Eye-Catching AFB: GORELOVO (Russia)

Interesting air base in Russia, Gorelovo airport (also known as Annino) which is located around 20km southwest of Saint Petersburg.

Above, a 2009 dated GE shot for the eastern part of this air base which is actually a bone yard for more than -nowadays- 120 phased-out helicopters of various types.

This bone yard includes airframes from MIL and KAMOV as shown above.

From MIL, there was different variants from Mi-8, 17 and 24.

At least 3 to 4 variants of Hinds can be seen here, some are fitted with unusual external carriage (I'll dedicate some other post for them).

This base looks to have some facility (some big building started to be constructed beside this yard from 2008) to uninstall, demount, disassemble and even store the components of withdrawn helicopters either those can be reused for spares or some sensitive elements in these airframes.

The complete photos can be seen HERE

Actually, what made this airbase more and more attractive, is the existence of some EW (Electronic Warfare) Mi-8/17 variants with SyAAF roundel on the fuselage, as the above Mil Mi-8SMV with serial 32 in Arabic digits in white.

Note the over-painted-roundel on the motor cover, also note the camo colors which are similar to those SyAAF units operational these days.

Another shot for the same Mi-8SMV from the left side.

 

Another Mil Mi-8SMV with serial 35 also in Arabic digits.

The second from left is a Mil Mi-8SMV with SyAAF roundel and serial 30, the camo here is more greenish and not seen for any SyAAF Mi-8/17 units.

This one also should be a Mil Mi-17PP variant but over-painted serial and some sand / ocher camo.

The reason why these Mi's with SyAAF roundel are found here in Russia is that these units were strictly operated by Soviets themselves in 1980s and 90s.

It's good to know also that Soviets used to operate around eight EW variant Mil Mi-8/17s, four of them were for sure based in T4 AFB in Syria by Soviets themselves as shown in the above rare photo of a Mi-17SMV reg. 29. 

Another rare photo (belongs to late 1980s) for some Soviet specialists / instructors infront of an EW Mi-17 in some AFB in Syria.