Free Republic

The Ministry of Defense has decided to equip the Polish army with new tactical transport helicopters (TTH). Initially, the Ministry would like to purchase 40 TTHs, which are much larger than the multi-purpose helicopters W3 Sokó³ produced in Poland at PZL Œwidnik. The contract will be put out to tender and one of the most important requirements will be to locate production of the aircraft in Poland. The new helicopters will gradually replace the well-worn Russian-produced Mi-8 and Mi-17. A contract for the delivery of two of the six helicopters for VIPs will be signed before the end of the...

Dreaded instruments of Cold War now in U.S. dogfights By Asher Price AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Saturday, July 17, 2004 When Scott Stephens climbs 6,000 feet per minute over Central Texas in his L-39C Soviet bloc fighter-trainer, the Hill Country receding quickly below, or spins a combat-ready barrel roll, there is only one CD he'll blast on his cockpit stereo: the soundtrack to "Top Gun." Stephens, a Wimberley resident who made his millions in oil field engineering and exploration, bought the Cold War leftover from a retired Ukrainian air force general for $100,000 in 2001. The plane, disassembled, was shipped in a...

One of the Czech legends of the Battle of Britain, Josef Balejka died on Wednesday at the age of 87. As a pilot he served throughout the war, after an extraordinary escape to England. David Vaughan looks back at the life of an exceptional man who knew both adventure and tragedy. Josef Balejka died in his beloved home town of Valasske Klobouky in the rolling hills on the Czech-Slovak border. Before the war he was one of just a few hundred Czechoslovak pilots trained to fly the most up-to-date fighter planes. When Hitler occupied the Czech Lands in March 1939,...

Poland may buy up to 60 L-159 light combat aircraft from the Czech plane manufacturer Aero Vodochody, company spokesman Vitezslav Kulich told AFP Wednesday. "We are in discussions about selling between two and 60 L-159s to Poland but the discussions are at an early stage and nothing will be agreed for some time," Kulich said. Poland is leading efforts to establish a joint training base for air force pilots from the Visegrad Four countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia as well as Poland. All four joined the European Union on May 1. The countries' defence ministers aproved the...