Zemunik Barracks’ “Open Day”

The three exhibition spaces presented old airplanes, helicopters, air defence assets, while the aircraft in use by the Croatian pilots today (ZLIN 242 L, Pilatus PC-9 M, Bell 206 B Jet Ranger III, Mi-8 MTV, Airtractors AT 802 A/F and Canadair CL 415) at the apron attracted the most attention. For a first time the visitors could see the U.S. MC-130 Hercules airplane, which was exhibited on the occasion too.

Some 3000 visitors enjoyed the flying programme performed on the Zlin-242 L, Pilatus PC-9M, Aitractor AT-802 A/F, Canadair CL-415 and  the Bell-206 B helicopter, as well as the air target interception exercise, featuring two MiG-21s. The programme was enhanced by the aerobatic flying programme of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence Aerobatic Group „Wings of Storm“.

They were also offered the input and the information on the career possibilities in the Croatian Armed Forces and participated in „Photo-Challenge“ contest, which will collect the best photos from the „Open Day“.

The Commander of the 93rd Air Base, Lt. Col. Karol Lučan emphasised that the purpose of the activities of the kind, which attracted more and more foreign air force and military equipment enthousiasts alongside the domestic, was to present the Base’s activities and promote the military pilot profession. „We devise something new each time, and this time it was something fast, noisy and adrenaline-charged coming from the intercepting MiGs. Another special attraction this year was the possibility to see the U.S.’ Hercules, whose crew wholeheartedly accepted the invitation to join our programme today“.