Czech Air Force photos

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19 years 3 months

Posts: 1,877

a fighter pilot and good looking to..:D awesome ! :D

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 11,742

These Spitfires are of the Czechoslovak 310., 312. and 313. squadrons in GB. There were of LF Mk.IXE variant and the squadrons got them (brand new) instantly before leaving GB, Czechoslovak government had to pay for them, it had to pay for everything, what Czech soldiers used for fight against nazis in GB.

The last claim is wrong. They flew RAF Spitfires and were treated as volunteers f.e.
WW2 has ended in Europe already, when the new Czech government bought that new RAF Spitfires in August 1945. In 1948 they sold their used Spitfires for 23.000 USD each to Israel, when the related market-price was 1/10 of that. A healthy profit. ;)
The Avia S-199s were even more expensive for Israel.
Despite some historical errors I do enjoy your high quality pics and to learn some details about that smaller air force too.
http://www.consit.cz/sl/eng/csl2_1.html

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17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

The last claim is wrong. They flew RAF Spitfires and were treated as volunteers f.e. WW2 has ended in Europe already, when the new Czech government bought that new RAF Spitfires in August 1945. In 1948 they sold their used Spitfires for 23.000 USD each to Israel, when the related market-price was 1/10 of that. A healthy profit. ;)
The Avia S-199s were even more expensive for Israel.
Despite some historical errors I do enjoy your high quality pics and to learn some details about that smaller air force too.
http://www.consit.cz/sl/eng/csl2_1.html

absolutely wrong, man, Czechoslovak soldiers and pilots in GB weren´t any volunteers or treated but they were serious member of Czechoslovak Armed Forces in GB that was part of Czechoslovak state authority and the firts of all under Czechoslovak president Beneš command, minister of defence and chief comander of the army. Czechoslovak government had to pay for weapons, equipment of Czechoslovak squadrons and armored brigade, cars, truck, fuel, ammunition, meal, bureaucracy, papers for writing, ink, uniforms, buildings rental etc., etc., etc, etc. (for example even for service for damaged planes for destroyed planes or planes destored due to negligence when some RAF commition decided that it was negligence, and as I said for new LF Mk.IX on the end of the war...
On 25. 10 1940 were signed Czechoslovak-british agreement about Czechoslovak armed forces in the GB which icluded their status and organisation and method of financing. Article 5 said: expenditures that arise for any british goverment department by execution this agreement will be defrayable on british goverment credit for Czechoslovak governemnt in GB for Czechoslovak military effort aproviding...
Well well credit, but now we must start to talk about Czechoslovak gold resource (state treasure). In September 1938 Czechoslovakia had 94 771 kg of gold and due menace to war only 6 336 kg was in Prague, majority of it was in Switzerland and the GB (about 28 tons in Bank of England and 23 tons in british subdivision of National Bank of Czechoslovakia). After Munich betrayal Swiss and British banks robbed 14,5 tons of Czechoslovak national gold on nazi pressure and gave it to nazis for "financial covering of czechoslovak money in (robbed) czech border areas" (sic!). And more... 18. 3. 1939, three days after occupation of "rest Tschechei" in Hitler´s jargon way, nazis compel chiefs of National Bank of Czechoslovakia in Prague to transfer money from the GB, and Bank of England send to nazi national bank in Berlin 23 tons of Czechoslovak national gold, that was big international scandal, because nazis damaged piece of **** (sorry paper) from Munich for all that BoE sent the gold what even wasnt its property, Churchill named that "Financial Munich"... and minister of finace blocked further transactions with Czechoslovak state gold...
Well Czechoslovakia lost 45,3 tons in total during the war, after the war international Tripartite Gold Commision gave only 24,5 tons back to Czechoslovakia and the GB instatly call for Czechoslovak army in GB organisation, equipment and weapons credit payment (very interesting is the fact that the GB forgiven the same Polish war credit in 1956) and so called "Munich credit" - british financial help for disfigured Czechoslovakia after Munich betrayal (actualy "voice of guilty conscience credit").
Czechoslovakia recognized legitimacy of british war credit on the agreement from 25. 10 1940 base, but Czechoslovak government want to pay it from german reparations... admittedly Czechoslovakia has got no penny up to this day... later after 1949 Czechoslovak communistic goverment didn´t want to pay war credits to GB and USA because rest of state gold still was holded in GB and USA. Negociations were long, finally in 1982 Czechoslovakia paid 24 million pounds to GB and 84,5 million dollars to USA and on 20. 2. 1982 got 18,5 tons of Czechoslovak state gold back... that´s the story
Even some Czech pilots were arested and interned in special lagers for some time instatly after comming in GB for "communistic ideas and opinions" when they criticised GB for Munich betrayal...

sorry for my poor English anyway

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19 years 8 months

Posts: 562


otherwise, during the first year of Gripen´s service in CzAF their reability was horrible - under 60 %, and chiefs of AF complained to Saab about that and ask some penalty, but I don´t know details. For example L159 reability at that time was approximately 75%.

