Air Force Museum - Dimashq / SYRIA

This must be the first of my "Air Force Museum"series, but till I could find the best photo reference (taken in 1996) published by Mr.Jetnoise at UK Airshow Review website.

The Army Museum in Damascus was almost my daily passage to university, but that time I didn't know that someday I will leave and the aircraft in display there will be shifted to an unknown destination !!

Starting with the Piper Super Cub which might be the first trainer to be acquired by SyAAF, few numbers were operated from Mennegh / Neyrab AB till mid 1960s.

North American Harvard reg. 44.

This trainer joined SyAAF in 1948 and operated mainly from Neyrab AB, this was the only surviving airframe of this type.

One airframe was seen in Mennegh AB in 1980's, not sure whether it is still there.

MiG-15UTI with serial 273, these aircraft started to be delivered to Syria in 1955.

The Czechoslovakian made Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin, an advanced trainer often in silver finish (MNF) and rarely seen camouflaged, operated mainly from the SyAAF Aviation Academy in Neyrab then Rasm Al Abboud AB (Kweres).

Many airframes of this types are found at Kshesh, Rasm Al Abboud and Neyrab AB's. 

An ex-Eastern German MiG-17 carries the serial 1196 delivered to Syria during the 1973 war.

First batch of this aircraft was delivered in 1957 and operated from Mazze AB near the capital; later on, 100's were delivered and operated from most of Syrian AFB's.

In late 1970's early 1980's all the fleet of this aircraft were withdrawn from service from their fully operational condition for unknown and obscure reason !! The most famous boneyard is located in Kshesh AB with around 60 units sadly laid there !!

MiG-21F-13 serialled 1864 looks in its original camo.

The 813 Su-7BMK as well, these aircraft afterwards, used to receive new paint year by year... 

A captured Gyrocopter plane (probably was used by Israelis to spy over Syria) reg. G-AXVL.

Aside these aircraft, there were few captured French tanks and vehicles in display in this Army Museum, in addition to the Capsule which carried the first Syrian spaceman to the exterior space (Mohammad Faris).

Iraqi Air Force MiG-23MLs in Serbia

In 1989 IQAF sent 10 MiG-23ML to Yugoslavia for overhaul and intense maintenance. During the Gulf War II, these airframes were kept stored in Serbia until -and according to some sources -they were serviced on 2002.

One of these IqAF Floggers were put in display outdoor infront of the main hall of the Aviation Museum in Belgrade until a decision is made to shift it somewhere else, I'm not sure when this exactly took place.

Further interesting explanation by J. Nijmeijer / ACIG:
"10 were Iraqi AF MiG-23ML aircraft. Serials are: 23252, 23260, 23267, 23269 (c/n 25056, l/n 17530), 23278, 23279, 23282, 23288, 23290 and 23292.

Out of these aircraft, only 23269 has been overhauled. This MiG-23ML flew to Zeljava AB and then to Batajnica AB. The aircraft was handed over to Moma Stanojlovic aircraft repair plant. while the other MiG-23ML aircraft were put in storage at the 160th Logistic Support Base at Pancevo near Belgrade. For some time, 23269 formed part of the YAF Museum exhibition"