We decided that there is not such a thing as a "spotting season", and wanted to take another short break and get some aeroplanes somewhere. We already quickly decided that we wanted Austrian F-5's before they are withdrawn coming June (although we have found out by now they will stay on another year, thanks.....), so a trip to Graz was planned. We tried to arrange a base visit to Graz, but when we left Schiphol airport we still didn't know wether this was going to work out or not, we had to call on Monday. But we arrived in Vienna early on Sunday morning, and spent the day searching for warbirds and wrecks & relics.
Wien-Schwechat airport
(29392)/H ye J-29F pr, real id I ye
(2614) L-29R pr, ex Czech AF, blue c/s
The J-29 is easily visible from one of the top floors of parking garage P3, the Delfin can be seen looking out the windows of one of the pubs at the beginning of the C-pier (thanks Perry for this!). We also searched for the Sycamore and Pembroke nose that used to be preserved here, but no luck. They probably have been removed, but their fate is unknown.
After this we started the first of what finally would be 2750 kilometers, to a small airfield east of Vienna called Spitzerberg.
Spitzerberg
OE-AJM PT-13D ex 42-17335
Apart from this we saw L-13 Blanik OE-0907 (c/n 174810) and PA.18 OE-AUL (c/n 18-8826) which probably both are civil (but I hope to be corrected
), and a Polish built copy of the Bu.131. Based here should be another Bu.131 OE-AKK (a real one), but this was away for maintenance somewhere. We called at the tower, and a friendly old chap offered to show us around. He told us that he was 81 years old, had made some 3500 flying hours, and had flown Me.163 Komets during WW 2! Interesting guy..... The friendly reception we got here would we get at every other airfield where we found people present during the rest of the week by the way.Next stop was another small airfield, just north of Vienna.
Leopoldsdorf
OE-AEO Pa.18-150 ex 2A-AV
OE-AND L-18C ex ALAT 115582
OE-ARI L-4J dump, ex 44-80645
OE-CEX L-4H ex 43-29739
This little airfield was totally deserted when we arrived. It is just north-west of the little village of Leopoldsdorf. Next to the hangar is a little dump area with six Pipers on it. Four could be identified (the other three being OE-AGI (c/n 18-7609058), OE-ASE (c/n 18-4642) and OE-BUP (c/n 18-8314), none of which seems to have a military background), the other two were just frames and stayed unknown unfortunately. In the hangar were some more Pipers, and there was also a frame stored up against the wall. Noted here in the past were OE-ANF (ex KLu R-71, we really had hoped for this one obviously), OE-AAG (ex 44-80824), OE-ABE (ex 43-29919), OE-ACR (ex 44-80567), OE-ANB (ex 51-15459), OE-ALA (ex 42-36513) and OE-ACF (ex 2A-AW). All of those should still be operational and are registered to the company here, but the frames we noted might have been some of those.
On to the next airfield!
Bad Voslau
OE-KSD Saab 91D ex 3F-SH, c/n 91.466
D-EBJB L-21B ex MM54-2522
This is a much larger airfield than the first two, and we were only able to visit a part of it. We asked at the tower for the Cub and Saab 91, and were driven to a hangar at the far end. Here we didn't find Saab 91 OE-KGK (ex 3F-S) which we hoped for, but this well known one who lives here (it is in EMOOS as base unknown). On the internet I found that OE-KGK was for sale recently, so it is probably somewhere else by now (our guide had never seen a second Safir here either).
Working our way south we got to Wiener Neustadt, where they have two airfields.
Wiener Neustadt West
(3G-EL) PC-6/B2-H2 4 st, special c/s
OE-AGO Pa.18-105 USAF c/s, but really ex civil (c/n 18-156)?
HA-ACM Do.28D ex 58+59
D-EDPE Pa.18 can't find anything on this one, ex mil?
The PC-6 lives at the Kaserne grounds, and is on a detachment for paradrops. The Do.28 lives in the small paraclub hangar, which very conveniently has a window in the entrance door. It will be stationed in Portugal from december on for some three months, but will return after that.
Then the other airfield here, which is apparently owned by Diamond Aircraft. Here is a small museum, and apart from that we got some 100 Katanas which made Frank very happy
Wiener Neustadt Ost (Flugmuseum Aviaticum)
OE-KTP Saab 91D ex 3F-SX, c/n 91.464
784998/13 BF.109 pr, real?
The Saab is airworthy, and can be rented, the BF.109 looks like the real deal. Anybody who knows more? Both aircraft can be seen through the windows if the museum is closed. To our great surprise we got permission to walk along the lines of Katanas outside (although we didn't expect a "yes" we did ask, as you never know....). I must admit even I, a dedicated military spotter, got caught up in collecting the construction numbers and making it a nice list
This however took up much more time than we had planned, and it was dark by the time we left. We had one more stop planned, and decided to try our luck there anyway.
Pinkafeld
OE-0442 Baby IIb ex Austrian AF S2-0442
This little airfield (which is right to raod 63 just north of the village) was totally deserted by the time we arrived, and everything was dark. But with the help of a flashlight we managed to read off some serials of aircraft in the hangar through some cracks, and luckily one of them was the Baby we were after! Since we both didn't have more than an hour or two of sleep last night it was time to find a bed by now. Very satisfied with our first day we hit the lights!
As always any comments, additions and corrections are very welcome.
That's all folks!
Frank Mink & Patrick Dirksen
Tristar Aviation