First, the Czech AF lease their capability from the Swedish state on a urgent requirement signed in 2004. The seller is FMV and they provide the total solution including Swedish support. Going to Saab would not be correct either way.

Then, that percentage you talk about was also not under 60% but one figure close to that was the 66% acheived training hours on the Gripen during the full year 2005. Non-training flights involve QRA which for a while took up half of all flights.

But the CzAF only got their first six gripen on 18th April 2005. At this time there was still the bulk of pilot and technician training to do and still is going on as we speak. For long CzAF had more Gripens than it had pilots. By January 2006 the CzAF had 14 Gripens and just 8 pilots. The aircraft had about 100 hours on them before delivery as they had been flown in by the FMV testpilots.

http://i25.tinypic.com/2evtaaa.jpg

There has also been issues with pilots leaving for civilian airlines and better wages. That has nothing to do with the aircraft availability.

After one year after taking the Gripen into service, the period you do talk about the base commander said:

We have never lost an operational
mission due to aircraft problems.
Every
planned QRA mission has been flown. We
have flown eight aircraft in a day and during
the period in 2005, when we just had our 12
single-seaters, I know there were times
when all 12 aircraft were available.
I think
with the JAS 39Ds we lost one mission
because of a technical problem.

Colonel Petr Mikulenka, Wing Commander, Casláv Air Base

Even at that early stage, the Czech
Gripens had been flying at a serious rate. By
October 2005, the Gripens had already
flown over 300 hours in QRA alert/training
and another 300 hours in regular training
and day-to-day operations. By early January
2006, that figure had climbed to over 1000
flight hours – still with just eight pilots.

link

While talking about QRA he also clearly states that he had practically the full fleet 8-12 aircraft ready for flight ops on days.

For 2007 the fleet availability numbers was 93% with 1905 flight hours.

And on that training chart it's clearly visible how thanks to more trained pilots and mechs the jets is able to get into the air and produce flight hours. If anything has been a problem with the Gripen in the CzAF it has been lack of manpower who can use the machines.

Any complaints has never been heard on Gripen availability here not even in that first stressful year. But if you got a news source I'd love to see it. Like I said, I haven't seen it.

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Posts: 581

First, the Czech AF lease their capability from the Swedish state on a urgent requirement signed in 2004. The seller is FMV and they provide the total solution including Swedish support. Going to Saab would not be correct either way.

Then, that percentage you talk about was also not under 60% but one figure close to that was the 66% acheived training hours on the Gripen during the full year 2005. Non-training flights involve QRA which for a while took up half of all flights.

But the CzAF only got their first six gripen on 18th April 2005. At this time there was still the bulk of pilot and technician training to do and still is going on as we speak. For long CzAF had more Gripens than it had pilots. By January 2006 the CzAF had 14 Gripens and just 8 pilots. The aircraft had about 100 hours on them before delivery as they had been flown in by the FMV testpilots.

http://i25.tinypic.com/2evtaaa.jpg

There has also been issues with pilots leaving for civilian airlines and better wages. That has nothing to do with the aircraft availability.

After one year after taking the Gripen into service, the period you do talk about the base commander said:

While talking about QRA he also clearly states that he had practically the full fleet 8-12 aircraft ready for flight ops on days.

For 2007 the fleet availability numbers was 93% with 1905 flight hours.

And on that training chart it's clearly visible how thanks to more trained pilots and mechs the jets is able to get into the air and produce flight hours. If anything has been a problem with the Gripen in the CzAF it has been lack of manpower who can use the machines.

Any complaints has never been heard on Gripen availability here not even in that first stressful year. But if you got a news source I'd love to see it. Like I said, I haven't seen it.

so there is the part called Aircrafts of the tactical air force of the Army of the Czech Republic from the official matherial of the Highest Control Authority of the Czech Republic 2007 report, the control was made by this authority since may to december 2006 and includes 2004, 2005 and 2006 years till december 2006. The Highest Control Authority of the Czech Republic is the main control institution that can control every ministry, even government, every state institution and their economy:

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Graf č. 1 – Srovnání požadované a dosažené provozuschopnosti letounů JAS 39 Gripen (v %)

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well, I try to traslate the part about Gripens serviceability (the red box) .... and the diagram says everything...

diagram legend (serviceability of the Jas-39 percentage):
blue-real serviceability
red-desiderative serviceability according the agreement
green-average serviceability (hmmm for sure under 60 %)
numbers on the left - percentage, numbers below – numbers of the gripens (you can see every aircraft´s serviceability – only gripens of number 4, 5 and 6 were of over 60 per cent serviceability in total during controlled period)

