AERO 111 První, stíhací, Zvolenský 1951-1961, 2. díl – Irra Miroslav (2024)

The period from 1951 to 1961 was deliberately chosen for the continuation of the history of the Zvolen Air Regiment. It is significant for the transition to jet aviation technology and also because the regiment was part of the 1st LSD/SLD from 1952 to 1961. The year 1951 brought revolutionary changes. Preparations were underway for the mass rearmament of the air force with jet technology. The entire 3rd LD was designated for this task, and a careful selection of pilots for retraining took place in its regiments. A complete dedication to the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, the people's democratic regime, and the USSR was a prerequisite, in addition to piloting skills. Since February 1951, a "Training Center for Retraining on Jet Aircraft" operated at Mladá Airport, reorganized on June 1, 1951, into the "Jet Training Center of the Air Force." It was here that Czechoslovak jet aviation was to be born. The 1st LP also participated in the military parade in Prague on May 6, 1951, to commemorate the liberation of Czechoslovakia by the Red Army. The aviation segment was truly grand, featuring more than 200 aircraft that were to fly over Letná Plain alongside marching infantry units and other ground forces. However, on the day of the parade, just as the individual groups were about to take off, over Prague...