While the East German Air Force was quickly dissolved after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the USSR’s presence in Germany took longer to disappear. Peter R Foster recalls his time logging the Soviet Air Forces in the region
The reunification of Germany in 1990 afforded countless opportunities for the aviation enthusiast. Not only could we now reach the former Soviet satellite states that had quickly disengaged themselves from Moscow’s influence, but also get a taste of Soviet aviation without too much fear of repercussions.
Whereas the former East German Air Force had virtually ceased to exist overnight, the withdrawal of the ‘supporting’ Soviet forces from the country was going to take a further three years and thus it was a small window to see what the Cold War had all been about. Having said that, one was never really sure of the Soviet mind set, so for us enthusiasts there was still the fear of the unknown, especially with a number of stories circulating of people being shot for seemingly overstepping the mark.
I must be honest in saying that, as an enthusiast, my interest in the Soviet Air Forces was limited. As a ‘spotter’, it was too big to effectively ge…
