03.10.2016.

Open Day at the Batajnica Airport

At the Batajnica airport, the 204th Aviation Brigade Open Day Campaign was held. This event, which has been organized for several years in succession, is an opportunity for the citizens and the general public to familiarise with arms and military equipment used by the AF&AD of the Serbian Armed Forces, as well as with the tasks and missions that are assigned to 204th Air Brigade.

Visitors were able to see and inspect at the airport the exposed fighters MiG-21 and MiG-29, trainer-fighter Super Galeb G-4, trainer Utva 75 and Lasta, fighter-bomber Eagle – guests from the 98th Aviation Brigade in Kraljevo, "Piper Seneca", "Antonov 26", helicopters Gazela and newly delivered multipurpose Mi-17V5, Neva missile system from the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade, communications means from the 126th Air Surveillance Brigade, as well as equipment of members of the 63rd Parachute Battalion. The youngest visitors for almost the entire duration of the Open Day patiently stood in line to enter the cockpits of airplanes and helicopters and of course perpetuate the moment with camera.

The most attractive part, the aircraft flight programme traditionally started with jumps of paratroopers of the 63rd Battalion of the Special Brigade of the helicopter who carried the flags of Serbia, the Serbian Armed Forces and the 63rd Battalion. Major Aleksandar Marjanovic from 101st Squadron 'Knights' showed their flying skills and capabilities of the Mig-29 airplane, and his colleagues from the 252nd trainer aircraft squadron "Wolves from Usce" showed flying in formation of three "Super Galeb" aircraft and simulation of an attack on the ground target. Helicopter crews from the 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron "Pegasus" very attractively, in conjunction with members of the Special Brigade, demonstrated rescue of a downed pilot (who had previously "jumped" from the trainer aircraft). The Special Forces members evacuated the "rescued" pilot of Mi-17V5 helicopter while Gazelle circled above it as a sniper support to the action of rescuing.

Besides thousands of citizens and media representatives, the Open Day of 204th Aviation Brigade was visited by Brigadier General Dusko Zarkovic, Deputy Commander of AF&AD, presidents of municipalities and representatives of civil organizations. Among the guests, there was also Tijana Bogdanovic, the silver medallist in taekwondo at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro; bronze medal winner, Paralympic athlete Mitar Palikuca, a former member of the 204th Aviation Brigade, actors from the Military Academy TV series: Bojan Peric – Stosic and Branko Jankovic - Djakovic.