Treaty on Open Skies at end ? we hope not

With United States decision to withdraw from the 1992 established Treaty, the other 33 signatory states has to make decisions to continue the mission - a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its participants.

The program was established for mutual understanding and confidence between those States with allowing unarmed surveillance flights over there territory.

The actual decision is a political one, but not to the best of the people living on this small blue planet.


I had the chance to see some of those special equipped aircrafts back in 1999 at RIAT Fairford, UK. One of the special themes there was Open Skies.

Some nice pictures of those missions you can watch here: https://www.osce.org/fsc/66205

Czech Republic Air Force's Antonov An-30FG (cn 1107), wfu 2003 and dismantled/moved to Zruc Air Park

Royal Air Force's Hawker Siddeley HS-780 Andover C1(PR), XS596 (cn 1574)

Russia Air Force's Antonov An-30B BLACK 04 (cn 0704), w/o 23may12 on landing at Cáslav after an Open Skies mission over Czechia when came in too fast, caught fire and burnt out. 6 of 23 crew injured. Actual Open Skies aircrafts are Tupolev Tu-154M LK-1 and Tupolev Tu-214ON.

This Boeing OC-135B (717-158) 61-2670 / OF (cn 18346) is the Open Skies aircraft of the USA. With the actual discussion the missions will be flown by specialised military aircrafts in the future - like those RC-135V Rivet Joint:

USAF Boeing RC-135V Rivet Joint (739-445B), 62-4132 / OF (cn 18472)

COVID19: Grimmi has still to go at work by bike - but scans it's old Kodachrome64

Yes, the Virus will not kill me (I hope). The most dangerous thing is my way to work - 12-15km each way and each day, but with a bit lesser traffic these days then a few weeks ago. My new eBike with Gen4 Bosch engine has much more performance than my old one from supermarket and the Spikes are a bit overdue in this winter - still, in the early morning some icy parts on my way.

Free time for the hobby is limited by that, but a few glimpses in my scan work of my archives is permitted ....

RIAT'99 Fairford - some unworked scans out of only five rolls of Kodachrome64 films (36 pictures each)

Yes - very different lineup to airshows these days. And reworked they are looking awesome - some of my shots available here: 

https://www.airfighters.com/photosearch.php?&phgid=955&loc=2707

Thank you for visiting 👍

50 years of the Aero L-39 Albatros

Maybe the half of actual military jet pilots had trained on this little jet - today 50 years ago was the first flight at Vodochody !

My first real encounter was Air'94 airshow in Buochs (Stans) with the retirement of our famous Hawker Hunter. Albatros and western counterpart BAe Hawk each had a demo.

Two years later I was already steering those beauties (from the backseat, and only some minutes each flight) with the famous russian display team ! Great memories and flights, repeated the following years too.

Bückermeet AirThun 2018

Up to 4000 people have visited the little airfield at the beginning of the famous Berner Oberland area - after an very sunny, very long and hot summer unfortunally with not so nice weather at 12° Celsius. But the colorful aircrafts and the good organisation allowed some nice impressions and we all hope to see this event in the future again.

Next great airshows in Switzerland - Air Thun and Yverdon Fly-In

After an airshow is before another airshow - so I'm preparing my gear already again for the next event in Thun this weekend ;)

Air Thun - Internationales Bückertreffen, 31st August - 02nd September

The 19th International Bückermeet is held on this little airfield south of the city at the lake with the same name.
http://air-thun.ch/

Fly-In Yverdon, Saturday 15th September 2018

With many historic aircrafts like P3, Moth Major, Chipmunk, L4, Messerschmitt 108, T6 and the famous Grandjean Replica !
http://www.lsgy.ch

-> next year again a big YVAIR-Airshow  31st August - 01st September 2019 !!!

Other Events of interest - but without participation of myself:

Erlebnis Flughafen Zürich, September 1st and 2nd 2018
70 years of ZRH Zurich Airport with Patrouille Suisse and PC-7 Team
http://www.welcome-flughafen-zuerich.ch/erlebniswochenende/

11th Oldtimerclassic Hittnau, September 1st and 2nd 2018

Cars and Aircrafts 

http://www.oldtimerclassic.ch

Flüügerchilbi Langenthal, September 2nd, 2018
The tradition is going on
http://sgoberaargau.ch/uber-uns/flugerchilbi-2018/