Hi All

        Back on the road again a few weeks ago and this time it was Germany and Poland again, Sorry the log is late its just been hell at work and i have not had much time for myself of late. The trip was centred around getting as many ex NVA (National Volksarmee or East German AF etc) aircraft as possible and a small leg going out into Poland to look at bombing range at Nadarzyce. We set off Saturday morning for the channel tunnel at Folkestone and were soon driving up the E40 towards Oostende from here it was down to Gent and then on to Eindhoven and into Germany and on to Poland.  Our first sighting of an aircraft came just after we had turned off the E40 at Gent heading for Antwerp

 

Day 1

 

Beervelde 11-07-09

 

Still sat onto of its containers a few hundred meters from the side of the motorway is a Starfighter

 

(FX-79) F-104 Starfighter

 

 Pushing on into The Netherlands and a quick stop at Eindoven for the gate guards and a few civil bits for me

 

Eindhoven 11-07-09

 

C-8 Fk-27

J-238 F-16

K-167 F-84G (Real id T-85)

K-3068 F-5

P-231 F-84F

 

Main Ramps

 

T-235 KDC-10

U-?? Fk-50/70

 

Civil aircraft noted

 

PH-DYE Ce-550

PH-ECL Ce-525

PH-MFX Ce-560

PH-SOL Ce-525

PH-SOX Do-328

 

PH-714/YY ASK-21

PH-1067/EH Duo Discus

PH-1160/DZ Discus 2-B

 

EI-DHJ B-737 Ryanair

EI-DPO B-737 Ryanair

EI-DWX B-737 Ryanair

OD-LMB B-737-200 (All White Flying Carpet)

OO-VLT Fk-50 VLM

  

Moving along into Germany now and our next call was

 

Essen 11-07-09

 

Only two aircraft interested us here but there were quite a few lights and twins around

 

(5824) Mi-2

"D-FONE" An-2 (c/n 18118 Real id D-FKMD ex 459)

 

 Down the road a little is Elsey with a MiG-21, Or so we thought

 

Elsey 11-07-09

 

The MiG-21 at this location has now gone or is now inside the factory

  

Back on the motorway and we were driving along and seen at the side of the road a CL-13 at Bochum

 

Bochum 11-07-09

 

Painted in very unmilitary colours and stuck on a pole is the Saber

 

(BB+131) CL-13 Sabre

  

Next

 

Rheda 11-07-09

 

Tucked away on display on an industrial estate near the town is a MiG-21

 

23+93 MiG-21

 

 A quick look at Bunde next for the "Pepsi" MiG-21

 

Bunde 11-07-09

 

Another strike out this MiG has also has gone

 

Heading East still on the motorway we came to Bad Oeynhausen and its museum

 

 Bad Oeynhausen 11-07-09

 

this place is split into three bits the museum outside the museum inside and the storage area across the road

 

Outside the museum

 

22+28 MiG-21 Spl Cls (real id 23+48)

(91+75) P-149

(93+39) Mi-8

 

The storage area (Or Jungle !)

 

353 MiG-21 (real id 22+44)

970 Mi-8

20+58 MiG-23

25+50 Su-22

56+21 Do-27

D-5804 F-104 (Dutch AF

SP-WWF An-2

 

As it was 22-30 and just about dark the chances of seeing the Alouette and the other bits here inside were slim so we moved on. We drove across Germany (Well I snoozed in the passenger seat for quite a while, 3 1/2 hours worth) past Berlin and up towards the Polish border near Szczecin. About 20 miles from the border i woke up just as day 2 was getting light.  Part two coming soon and the reason for the name of the trip.

 

Day 2 of our trip, The reason for the leg up into Poland was to visit the bombing range at Nadarrzyce where six MiG-23,s, Three MiG-21,s and an Mi-2 are to be found.  As we were at Szczecin and a few miles North of here is a MiG-21 and an Mi-2 at Przesocin we took the opportunity to view these first

 

Przesocin 12-07-09

 

At the garage in the town were the two birds we were looking for

 

5349 Mi-2

7502 MiG-21

 

 Moving on to our main Polish target

 

Nadarrzyce Range 12-07-09

 

The range is operational during the week days and nights but at weekends its open land, Looking on the net we found a point of access away from the base side and made our way down the tracks through the forest. After about 3 miles the range was seen and the MiG hunt began. As on the net we soon found what we were looking for the "Dummy Airfield" with the circle of MiG,s in the revetments nearby.

