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First Day of the Weekend Show Was Met With High Appreciation of the Visitors
The First day of the Weekend Show of NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days took place in rapidly changing weather. The show this year reminds us of the twentieth anniversary of the independent Czech Republic and its independent security services.
According to official data of the Czech Police, the Saturday programme of the 13th year of this largest air-army-security event in Central Europe was seen by 54,000 people. The visitors could enjoy more than 8 hours of programme consisting of solo or joint dynamic displays, of which more than 3 hours took place in the air with help of almost 80 military aircrafts. The main attractions of the Saturday programme at Leoš Janáček Airport Ostrava was joint commemorative fly-by of the Czech and Slovak Air Forces, a unique display of refuelling in-flight of two JAS-39 Gripen from KC-130 tanker, Czech premiere of Patrulla ASPA helicopter aerobatic team display and very well liked aerobatic team Turkish Stars. The giant An-124 Ruslan was a dominant static display and it was always filled with visitors.
Every year of NATO Days in Ostrava reminds visitors and fans of its unique format, rising importance and quality of the programme and its execution. The 13th year fully corresponds with this trend. This programme of the most visited two days event in the Czech Republic has been secured by units of 15 states. Together with Czech soldiers, policemen, firemen, rescue men or customs officers they have showed the best of their art and equipment they use in providing our security and safety.
Visitors appreciated presentation of heavy military, police and rescue equipment, dynamic displays of special units, flying displays and presentations of armaments and equipment of soldiers, firemen and policemen, and also of customs officers, prison guard, municipal police and other units. In joint displays we could watch SWAT team from the Czech Republic and Poland, Czech and Slovak prison services and also police units from German Saxony and Slovakia. “We are happy with the course of today’s event,” says Zbyněk Pavlačík, the chairman of the Jagello 2000 Association, the main organizer of the event and adds: “I am happy that almost fifty-five thousand visitors found their way to the programme in spite of the weather.” In the course of the programme, we have symbolically knocked on the founding stone of the new airport air traffic control tower. The Saturday’s programme was enjoyed by the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic Vlastimil Picek, the Minister of Transport Zdeněk Žák, State Secretary of the Kingdom of Sweden Carl von der Esche and many important guests from the Czech Republic, partner countries of NATO and others, which have appreciated the event and its importance.
This year of NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days remind us of the 20th anniversary of the independent Czech Republic and the event celebrated the anniversary with two extraordinary aviation displays on the ground as well as in the air. One of them was joint fly-by of air forces of the Czech and Slovak Republics, when JAS-39 Gripen fighters and L-159 Alca attack aircrafts of the Czech Air Force and MiG-29 fighter and L-39 Albatros trainer aircraft of the Slovak Air Force flew together. “It is very rare to se this joint display of the Czech and Slovak Air Force, therefore I believe it was a great experience for all the visitors,” Colonel Libor Štefánik, the commander of the Czech Air Force, says.
At the static display, the dominant one was the legendary giant An-124 transport aircraft, which is very rarely seen. This year it is its only presentation in the whole Europe and it is supplemented by attractive display of loading and offloading of Pandur II armoured transporter, which takes place twice a day. The huge interest about the plane surprised even its crew.
Another component of this year’s NATO Days in Ostrava is International Exhibition of Aviation Industry FLYIN, which takes place between September 19 and 22; then international helicopter conference with participation of ministers of defence of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia, which was devoted to a topic of building of transport capacities of Afghan helicopter force and international cooperation in training and development of transport helicopter capabilities.
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13th NATO Days in Ostrava & 4th Czech Air Force Days!
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