Holiday in Vietnam, W&R, gate Nha Trang & HCMC

[canberra]

As exotic as ever, awesome stuff

[stipjes]

It was an exciting day yesterday, I decided to try to do some spotting at Bien Hoa but I was afraid the effort would be in vain because of the Friday.
From Saigon I drove 1,5 hours in morning rushhour on a scooter in crazy traffic. Soon after I arrived two Sukhoi's took off! It was a real kick but I had no spot yet. The first Sukhoi I missed because the distance was too far (very frustrating....). In total I spent 1 hour in the approach with too many military people on scooters around the base but I was able to take some shots after a while. When one "civil" man kept an eye on me from a distance I left. It was another hour in crazy traffic (but exciting) traffic to Ho Chi Minh City Airport. I will post some pics of here later. Monday we will leave Vietnam. The three weeks we spend here where great! What a nice country! I hope you like(d) the pics.

[Jonathan]

Wow Patrick, every new post is even crazier than the previous one. Awesome!!!
Jonathan

[FNF Rafale]

Thanks for all these nices pictures Patrick.
Come back safely

[stipjes]

Thanks for all these nice pictures Patrick.
Come back safely

Thanks all. I came back safely! A local Vietnamese spotter (Loc) that I met af few days later near the terminal of HCMC said it was very unwise to be in the neigbourhood of Bien Hoa with a camera. He wants to go there but doesn't. More of the story in GRAS' Take Off.
While working on my database I noticed that the Scramble DB is not really up-to-date on the Nha Trang gate guards. The last WMOOS I do not posess, I hope it has information on the gate guards and stored aircraft (1 Mi.24, 6 MiG.21 and at least 5 L.29). On my scooter I drove to the area left of the gate and took some quick shots without problem:
Is 475 a code or a serial?

Is 017 a code or a serial?





Right of this MiG.15 an A-37 is preserved. I only read A-37 on the nose. Left of the MiG.15 an U-17 or O-1 can be seen behind the building. On GE is see 2 fuselages.



Cảng hàng không quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất (HCMC Airport) has a nice storage.

Closer to the active airfield six Mi.24's can be seen.

The only An.28 that is left in the inventory was parked inside (the days after outside)

Five operational An.26 where seen.

[witje]

Hi Pat,

The A-37 at Nha Trang had clearly visible it's regi on the tail: 670 (white)

[patrick dirksen]

Hoi Patrick,

Welcome back! I, and no doubt many others, have been drewling on my key bord again. And no, not because of old age (yet)....
Regarding your gate guards, WMOOS has the following:
744 L-29
475 UH-1H
670 A-37B
772 T-41D (your U-17/O-1?)
? MiG-15UTI (your 2635 I presume)
2614 MiG-17F
? MiG-19
5108 MiG-21MF
8107 MiG-21US
017 CJ-6A
So you got most of them, and also updated the MiG-15, well done! Looking forward to your story in Take Off!

[stipjes]

Hoi Patrick,

Welcome back! I, and no doubt many others, have been drewling on my key bord again. And no, not because of old age (yet)....
Regarding your gate guards, WMOOS has the following:
744 L-29
475 UH-1H
670 A-37B
772 T-41D (your U-17/O-1?)
? MiG-15UTI (your 2635 I presume)
2614 MiG-17F
? MiG-19
5108 MiG-21MF
8107 MiG-21US
017 CJ-6A
So you got most of them, and also updated the MiG-15, well done! Looking forward to your story in Take Off!

thanks Patrick, nice info. I Guess the MiG.19 is gone and that I saw the T-41 (on GE a U-17ish is behind it). A L.39 is behind the gate.
This is part op the dump. Right of the Mi.24 are the Delfins.

[Worldnis]

Hoi Patrick,

Bien Hoa, in de pocket die sukhois. Als altijd mooie trip, spectaculaire onderwerpen.
Thanks for posting,
Rob

[f4phantom]

This guy is claiming the Mig 21 is withdrawn from use in the Vietnam Air Force https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWcLhOAi02Q, as we don't see any Mig 21 activity in that country anymore it looks like he is wright.

[Eggroll70]

Great report!

[stipjes]

Hello,

In the last months I got some feedback on my trip (Just in case you are planning a trip there).
This week a Brit landed at HCMC and he informed me that the Mi.24's are scrapped. The booms and other parts are left.

The other news is that the Nha Trang Airport in the city seems to be closed. When I was there I thought they where building New hangars but if I look better on my pics I can see that they are being scrapped. In May pvdh saw the Iaks flying from the IAP.

[VH3D]

Patric and anybody else who can help.

I'll be in HCMC at the beginning of October. Are there any places to take pictures from inside of the airport? I'm talking about departure hall.
Of course I'll do all the museums as well.
Thanks for posting

[stipjes]

Hello,

If they fly you should be able to get some shots through the Windows. I spend a few times a few hours on the rooftop terrace of the large building south of the terminal but there was no activity.
When we left by plane i got some ok shots of the stored dakota on the Eastern platform so I guess the Windows are ok.
Sent me a pm if you need extra info. In the GRAS magazine march/april edition you can find an information report of my trip.

[Shunn31]

Oh my GOD this post