As last year's double anniversary of the Bulgarian MiG-21 – 50 years in service and at the same time 50 years of MiG-21s at Graf Ignatievo – fell into a period without flight operations, the author wanted to use the announced participation of two MiG-21s in the annual Army Day flypast on May 6 to take a look at the MiG-21UM with a special inscription for the anniversary and, at the same time, to see Bulgarian MiG-21s flying again after a break of almost two years. The first succeeded, the second was prevented by the weather.
Preparing for take-off in the rain. On the morning of May 6, everyone involved still assumed that the parade would take place.
Nice contrast: a Soviet-built UAZ tows a PC-9 made in Switzerland.
MiG-21UM 28 not only carries the inscription "50 years in service in Bulgaria", but also received a completely new paint scheme for the anniversary.
The two MiG-21bis on the flightline, too, ...
... were recently repainted.
Instead of shining in the sunshine, the aircraft were reflected in large puddles ...
... and so it was no wonder that the weather reconnaissance flight – unusually carried out by a single-seater – ...
... reported conditions that led to the cancellation of the flypast.
Afterwards, all aircraft based at Graf Ignatievo were towed back into their shelters.
Four hours later, conditions had improved so much that all aircraft that had flown in from elsewhere could leave the airfield. A C-27J coming from Sofia took care of transporting the luggage.
PC-12, ...
L-39 and ...
... PC-9 took off for the flight home in brilliant sunshine.
