Katowice 2019-06-15
Airport Katowice Muchowiec.
Air Show Fajera 2019-06-15.
The shows under the name Fajera at Katowice Muchowiec Airport were held on 2019-06-15. The full name of the event is Śląski Air, Piro & Moto Show – FAJERA. The event was under the patronage of Mr. Jakub Chełstowski – Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship. This year (2019) was the second event of its kind, which debuted in 2018, visited by several thousand viewers.
Fajera 2019 is the largest event of this type in Silesia. The event was inscribed in the 90th anniversary of the Muchowiec Airport. It was also inscribed in the 100th anniversary of the Silesian Uprisings, whose first uprising broke out on 1918-06-15. That is why more than a dozen reconstruction groups, 400 reconstructors, 100 historic vehicles and 20 natural historical dioramas took part in the event. There were tanks, armored vehicles, cars and motorcycles. There were reconstructed lazarets, sanitary points, shooting positions, control points, etc. Reconstructions concerned the great world war, Silesian uprisings and the Second World War. There was also military equipment from the communist period. Modern military, police and other units also represented their equipment. The Bumar Works, the Airport Fire Brigade from the Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport were present. There was a demonstration of the anti-terrorist group’s activity. The culmination of the event was a concert and a pyrotechnic show.
Air part.
But the Fajera is primarily air shows. About 50 aircraft were presented, at static exhibitions and in the air. In addition to Polish pilots, there were also foreign teams.
From Salzburg, from the so-called Hangar 7, the Flying Bulls group arrived with four planes: B-25J "Mitchell", Lockheed P38 Lightning, Corsair F4U-4 Corsair, North American T-28B Trojan. Airplanes shown on the ground and in the air.
This year we were able to admire the famous P-51D Mustang fighter, already known in Poland for performances in Krakow, among others. The plane presented itself on the ground and in the air.
The Pterodactyl Flight team participated in the show. This team is very well known in Poland. He performed, among others, in Rybnik, Bielsko Biała and Nowy Sącz. Members of the team build replicas of aircraft from the times of the Great World War and the Second World War. They also have cannons, trucks and replicas of airbases. The performance of the Pterodactyl Flight team is a story about air fights, shooting down planes and attacks on ground targets. Everything with pyrotechnic effects, including the fire of a truck and plane. There is even a "tomb of the shot down pilot".
The Polish FireBirds aerobatic group. This group should not be confused with the Firebirds music band. The FireBirds group made its debut in 2014. Currently, the group flies on Extra 330 airplanes. Group composition: Mr. Adam Labus, multiple country champion, instructor, he trained many aerobatic pilots. Mr. Sebastian Nowicki, a member of the national team in aerobatic acrobatics in the advanced (advanced) class. Mr. Łukasz Świderski, Polish Champion in acrobatics.
Retro Sky Team – the band was founded in 2009 in Slovakia, as a result of the advertising agency’s demand for air combat from Second World War aircraft. We tried on the basis of the Zlin 226 airplane, using camouflage, to create Soviet and Germanic planes. The idea was accepted and in this way five planes were created that pretend to be machines from the time of the Second World War. Air combat scenarios have been developed that commemorate the regaining of independence by Slovakia. The band began giving shows at various air events.
An individual acrobatic show on the Extra 330 aircraft was demonstrated by Mrs. Barbara Labus. We could admire the pilot of Łukasz Czepiel in the air. There was a Piper L-4A Grasshopper airplane that had a flight show. The Jak-3U R2000 plane presented at the event.
From the 31st Tactical Air Base over the Muchowiec Airport appeared two planes Lockheed Martin F-16 Hawk. Aircraft pilots demonstrated a sham attack on the mine shaft building. Pilots were only allowed to fly on a ceiling above 1 500 m, so it was difficult to take an interesting photo. However, the last flight was relatively low and one could hear the characteristic noise of these modern combat aircraft.
There was also a helicopter Bolkow Bo-105 on the stand, where helicopter is performed by Maria Muś.
During the event, PZL An-2 aircraft with parachute jumpers competed many times. Most jumpers used colorful, high-performance parachutes. But there were also jumpers who jumped using typical US Army parachutes.
A few sentences about Fajera 2019.
Fajera 2019 began at 11:00. The regular ticket was PLN 49.99, and in the pre-sale PLN 39.99. Children, invalids and pensioners came in for free. Parking in the field of elevation: 20 PLN car, motorcycle 10 PLN. Because there are numerous shopping centers nearby, that’s why most viewers left their cars there. End of the event: 21:30.
The opening ceremony of Fajera took place at 12:30, official speeches, after which the orchestra played the National Anthem and the National Flag was pulled onto the mast. The event was organized very well. Due to the heat, the organizers provided free water for pica and water curtains.
For photographers Fajera 2019 at Katowice-Muchowiec Airport, this is a good place to take interesting photos. Although RWY is from the south-east, due to the late hour of the show, the sun did not bother especially. Many of the spotters took advantage of the opportunity to take pictures in the active part of the flight field. It was necessary to have an accreditation, a reflective vest and a black armband. But even without such rights, the photos went very well. All because of the small distances and excellent display of aircraft by the organizers.
Photo Fajer 2019.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman