The pride of the Hungarian Air Force parade over the Danube River

Text: Bettina Sin | Photo: Gergely Schöff | 17:51 August 21, 2024

After the military officers’ commissioning ceremony on 20th August, the air show has always been a much-awaited event, during which Hungary’s fighter planes, combat helicopters, and military transport planes can be admired in Budapest.

The performance of the spectacular manoeuvres require precise, coordinated activity on the part of both the pilots and the ground control personnel. This time the air show was opened by a five-ship formation of JAS 39 Gripens of the HDF 101st Szentgyörgyi Dezső Air Brigade, followed by a parade flypast of an Airbus A319 transport aircraft.

The participants of the air show included the fixed-wing and rotary-wing assets of the HDF 86th Kiss József Helicopter Brigade, among them Zlin-143/242 training aircraft, Airbus H145M and Mi-24 combat helicopters and H225M transport helicopters. Their skilful capability demonstrations impressed the audience gathered on both banks of the Danube, especially the high hovering and nodding farewell of the H225M and H145M helicopters. At the end of the military program, the impressive JAS 39 Gripen group of five performed a parade flypast with smoke displaying the national colours.