II.3 Serviceability of the aircrafts JAS 39 Gripen

With regard to NATINADS missions and Czech Republic air space defense tasks is supersonic Gripen aircrafts´ serviceability crucial. Functional (serviceable) is the aircraft without technical restriction (technical faults, breakdown, not exhausted service life between periodical revisals and not crossed border of the technical life) with all specified working and adjustements. Serviceability is evaluated every day. Aircrafts Jas 39 Gripen have flown 2 473 flights and 2 278 flying hours up to 10. October 2006 (the last day of controlling). According the criterion which is middle period between malfunction called MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) the aircrafts achieved quite low reliability 2:09 flying hours per failure (contrary to L159´s 4:53 flying hours per failure what you can read several lines lower )… Since the start of the Gripens´ service in april 2005 its serviceability achieved average 53,8 % in total. According to the agreement the minimum serviceability is 60%. So ministry of defense started the negotiation with Swedish side to improve this state. The ordinary failures are removed by technicians of the Czech Army and basic and middle level of servicing as well according the agreement. In the more difficult cases failures are removed in cooperation with Swedish specialists. Spare parts and material is provided by Swedish side. Since March to October 2006 Swedish producer made modernization of avionics, communication and further systems in Sweden according the agreement.

thats all, strictly evaluation of the Gripens´ technical problems not depending on „human factor“… this source is the most relevant and determinant. But its not suprise, new aircraft expecialy the new fighter is very complicated systém… just Gripens problems were similar to first phase of L159 service, or for example Polish F-16 (in this case I just guess i don´t know facts or numbers)). For example L159 start reliability was wery low, now on every NATO exercise for two last years L159 are avaluted as one of the most realiable aircraft on the exercie... I don´t know new numbers and percentage for gripen but they are much more better for sure...

and don´t post something like Mikulenka´s declaration, just he is ministry of defence´s employee and he must to say what the chiefs want... just propaganda, but generals and politicians cannot narrate fairy tails for main control authority, there is even causes when this authority indicted ministry of defence for its bad economy a year ago and chief of army was indicted for state property robbery as well...

... and funny information from the end of the material is that ministry of defence hasn´t given the reason for purchasing 14 Gripens (it means reason for number 14 not reason for purchasing gripens at all) till the date of the end of the control...

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19 years 8 months

Posts: 562


well, I try to traslate the part about Gripens serviceability (the red box) .... and the diagram says everything...

thats all, strictly evaluation of the Gripens´ technical problems not depending on „human factor“… this source is the most relevant and determinant. But its not suprise, new aircraft expecialy the new fighter is very complicated systém… just Gripens problems were similar to first phase of L159 service, or for example Polish F-16 (in this case I just guess i don´t know facts or numbers)). For example L159 start reliability was wery low, now on every NATO exercise for two last years L159 are avaluted as one of the most realiable aircraft on the exercie... I don´t know new numbers and percentage for gripen but they are much more better for sure...

and don´t post something like Mikulenka´s declaration, just he is ministry of defence´s employee and he must to say what the chiefs want... just propaganda, but generals and politicians cannot narrate fairy tails for main control authority, there is even causes when this authority indicted ministry of defence for its bad economy a year ago and chief of army was indicted for state property robbery as well...

Thanks. What I can see is that both sides seems to be right and base commander Mikulenka can very well say he had high availability on his jets while the audit for that so-and-so first year (I say so-and-so because that whole year was a build-up period, at least for the first 6 months) says servicability was lower than intended. Indeed in that period they logged alot of flight hours despite few pilots and not having a full fleet until December 2005; 2,278 produced hours on 2,473 sorties means they could fly with high availability.

One indicator as the average MTBF does exceed normal in air sorties time it can mean he both had available jets for missions but afterwards it was sent to service. But for how long? The document doesn't seem to say how many hours was spent on service ? I also wonder if that stats includes the scheduled on-job training which includes intended service for training purposes. The SwAF support group showed the Czech techies how to service the aircraft so they would learn faster.

Also seems we talked about two different issues, the document doesn't address the availability (jets ready for missions) but instead the service MTBF which can be very costly if it's hours upon hours to make sure jets is in fact ready the next morning.

I do know the early 39C/D had several early down-periods for upgrades and fixes in the SwAF so naturally these stops and fixes would apply on the CzAF jets too being under the same umbrella. The 39C system was less than 3 years old from first-flight when the CzAF began to use it, a time more suitable for IOC than FOC perhaps but someone was in a rush to get them...

With ADS Ed:18.9 it has been a much smoother ride.... not sure when it was installed but late 2006/early 2007 something like that.

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Items on MiG-23s

What is the function of the buckets and plastic lines?

And then what is the radome on the right wing root?

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What is the function of the buckets and plastic lines?

And then what is the radome on the right wing root?

thats Delta-NM guidance system for Ch-23 missiles, MiG-23BN and UB had this system fixed, intercept versions of the MiG-23 or Su-17/22 had this system in special pod.
just oil collector

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Ten years of L-159 in Czech Air Force service

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Lovely painted the L159 with the czech flag. You lucky Gripen owners! :D

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Prepare to sad "celebration" - 28.4.2011 End of An-26 in Czech Air Force

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