Warsaw Pact photos - pre 1990 only

[Goldenflyer]

Keep us post love this topic

Regards Corné

[Redskin301]

this is the first time is see pics from this era from the other side of the wall =]

wow

[RobertS]

this is the first time is see pics from this era from the other side of the wall =]

wow

Alex,
The photographing was absolutely prohibited for WP pilots, techs...
It was not a rule only, it was dangerous environment.
Just few sample stories:
One of my friend spent his third year in SSSR - pilot training, late 70s - he was qualified on MiG-21.
He took some photos of himself in front of a MiG-25R, few months ere to send him to "combat-units" to start his career as fighter-pilot.
Somebody whisper it for the political officer.
The leaders of his airforce called home this guy, he became teacher in a high-school.....
Interestingly - the Algerian, Lybian pilots - who were trained on those MiG-25s in that time - took photos with 200mm lens, cockpit shots, flight-line- & in-air pics...
Another:
I know a MiG-23 technician, who took some photos in the early 80s, on the grassy, wartime operational airfield when they practiced to work there.
Just some pics of engine maintenance in a tent, tyre-change, tin-lunch near the planes with friends.
He spent 18 months in military-prison...
Really stupid rules...
The average situation:
A WP pilot - who flown 25 years in the Cold-War era - do not have any photos from airfields with his planes.
They can not show any interesting pics for their grandchildren, just some fabulous stories.
Maybe some in-air shots, when the eyewitness was his wing-man only.....

This is the main reason, why we have so poor photographic material in the publications about that period.
Those are very strong with official factory pics of prototypes, with many propagandistic photos - pilots in front of planes -and photos after 1990.....
But there are very-very few operational pics.....

[roel lodder]

Wow!!
Very, very nice stuff!!!!!!!!

Roel

[RobertS]

SSSR Kushchevskaya AB 1981

[RobertS]

1987 Pápa AB Hungary

[RobertS]

HuAF MiG-23MF "02"

[RobertS]

spotting...

[RobertS]

MiG-21UM "94" SSSR Astrachan, Privologskiy AB 1982, Exercise "Strelba-82"



MiG-21UM "94" SSSR Astrachan, Privologskiy AB 1985, Exercise "Strelba-85"

[stroncacanna]

Amazing pics, thanks for sharing!

[Antilliaan]

very interesting pictures Robert! Many thanks for sharing these.

[RobertS]

Bulgaria 1982 - Warsaw Pact Exercise "Shield-82"

Bulgarian AF Mi-24s

[Iwan Bogels]

Hi Robert,

These are absolutely stunning shots which make me dream of past times. It is fantastic to see that you did manage to take photos, even though it was extremely dangerous to your career. I hope you will cherish the shots you hae, and I look forward to see more if you have them.

In the 80's I was a young aviation photographer myself, and I often dreamed of what it would be like to shoot the "Mighty Red Stars" on the other side. My ultimate dream back then was to photograph a Russian MiG-25 some day. Well, Thursday 27 September 1990 was the day that I shot my very first operational red star ever..........and it was a flying MiG-25 !!!

For me it was a turning point in my career, and I still dream and smile when I think of those days. Hopefully for you the change of times has been for the better, especially when it comes to aviation photography. What do you do these days, and where do you do it ?

Curious regards,
Iwan Bögels

[RobertS]

I hope you will cherish the shots you hae, and I look forward to see more if you have them.

I have a really large archive. My photos + collection from my friends.
You will see more, it is the "top of the iceberg" only.....

What do you do these days, and where do you do it ?

I am working on a picture-book, stuffed with never before seen operational photos of Soviet & WP AFs.
I am Hungarian.

[RobertS]

Few more real oldies:

SSSR 1959 - somewhere over the Bataysk AB area, Yak-18 basic-training



Bataysk AB 1959



Bataysk AB
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=47.1 ... 1&t=h&z=14