A website for Preserved Aircraft of All Eras
September 19 and 20 saw the 2026 edition of the annual NATO Days show take place in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
The weather was sunny, but not too hot. Photographing dynamic displays came not only with the typical challenge of facing the sun in the later part of the day, but also more dust than usual. The extra dust is most certainly the result of the heat wave that hit much of Europe through the summer.
I attended the Saturday show, here are some of my photos from the day:
Changing of the Guard
It’s the end of an era in the Czech Republic as the as the state-owned flight training centre (CLV) in Pardubice retires its last Aero L-39C Albatros training jets, replacing them with the Aero L-39NG Skyfox.
CLV was established in 2004 as a training centre for not only future Czech air force pilots, but also those from a number of foreign countries. For over 20 years CLV used the L-39C Albatros to give student pilots their first taste of fast jet flight and prepare them for more advanced aircraft.
The Albatros is a legendary and widely used aircraft of Czech design that first flew in 1968. Like the Albatros, the Skyfox is a product of the Aero company. The two aircraft are quite different to each other with the exception of a family resemblance.
Albatros retirement plans include a three aircraft formation flight in late August over the eastern part of the country, and then over the western part in early September.
Here’s some pictures I’ve taken of both types in CLV colours, mostly at Pardubice:
The Kbely Air Museum in Prague is a large collection that is a “Must do” if you’re in the Czech capital between May and October.
I’ve visited it several times and have had an article about it on the website for a while now. My most recent visit was in July of 2026 and it gave me the opportunity to refresh the pictures and make a few adjustments to the text.
Updated Kbely Air Museum article
Aside of the Kbely article, I’ve also updated a couple of others.
I’ve updated the Tupolev Tu-143 Rejs article to include information about its use in the war between Russia and Ukraine as well as in the Middle East.
I’ve also returned the article about the Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker to the 1900-1919 section of the website. This was one of the earliest articles on the website and I removed it in order to thoroughly revise and expand it so it would be up to scratch with more recent articles
I hope you’ll enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed making them.
May 30 and 31 marked the 2026 edition of the Aviatická Pouť airshow.
This year, the show was held at Hradec Králové rather than Pardubice where it usually takes place. The change of venue was due to the Czech air force Saab Gripen fleet being temporarily based at Pardubice and the hightened security measures in place because of it.
In late 2025, the Czech military decided they wouldn’t allow the show at Pardubice and told show organizers to find an alternate location. Happily, the show organizers were able to secure the airport at nearby Hradec Králové as the new location. In the scope of planning an event like an airshow, they were given relatively little time to find a solution. The show this year was quite enjoyable and the organizers should be commended for their perseverence.
I was there on Saturday, here’s a gallery of the show through my lens:
Savouring Spring!
Beautiful spring weather has found us and the activity at my local airport in the Medlánky district of Brno, Czech Republic has been picking up pace.
Here’s a small gallery of some of the recent action:
