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Budapest April 2019

Richard Bowater

For forty years I have always just missed Yak 40s, they always seem to have just departed before I arrived at airports in the UK and Europe, so thought it was time I saw one. The winter gave a bit of time to look through Yak 40s in museums and Budapest came up top having two in the Aeropark. Further searching produced a day trip with Wizz Air from Doncaster but returning via Wroclaw in Poland to make a cheap day return. My wife decided she too would like to come along so the trip turned into a couple of days with time to investigate the city.

I have only ever flown over Doncaster in a balloon before and that was before it opened to civil traffic. The short term car parking is well located in front of the terminal in easy walking distance to the front door and the departure lounge was not bad either with reasonably price food and drink. The down side was between the lounge and the aircraft, a draughty steel walkway and staircase which lead to a bus stand.

The Wizz Air Airbus 320 flight was just over two hours. The approach to Budapest produced a surprise Mil 8 helicopter 10433 in a compound. Highlights of the main apron were a 737-800 of Aeroflot which couldn’t be photographed and 4O-MNE Learjet. What turned out to be an Alligant Airbus 320 was parked in the distance at the maintenance base, acquired from Saudi and wearing the registration HZ-AS17, thanks to Dave Rose. HA-YFD Let 410 and HA-JET Citation 500 were also identified being long term stored and the fireman’s 732 P4-RMB next to the control tower.

The Aeropark is situated close to the long stay car parks and is run by a great group of volunteers; most aircraft are open and virtually complete in side. They have twelve aircraft on display listed below and possibly others as project like the ex Malev 767 which is parked on the airfield.

 HA-YHF Antonov 2 painted in Malev Aero Club colours. This aircraft used to be one of three in the city at Mc Donald’s for children to play in. Real identity is HA-MDK.

HA-MOA IL-18 freighter Malev

HA-YLR Yak 40 a former flight inspection aircraft.

HA-BCB Mil 2 ex air ambulance

HA-MHI Antonov 2

HA-LAF Let 410 another ex flight inspection aircraft.

HA-LCG Tu 154 Malev

HA-MOG IL-18 freighter Malev

HA-LBE Tu 134 Malev

HA-LIQ Li 2 Malev

HA-LRA Yak 40 Linair Malev partner.

HA-MAL IL-14 Malev

The museum is under the approach for runway 31L which is the nearest to the cargo apron we were in perfect time to see YL-RAC Antonov 26 of RAF Avia arrive.

 

Budapest has a fantastic public transport system so there is no need for hire cars or expensive taxis. The 200E bus to the city passes by the cargo area where all three based Brasilia’s were seen along with a few unidentified bizz and light aircraft. The final aircraft for the first day was HA-BGN Mil 2 which is displayed inside the Hospital in the rock museum in the city photography is not permitted in the museum.

 With an all routes travel card we ventured out into the suburbs of Budapest to try and see a number of aviation targets. First was the slightly dodgy one which could be spied with Google earth, a compound next to a main road used by the police to store surplus helicopters. Five Mil 2s could be seen from the adjacent railway embankment but only two could be positively identified so the other three are presumed. The police also have a 737 deeper in the base which could possibly be seen from a manned entrance gate, we didn’t try our luck on that one.

In years gone by Mc Donald’s in Budapest had three branches with Antonov 2s in there garden presumed related to the cartoon. We believed there were still two in place so after the Mil 2 helicopters it was off to the first Mc Donald’s via a metro tram. On arrival HA-MHU Antonov 2 had been removed, I found out later, to an out of city zoo. We decided to compare UK to Hungarian food, theirs was better! Then back onto the metro and onto a bus to the next Mc Donald’s which did still have its Antonov 2. HA-MDQ mounted in the car park for kids to play on, should have gone for a Mc flurry.

 The last one to find was a Mil 2 ex air ambulance parked behind the security gate to the main ambulance base. Primed with a note written in Hungarian we asked and were given permission for a quick shot of the helicopter.

The final day was an early departure from our accommodation near the airport. The wind had turned a full 180 degrees so we took off from the same runway and didn’t see the maintenance and storage area. SU-BTM Airbus 320 just arrived as we departed otherwise the ramp was populated with Wizz aircraft including the 100^th delivered aircraft HA-LTD A321, Ryanair 738s, SP-LRB Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and a couple of other European carriers.

 

Doncaster was deserted when we returned only a change around in the 2 Exel hangar produced anything of interest to photograph.

 

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