Čtvrtý, stíhací 1951 – Irra Miroslav (2025)

This Czech-language book traces the history of the 4th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which served in the Czechoslovak military air force for 38 years, from its establishment in 1951 until its disbandment in 1989. Its formation was connected with the transition from propeller aircraft to jet aviation. The most reliable fighter pilots, selected according to both political and professional criteria, were retrained to fly MiG-15s, while those who remained on S-199 aircraft were assigned to the newly formed 4th and 18th Aviation Regiments of the 22nd Aviation Division at Plzeň Bory airfield. The 4th Regiment continued to use S-199s until 1954, when its personnel retrained on MiG-15s and the regiment moved to Pardubice, where it remained until the end of its existence. It carried out training and Czechoslovakia’s airspace protection duties, gradually transitioning to increasingly modern aircraft, including the MiG-15bis, MiG-19S, P and PM, and MiG-21F, M and MF. The most modern types, the MiG-23 and MiG-29, never reached the regiment. Disbanded on 31 July 1989, the 4th Regiment was one of the few aviation regiments whose history had not yet received a publicly available book. This publication aims to fill that gap in aviation history, leaving readers to judge the result for themselves.