 

050 MiG-23

062 MiG-23

065 MiG-23

101 MiG-23

102 MiG-23

110 MiG-23

7907 MIG-21

 

And on the runway

 

8702 MiG-21

???? MiG-21 (Plate in undercarriage door read "No 1913 and year 1969)

 

At the side of the runway are two Mi-2,s

 

(0620) Mi-2 (id from c/n plate 510620028)

???? Mi-2 (not much left of this just the floor and rear cabin wall)

 

Now came our problem, On the net are a number of things on the range that look as if they may be aircraft so off we went to try to find them. The BIG problem here is the whole places is built on sand and our car got stuck  on one of the many tracks the only thing we could find to help us dig out were a few sticks, rocks and our hands, We tried for 2 hours to get it out but the sand was just too much and we sank time and time again, The only thing we could do was to walk to the base and get help. After around 1,1/2 miles we entered the base from the range and airfield side taking the guy on guard at the entrance by surprise. Here is where the fun started we thought, A few hours or days in the "Nick" getting grilled ?? no the guys had seen it all before and after the language problem had been solved they understood what had happened and got us in a 4x4 and took us to the car, via the end of the range we were trying to get to (no more aircraft are up there just missile launchers). The 4x4 soon had us out of the sand and back on the main tracks and we were taken down to the base. We tried to explain what we were doing up there but the language got crossed again and we were offered a 4x4 ride back to the range to view the MiG,s !!. There is a large amount  aircraft parked near the main gate and we asked if we could take some photos of them "OK" said the officer.

 

Nadarrzyce Airfield 12-07-09

 

This is a real airfield where the range targets are flown in, Since our visit last year to this part of the complex the MiG,s have been moved closer to the gate and have been joined by the TS-11,s and an Mi-2

 

(1910) MiG-21 (Un-marked)

6514 MiG-21

(6602) MiG-21 (Un-marked and has Szkolny on its nose)

6804 MiG-21

7809 MiG-21

7812 MiG-21

7814 MiG-21

7906 MiG-21

7911 MiG-21

9012 MiG-21

9112 MiG-21

9314 MiG-21

9501 MiG-21

9507 MiG-21

9524 MiG-21

9703 MiG-21

9745 MiG-21

9763 MiG-21

9854 MiG-21

 

614   TS-11

1109 TS-11

1203 TS-11

1207 TS-11

1217 TS-11

1401 TS-11

1707 TS-11

1720 TS-11

1721 TS-11

 

4511 Mi-2

 

The scrap area was not entered but seen in here were

 

115 MiG-23

1242 Mi-2

3720 Mi-2

4717 Mi-2

 

And 5 or 6 more Mi-2,s

 

Sat near the main gate was

 

SP-WAB Ec-120

 

The other area on base near the tower a line of preserved aircraft this was not entered but seen and did not look to have changed, So after a very eventful unofficial visit here we shook hands with our rescuers and thanked them very much and we departed and drove back towards Germany appx 3 hours behind schedule, And so was born the name of the trip "The Sands of Nadarrzyce". Getting back into Germany was a long drive via a garage to get some drink and a bite to eat and a little reflection on the adventure we had just had thinking some day this will be funny but not today.

    The idea for the rest of the day was to make it to Cottbus which is to the South East of Berlin via a museum to the North East of Berlin, Traffic on the motorway soon put that idea out of the window as we joined a tailback for about an hour and only just managing to get to the Finow museum before they locked up for the night

 

Finow 12-07-09

 

A good museum cantered around a HAS site on an old Air Force base

 

(05) Blue An-2 DM-SKO

08 MiG-17 (539 c/n 0630)

08 Red MiG-23

91 Black Yak-28 (c/n 8961310)

(135) MiG-15

(322) Mi-2 D-HZPL

(340) L-29

391 MiG-19

395 Mi-8

479 MiG-21

(482) VEB-14

720 MiG-23 (20+55)

20+57 MiG-23

22+38 MiG-21

23+61 MiG-21

76+80 Allouette

560024 FW-190 Wreck

 

??? IL-2 Wreck

 

And a few civil bits

 

D-EDLY Ce-172

D-ESLZ ?

D-FOLO ?

D-HOXA Mi-8 Interflug

D-4058 LS-6

 

DM-SPU Ka-26

DDR-SCH Tu-134 Interflug

 

OM-SUT ?

OM-WHC PZL-104 Wilga

 

 So moving on we decided to have a look at a few things in Berlin

 

Berlin Tegel 12-07-09

 

Under the approach light of the airport lives three preserved military aircraft

 

"DF-240" F-84F (Real id DE+126)

(52) Cm-170 (Ex French AF)

WF382/Q Varsity (Ex RAF)

 

Seen at the airport

 

10+21 A-310 German AF

 

And just two civil items noted

 

D-AIRH A-321 Lufthansa

EC-KHJ A-320 Iberia

 

 Also seen in the city at

 

Berlin Clay-Allee 12-07-09

 

At the Alliierten Museum 

 

(TG503/) Hastings

 

 To the South of the city is Beelitz and a company here has two former Russian AF fighters on display outside their premises

 

Beelitz 12-07-09

 

01 Red Su-7

70 Red MiG-23

 

 As our plans had been changed by fate we decided to "Cut and Run" South of Berlin to Dessau for the night and a hotel as this would put us in a better position for the next day.

 

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