MBB/Siat 223 Flamingo photographed in Kweres (Rasm El-Abboud) AFB prior to shifting these basic trainers from the central tarmac to hide them behind the ceremony stage.
SyAAF L-29 Delfín in display at the gate guard of Kweres AFB.
The only available photo of MFI-17 Mushshak. SyAAF received two examples of this Pakistani made basic trainer and both are based in Kweres AFB as well.
SyAAF MiG-17 in display in the famous 'Al-Tayyara' roundabout in Deir EzZour city.
One of the rarest photos of a camouflaged SyAAF MiG-17. This still is taken at Kshesh AFB in 1984.
SyAAF An-26 photographed landing in Hama AFB on 14th May 2014.
Syrian Air IL-76T YK-ATB in an unidentified airfield.
The only and historical flight of the Syrian Air YK-SQG Yak-40 from Damascus IAP to Aleppo IAP on 22nd Jan. 2014 after almost a year of halting flight to the latter.
Another take of the same Yak-40 in Aleppo IAP, no news about any other civil transporter landed in Aleppo IAP since that event.
Batch of good photos I collected from web, different than what I posted almost one year ago for aircraft were in display in Military Museum in Damascus. Starting with a photo for the MiG-21F-13...
The same from another corner, it is important to mention here that this aircraft has received a completely new camo in place here (repainted), the original one with original serial was shown in the previous post of this Military Museum
This photo also shows the same MiG-21F-13 with another third camo !!
The MiG-15UTI did not survive from the amateur painter !!
From the back...
This is the canopy of the Su-7.
Repainted L-29, with the logo of Aviation Faculty.
Another shot for the trainer L-29, as I mentioned previously, all these airframes including the propellers were shifted to an unknown destination !!
Today, FSyA could seize Kshesh air base which looked abandoned by Syrian Army those already knew it will fall by a day or another in the hands of the FSyA; Anyway, few stills I could extract from "newly born" videos. Most of L-39's are inside HAS's and look either withdrawn from service or stored or lacking required maintenance enabling them being air worthy...
Double HAS accommodate two L-39's in each side, I hope they are not affected by hand guns fire...
Closer photo for back-to-back L-39's inside a HAS.
Nice shots by rebels for the graveyard of MiG-15's and 17's. Through years, the camo is washed out, serials as well.
Only few survived their serials like this MiG-17 with serial 2012.
At the tip of this MiG-17 fin I can hardly read 1340 ?!?
Another shot for the graveyard, note the MiG-15UTIat the far right of the image.
L-39 inside a HAS surrounded by wrecked L-29's.
It is very clear that almost each MiG-17 here wears unique camo!! It might be because the MiG-17's were delivered to SyAAF in many batches through years.
Another MiG-15UTI at the left of the image.
Clear HD still for a stored L-39 with serial 2079 inside a HAS.
Behind it, another L-39, serial is covered.
L-39 with serial 2133 being examined by rebels.
L-39 with serial 2125, in the video it is shown fitted with a free-fall bomb on the wing pylon. This UNIT was seen in November 2012 in action over ArRaqqa.
A rebel in battle field walking behind a MiG-15UTI.
Kshesh AFB (36° 5'49.05"N 37°56'43.31"E), or as known as Al Jarrah, is around 70km to the east of Aleppo, and just few kilometers from the Assad Lake. This base does not have any significant role during the wars Syria involved in, while it still one of the most important training bases in Syria. One noticeable accident recorded in the history of this base is when a pilot of an L-39 extremely approached the surface of the Lake's water which in turn was inhaled by the thirsty engine and caused the aircraft loss !!
Talking about the layout of this base, and from my point of view, I would divide it into three parts:
The first part and the most attractive part, and the one which made this base a real eye-catching one is the cemetery of more than 60 MiG-15s and MiG-17s of different variants been phased-out and immediately damaged and scrapped. These units were more than air worthy, all of them were operational, but the arrival of the advanced variants of MiG-21s and deliveries of MiG-23s made the SyAAF HQ take a "wise" decision that these airframes are useless and burden over the SyAAF. This took place in early 1980s when the MiG-17 was still in service in many air forces in the world and could be used for advanced training or at least as unmanned target drones, it was a massacre to Machines...as well as what is going on nowadays in Syria to Humans. Anyway, this was not the first time for that HQ to take such decision, as the first victims were the British Meteors those been phased-out from service in Qweres AFB in their full operational status, few of them did not completed 10 hours of fly time !!!
The second part, is where around 12 L-29s "Delfin" are phased-out.
The third part is the two active yards which these days host L-39s.
Recently, and during the Syrian uprising, few videos came out to public for this air base when rebels got to seize this base for few weeks. The most important one is this dated 16 Jan. 2013, which describes in details the base from west to east.
Here, I extracted continues stills from this video to form a panoramic view of Kshesh AFB. Note that there are Three L-39s in the southern yard, while one can be seen inside a HAS. You can download it HERE in its full resolution.
Another video dated 27 Dec. 2012, shows an L-39 inside a HAS, these two HAS's are those located to the west of the northern yard, almost in the heart of the airfield.
Another video dated as above, shows the same HAS's from another corner.
A video dated 15 Jan. 2013, shows the double HAS in the far east of the field with two L-39s inside.
Again a video dated 27 Dec. 2012 explains the siege rebels conduct all around the base.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
