On December 18, 2015, the supersonic MiG-21 fighters, which are in service with the Bulgarian Air Force, took to the skies for the last time. The last three combat-ready vehicles of this type were on alert to protect the country's airspace at the 3rd Aviation Base of the Bulgarian Air Force (near Graf-Ignatiev). Major Plamen Dzhurov (board number 114) and Cap. Alexander Staikov (board number 243). On the twin MiG-21UM (board number 28), the cap went up into the sky. Peter Dimitrov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Air Force, Major General Rumen Radev. In front of the gathered veterans, journalists and citizens, the flight of the 21st worked out a complex of tactical air maneuvers - interceptions and typical attacks of air targets. Major Dzhurov performed aerobatics. At the end of the demonstration, the three planes flew in close formation over the assembled people. The landing MiGs were greeted with an honorable salute from the crossed jets of water guns of two fire fighting vehicles.
The technical resource of the machines ends on December 31, 2015. From the first day of the new, 2016, year, the MiG-21s are transferred to the operational reserve of the Bulgarian Air Force. The aircraft will be maintained in readiness for flights. Bulgaria still has pilots and trained engineering staff for them. But due to the exhausted technical resource, regular flights on these machines are no longer expected.
50 years of the MiG-21 in the service of Bulgaria
November 12, 1963 cap. Ivan Bedrozov became the first Bulgarian pilot to guard the country's skies on a MiG-21F-13 aircraft. The first aircraft of this type (product 74) in Bulgaria were received by the 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP), stationed in Graf-Ignatiev. The aircraft were assembled at the Moscow plant # 30 ("Znamya Truda") from the 10th and 12th production batches. Later, some of them were transferred to the 26th reconnaissance aviation regiment (brigade) in the city of Tolbukhin (now Dobrich). They mounted reconnaissance cameras "AFA-39", and the machines received the designation MiG-21F-13R. In January 1965, 12 MiG-21PF (ed. 76) received the 2nd squadron of the 18th iap (Gabrovnitsa). In 1988, eight of these machines, already with the MiG-21PFR index, replaced the exhausted MiG-21F-13R with the 26th brine in the city of Tolbukhin. In 1965, the 15th IAP (Ravnets) received 12 MiG-21PFM (ed. 94A), and in 1977-1978. - 36 more such aircraft. In 1969-1970. 19th IAP (Graf-Ignatievo) received 15 MiG-21M. After the new cars were tested and mastered by the Bulgarian pilots, some of them were transferred to the 21st iap (Uzundzhovo). In 1969, the 26th brigade (Tolbukhin) received 6 MiG-21R (ed. 94R) - a reconnaissance version of the MiG-21PFM. From August 1974 to October 1975, the 18th IAP (Dobroslavtsi, 2nd esc. - Gabrovnitsa) received 20 MiG-21MF. In 1978 they were transferred to the 19th IAP (Graf-Ignatievo), and in 1983-1984. - 21st iap (Uzundzhovo). These aircraft guarded the skies of the People's Republic of Bulgaria and the southern European borders of the Warsaw Pact Organization (ATS) until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
The Bulgarian Air Force received the first Mongol (NATO designation for the MiG-21U twin) in 1966. One piece (ed. 66-400) was divided into three. It was used alternately on the 15th, 18th and 19th IAP. In 1969-1970. the country received 5 twin MiG-21US (ed. 68A), produced at the factory # 31 in Tbilisi. In 1974-1982. The Bulgarian Air Force received 27 new twin MiG-21UM (ed. 69), and in 1990 - 6 more used cars from the "extra" aircraft fleet of the USSR Air Force that turned out to be overnight.
On December 15, 1983, 12 new MiG-21bis flew to Graf-Ignatievo. In 1984, the 19th IAP received 18 more aircraft of this type, and in 1985 - the last five, which served until 2015. In total, in the second half of the 20th century, through the Bulgarian Air Force bases in Graf-Ignatiev, Dobrich (Tolbukhin), Balchik, Ravnets, Uzundzhove, Dobroslavtsi, Gabrovnitsa and Kamenets, 226 pieces of different modifications of MiG-21 aircraft passed. In Bulgaria, the plane has earned itself the reputation of a "strict" and demanding machine, which does not tolerate liberty and pilot error. For 52 years of operation of these aircraft in the country there were 38 accidents with it.
On November 12, 2013, a ceremony was held at the NATO air base in Bulgaria, named after the Russian Count Nikolai Pavlovich Ignatiev, an Orthodox pan-Slavist, diplomat, minister and member of the State Council of the Russian Empire, to mark the 50th anniversary of the MiG-21 in Bulgaria. It would be easier for the current Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolai Nenchev to give half of his blood than to repeat such a truly national holiday. To the joy of his overseas owners, Nenchev ordered not to hold any solemn ceremonies, and not to allow citizens, journalists and even veterans to the last flight of the MiG-21 at the base in Graf-Ignatiev. According to the plan of the former construction battalion sergeant and the current Minister of Defense of Bulgaria, this flight was to take place like any other everyday task.
But is it possible for one minister, even the most obsequious, corrupt and invertebrate, to oppose the whole Slavic and Orthodox Bulgarian people? The struggle of the Bulgarian people against the hostile West European pro-Atlantic clique is proceeding with varying success. Unlike the predetermined "bargaining" for the repair and modernization of the Bulgarian MiG-29 in Poland, this time the victory remained with us. Our cause is right, and in the end we will definitely win!
Open letter from Bulgarian journalists to Defense Minister Nikolai Nenchev (in Bulgarian):
MINISTER, PUT THE JOURNALISM YES WILL SHOOT THE LAST FLIGHT ON THE MIG-21 LEGEND AIRCRAFT
The last flight on the MiG-21 in the Bulgarian sky was made to the edge of the Dekemvri airbase in Graf Ignatievo Shche.
Dalboko laughs, why do you historically defend the Air Force, for the army, for the Bulgarian aviation community and for the balgaria to kill, Prescentrt on the Ministry of Defense not admitting a journalist.
Dear Mr. Minister Nenchev, a certain not politicized istoriyata. Yes, you will fly Russian, doriously, and you will discredit the fact that it is in dissonance with your political convictions, but the question about facts from the history of the national balgarskata national sigurnost, which is not good enough to wipe out for the protection of generations.
We know both journalist and photojournalists, and we know 2 and 200. Do not punish and cure the kato kuchet to the fence on the NATO battalion, or an air base, and yes, we write to the camera.
And this is how the story goes, but the taste is even more bitter - both for you and for us!
All packs of MiG-21 serve in the balgarskata aviation veche for 53 years!
Ready to fly!
Take off
These are Russian planes
Fireworks from water cannons
Farewell inscriptions on the fuselage
Airplane of the XX century
