the benefit of the Presidential Authority for the Ministry of Defense of journalists.
Dear Mr. Minister Nenchev,
neka not politizirame historians. Yes, the aircraft is Russian, endorsements, and the reporting of facts is in disagreement with your political convictions, but the question of fact from the historian to the Bulgarian nationalist is co-operative, which is no longer the benefit of a generation.
They are journalist and photo reportable know both 2 and 200. Do not punish but cure kato kuchete before the fence on NATO's air base or shoot and write ottam.
And this is the rule story, but it’s a bitter taste — both for you and for us!
All of the MiG-21 packs served at the Bulgarian 53 Godini Aviation Meeting!
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