Aero L-39C Albatros preserved Ho Chi Minh City

The Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam (Vietnam People's Air Force) has been a long-time operator of the L-39C Albatros, one of the most prolific communist bloc jet trainers.

More than 2,800 L-39s were delivered around the world during the Cold War, including 31 to Vietnam. These Czech-built Aero L-39C Albatros training aircraft are operated by the 910th Aviation Training Regiment of the Air Force Officer School at Dong Tac Airport.

With twelve new L-39NGs on order, complemented with the arrival of the first batch of Yakovlev 130s (combat) advanced training aircraft, the phasing out of the L-39C has begun.

This particular Aero L-39C 8720 (131841) is the newest jet of the air force to become an exhibit. It has a production date of 1981 and has been flying as recently as 2020.

This month it was transported to Trường Phi Công Bay Việt (Viet Flight Training), a civil pilot school in Ho Chi Minh City, to be displayed in an attractive livery.

The civil pilot school is situated in the neighbourhood of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Credit: VietDefense