News

Slovenian Hudournik again in Mošnov sky

After a one-year break, visitors of the NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days can look forward to the return of the Slovenian Air Force. It will present its PC-9M aircraft in static and in the popular aerobatic dynamic display.

In recent editions of NATO Days, it would be hard to find a more traditional fixed-wing turboprop flight display than the Slovenian Pilatus PC-9M Hudournik. It was first introduced at Ostrava Airport in 2012 and has been a popular fixture ever since. This year, in addition, the Croatian group Wings of the Storm will perform on the same machines, offering a unique opportunity to compare aerobatic skills in solo and group aerobatics.

"Slovenia does not own supersonic aircraft and the backbone of their air force is made up of turboprops or helicopters. However, their lesser performance is made up for by the exclusive skills of the pilots, who use the manoeuvring skills of these machines to demonstrate their capabilities in the rugged environment of the Slovenian mountains," comments Zbyněk Pavlačík, Chairman of Jagello 2000.

The Pilatus PC-9M of Swiss origin is mainly used as a trainer for basic and advanced pilot training. However, in the Slovenian Armed Forces' rendition, they are equipped with weapon system carriers, making them capable of performing light combat missions or strikes against ground targets. Since 1985, when the first machine entered service, 265 of them have been produced, of which a total of 9 units serve in the Slovenian ranks under the nickname “Hudournik”, or “Common swift” in translation.

See you at
the NATO Days in Ostrava
& Czech Air Force Days!