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Graf Ignatievo Report

Bulgaria Air Force - Bulgarski Voennovazdyshini Sili
Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base
3rd Fighter Air Base (Iztrebitelna Avio Basa - 3.IAB)
Bulgaria
April 2010

I am very grateful to Brig. Gen. Tsanko Stoykov, Base Commander of Graf Ignatievo for welcoming me to his air base and for granting me access to all areas. Over the two days and nights almost 50 sorties were flown. When both based squadrons were night flying the last image I took was time stamped 23:59, it was a long day.

The MiG-29’s of 2nd Fighter Squadron (2/3.IAE) ‘Sharks’
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Two-seat MiG-29UB 'Fulcrum-A' (12) departing on a mid-morning sorite
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Left to right: MiG-29UB 'Fulcrum-B' (12). 

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Left to right: MiG-29UB (12).

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Two-seat MiG-29UB (14) on its way to the last chance check point at the end of the main taxiway.
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Left to right: MiG-29UB (14).    
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Left to right: MiG-29UB (14).

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MiG-29 (17) on stand by.

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MiG-29 (18) with brake chute deployed on landing. 
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Left to right: MiG-29 (18). 
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MiG-29's on the main operational ramp at Graf Ignatievo, click to enlarge image 101_3129w7

Left to right: MiG-29 (18). The last image was taken from on top of light tower.

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MiG-29 (24) returning to the main ramp, image taken from the jet-blast deflecting bank. 

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Left to right: MiG-29 (24) 

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Left to right: MiG-29 (24).

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MiG-29 (32) with another making their way down the main taxiway to the runway.
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Left to right: MiG-29 (32). This was the first overhauled aircraft to re-enter service. The third image shows a grass covered HAS with a security camera on the top.   


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Left to right: MiG-29 (37).

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MiG-29 (23) on QRA duty.
Image taken using a 15mm lens and a mono-pod held above my head.
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Left to right: MiG-29 (23) on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty.


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MiG-29 (26) on QRA duty equipped with Vympel R-27R (NATO AA-10 'Alamo') and R-73 (NATO AA-11 ‘Archer’) air-to-air missiles.


The Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21’s of 1st Fighter Squadron (Iztrebitelna Avio Eskadrila – 1/3.IAE)

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MiG-21bis-SAU and MiG-29's on the main ramp.


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MiG-21bis-SAU 'Fishbed' (243) 
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Left to right: MiG-21bis-SAU (243). 

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Left to right: MiG-21 (243, 388 and 427).

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MiG-21bis-SAU (294) with lights on it is ready to taxi out.
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Left to right: MiG-21bis-SAU (294).

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Left to right: Two-seat MiG-21UM 'Mongol' (28)