MISC July 2012

I was in NingBo in China when I could take a fast shot for this Su-30MK2 belongs to the 10th Air Regiment of the 4th Division taking off from Ningbo-ZhuangQiao air force base.

In Doha International Airportin Qatar, unfortunately I could not shoot 2 Mirage-2000's and one AlphaJet taking off at midnight for night flight training, when I arrived back again I shoot the main yard of Gulf Helicopters which contains 11 AgustaWestland AW139's with reg. A7-GHA, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, K, L in addition to one A7-HBT.

Note the red Bell 412 reg. A7-HBV on the left for emergency medical services.

Also there were two Bell 412 with reg. A7-HAV and A7-HBB.

Two Qatar Emiri Air Force Westland Commando's.

HAS's for Mirage-2000's sadly got their shelter panels closed, can not see treasures they hide inside !!

SyAAF L-39 Albatros

Nice and rare photos of SyAAF L-39 Albatros been taken some few days before the annual parade in Rasm Al Abboud training air base; The above reg. 2052.

Close shoot to an L-39 reg. 2090 looks locally repainted.

Syria used to operate around 100 L-39's, the majority is ZO variant.

Another photo for the same 2090.

These aircraft were distributed into 3 bases : Rasm Al Abboud, Ksheish and formerly Abu Dhhour.

The reg. number here is not readable, but looks 209x

Training for the aerobatic team which contains four aircraft with permanent plain color for each one extracted from the colors of Syrian flag...Black, White, Red and Green.

16 L-39's forming the word "Asad" in Arabic.

Amazing shoot shows an L-39 and Gazelle above, with one of the phased out Meteors Night Fighter Mk.13 in Rasm Al Abboud air base !!

Gear and flaps downed preparing for landing.

Three L-39's in the main yard in Rasm Al Abboud AB, note the furthest one has different camo pattern.

Syrian Air Force Live Fire Maneuvers July 2012

The forth day of live fire maneuvers conducted this time by the Syrian Air Force on July 10th 2012, it's realy one of the ever amazing videos showing some of the SyAAF units been shoot from very close distance (I'm talking about aircraft while taking off)

Details of this video are as below:

- 0:39 Four Mig-21's

- 0:48 Mig-23ML's dispensing flares

- 0:53 Mig-29's taking off

- 1:26 Two Mig-29's in pursuit with two Mig-23ML's

- 2:10 Su-24MK taking off

- 2:42 Mig-23BN's taking off

- 3:16 and 3:44 Su-24's releasing free-fall bombs

- 3:34 Mig-23BN's launching unguided missiles

- 4:01 Gazelles

- 4:25 Mil Mi-25's firing anti-tank missiles, are they the AT-2 Swatter?

- 5:36 Mil Mi-17's performing landing of special forces units

- 6:16 An-26 airdropping cargo

It's good to see that these great Mig-21's are still operational in SyAAF !!

It's the very first time in Syrian media to show Mig-29 from such close distance !!

Mig-23ML's, the first one's reg. number is not clear but can be read kinda like #397 !?!?

The Su-24MK was also and for the first time shoot from short distance; Unfortunately in these maneuvers they did not fit it with guided missiles or bombs, this tactical bomber wasn't built to pass over the target exposing itself to the ground fire to throw free-fall bombs !!

Gazelles launching AS-12 wire-guided anti-tank missiles, note that the Gazelle looks it must be in still status to be able to launch such missile?

Not like the Gazelle, the Mi-25 can fire its anti-tank missiles while in movement.