Budapest Airshow
 

Very nice. Saw a cockpit video of the A-320 doing the river-run a few weeks ago.

I wondered what you might have posted here: 22 years ago, my squadron sent two airplanes to an airshow in Hungary.

The greatest highlights that the guys brought back from that show were pictures of the abundant beautiful young ladies who attended the show!!

It looks like a spectacular city! Was that a NAI aircraft flying up the river?

Not sure, but I think you are correct.

81st at Spang? Taszár Air Base summer of '92? I was flying one of the two BT Eagles that joined with them enroute (in a combined UHF/VHF radio effort since the F-16 was the only one who could talk to the tower).

I can confirm, the women were unbelievable.

Highlights (other than the girls):

The highly flexible tanker crew that saved the weekend. Diplomatic clearances cause last minute problems as we approached the Czech border and threatened our ability to get there due to a tight fuel situation. We were minutes from a 90 right into Munich for the backup weekend plan. Additional American voices on freq clued us into a -135 on the way to the airshow with extra gas willing to give us a much appreciated "sip" of JP-8 while we got things sorted out.

3 x MiG-21s doing a scripted ACM engagement overhead

The F-4G inadvertently digging a giant hole in the asphalt taxiway (down to the rebar) after its downward canted exhaust melted a giant patch while it waited to takeoff. It then launched the molten mess into the grass when he pushed the power up to take the runway. Hungarian Generals standing nearby - not happy.

The F-111E crew that couldn't tell the difference between the standard Warsaw Pact concrete runway and the black parallel taxiway and decided to land on the latter, coming within a few hundred feet of "t-boning" the already parked C-130 static display.

Correct, sir!! (81st)

Apparently, girls in Hungary go to an airshow wearing a bikini, and high heels.

We had a cool 4-ship photo in the Doofer book of the F-4G, F-16, and I believe it was a MiG-21 and a MiG-23 (either that, or two -21s, but I have a picture of myself in the -21) when we returned the favor and the Hungarians came to Spang for an airshow.

Funny; my buds never mentioned the melted taxiway.....

I led a mixed 4-ship to Austria in 91: F-4G, F-16C (for the comm; Austria is VHF-only). Two Shoesterberg Eagles tagged along.

Austria is VOR only; only the F-4 had one. Got to Austria (Klagenfurt); weathered in. Go into holding on top. I had to lead everyone down one at a time (using a VOR/Procedure Turn approach from a Jeppesen plate) and drop them off, while relaying through #2 (the Viper) for clearances!!

Good times in another era. By the way, more beautiful women. Czech republic, Hungary, and Austria: there is something going on in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Must be the water.