Gdynia AeroBaltic 2019

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Gdynia AeroBaltic 2019
August 16-18
Gdynia, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/gdyniaaerobaltic

Featuring
Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 'Flanker'
Polish Navy W-3WARM rescue demo
Team Orlik
Artur Kielak

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Saudi Hawks Aerobatic Team from Saudi Arabia to perform at Gdynia AeroBaltic this August. Their first ever trip to Poland and only show outside of Saudi Arabia for 2019. Royal Saudi Air Force will also send a C-130 Hercules for static display.

[Adam]

As the Polish MiG-29 fleet is still not flying, the Fulcrum has been replaced with the Su-22 for the flying display. The Anbo aerobatic team are also not on the latest list of participants, and the same goes for the PoAF Mi-24 Hind. The flying currently is as follows:

Gdynia Airport daytime show (10:00-17:00, Saturday and Sunday)
Saudi Hawks (x7 Hawk T.1A)
Team Orlik (x4 PZL-130 Orlik) - SUNDAY ONLY (see below)
Orlik Heritage Display (x4 Orlik & x2 T-6 Harvard) - two displays on SATURDAY, one on SUNDAY (see above)
UkrAF Su-27P Flanker
PoAF Su-22 Fitter - SATURDAY ONLY
PoAF W-3 Sokol
SwAFHF Hawker Hunter - SATURDAY ONLY
SwAFHF AJS-37 Viggen - SUNDAY ONLY
TS-11 Iskra - includes car race on SATURDAY ONLY, standard demo on SUNDAY
Falcon 2000
Bölkow Bo.105
Cavalon autogyro
Hatz Classic & Tercel autogyro
Swift S-1/MDM-1 Fox
Aerobatic Group Zelazny (x4 Extra 300/Zlin Z-50)
Arctic Eagles Aerobatic Team (x3 Pitts)
Aerosparx Display Team (x2 Grob 109b)
3AT3 Formation Flying Team (x3 AT-3)
Firebirds Aerobatic Team (x3 Extra 330)
Flying Dragons (paramotor team)
Marek Choim (Extra 330)
Artur Kielak (XA-41) - includes car race on SUNDAY ONLY, standard demo on SATURDAY
Johan Gustaffson (Thorp T18)
Jurgis Kairys (Su-31)
Sky Magic S3WAT (parachute team using An-2)

Gdynia seafront evening show (19:30-22:30 Friday and Saturday)
PoAF W-3 Sokol
Hatz Classic
Aerosparx Display Team (x2 Grob 109b)
3AT3 Formation Flying Team (x3 AT-3)
Marek Choim (Extra 330)
Artur Kielak (XA-41)
Johan Gustaffson (Thorp T18/Super Cub)
Sky Magic S3WAT (parachute team using An-2)
Flying Dragons (paramotor team)

Static display highlights
UkrAF Il-76 Candid
UkrAF Su-24 Fencer
USAF C-130H Hercules
RSAF C-130 Hercules (multiple)
PoAF Mi-14PL
PoAF Mi-24D Hind
PoAF Mi-2 Hoplite
PoAF SH-2G Kaman
(Static display aircraft often depart after the Sunday flying display)

Safe to say if the weather is good, this will be the show of the year for me!

[Adam]

Wow, wow, wow! What a show!

Firstly, it was refreshing to be at an airshow that was all, and only, about aviation. Aside from a bouncy castle and some food stands, there was nothing on that airfield that wasn't directly aviation-related, and it just goes to show that aviation is still a perfectly marketable product in its own right.

There were four great military displays in particular. The Polish Air Force Su-22 was great to see (with flares!), the Ukrainian Su-27 was also fantastic, even better than at RIAT, and also with flares. The Polish Navy staged a rare W-3 Anakonda SAR demo, and I also tremendously enjoyed Team Orlik. The Saudi Hawks were more disappointing, they felt quite distant at times and the display felt rather oddly-constructed, missing some of the most photogenic moves I know they have done in recent years.

The civilian action was varied too. Zelazny and the Firebirds impressed with their rock solid formation flying, and the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight were tremendously welcome with their Hunter and Viggen. The TS-11 was also great to see, and Artur Keilak's XA-41 solo display was absolutely superb.
If I were to some constructive criticism, I'd say that there was perhaps a little too much "filler" (ultralights and such like), and I wasn't overly keen on the showground layout. The crowdline was mostly taken up by hospitality tents, so most of the public couldn't see the runway, and the speakers were mounted on tall scaffolding towers, which managed to block an awful lot of sky too!

The sunset show at the beach was worth a watch too, although it was one of the densest crowds I have yet come across. The flying was mostly small, prop acts, plus the W-3 helicopter and TS-11. The stars of the sunset show were Aerosparx, displaying with huge amounts of pyrotechnics on the aircraft and also being fired from four pontoons on the water. Special mention, too, to the Flying Dragons paramotor team, who staged a captivating and very novel display with pyro strapped to their feet, and each canopy lighting up and going dark in perfect time with the music.

I had the opportunity to take part in something very special indeed, which will unfortunately delay my usual highlights video - but trust me, it will be worth the wait! In the mean time, here are three videos of some of the most memorable displays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xVqHBI16nQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DIvqxvjIfQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAPqjfej6lk

[Adam]

This is what I've been keeping back...

It was an enormous privilege to be able to assist in the operation a drone for the duration of Gdynia AeroBaltic on behalf of the airshow organisers and the Aerosparx Display Team. We were able to operate mere feet from the likes of the Ukrainian Flanker and the Saudi Hawks as they taxied on the ground, and flew inside the aerobatic box with a couple of the display acts. Additionally I was also filming conventionally during much of the show. The combined highlights compilation is here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D3GwlHzSQg

As a disclaimer, this was done with the approval of the airfield owners (the Polish Air Force), the Polish Civil Aviation Authority, the Air Boss, event organisers and participating display pilots. The pilot was fully qualified and was in contact with ATC at all time, as well as with display pilots when the drone was near the display area. All flying in the display box was carefully briefed with all relevant parties.