MiG-29 mock dogfight footage

[+MigBuster]

Bulgaran Migs Oct 11

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI4k8-8zrnI

 

 

[Do335]

hey cool one. anyway to enable subtitles on this thing?

[Svetlin]

This is a relatively old video, but a great one in deed. If any one is curious about the comments of the pilot, (that's the Cyrillic text at the bottom of the screen), I could help.

The pilot with the open visor is General Rumen Radev, now Commander in Chief of the Bulgarian Air Force, aged 51, still flying MiG-29A.

On October 11, 2014 Gen. Radev starred the airshow at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria for the 102nd Anniversary of the Bulgarian Air Force (October 16, 2014).

I was lucky to watch the rehearsals and then the show itself. There are some amateur videos of the show in youtube.

The General won huge applause from the spectators doing with a MiG-29A a low altitude "Cobra" manoeuvre, followed by 2 "Kambana" manoeuvres (kambana is the Bulgarian word for bell, sorry I cannot remember the English name of the manoeuvre - the aircraft going vertical until it stalls, then sliding down on its tail until nose starts to point down again and the aircraft to accelerate).

After that he headed for a landing, but just before he would touch down, afterburners were on again and with some 20-30m altitude gained, he rolled the aircraft in half tono and flew inverted over the runway for some 5-10 sec or so, slowly gaining more altitude, before completing the tono, gear down all the time.

 

We also watched low altitude dogfight between 2 MiG-29As, man was it impressive, the first MiG-29 doing expert flying manoeuvres, the second one chasing close and trying to get in firing position for gunfight, burners on most of the time.

I have barely missed 1 or 2 airshows of the Bulgarian Air Force in the past 20 years, but I have never seen before Bulgarian pilots flying so low and so close in front of civilian spectators.

The show was named "This is us", i.e. Bulgarian Air Force pilots showing their capabilities to the general public. It was great.

 

MigBuster, sorry, that was not intended to hijack your tread, just to add some information to the great video for anyone who might be interested.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Svetlin

[emresukhoi]

My cockpit sound :)

[Do335]

 

 

have barely missed 1 or 2 airshows of the Bulgarian Air Force in the past 20 years, but I have never seen before Bulgarian pilots flying so low and so close in front of civilian spectators.

one of the benefits of NATO membership i guess, must have a strong air force!

[Svetlin]

one of the benefits of NATO membership i guess, must have a strong air force!

 

Not quite so unfortunately, we have talented pilots such as Gen. Radev, but the Air Force have been suffering for years from budget cuts, resulting in pilots doing a third or so of the annual flight time of the average NATO pilot.

[+Gepard]

The pilot with the open visor is wearing an old MiG-21 style helmet and a non soviet oxygen mask. While the pilot with the red star is wearing the original soviet MiG-29 helmet and oxygen mask.

The german MiG-29 pilots used only for a short time the soviet helmet and changed later to the NATO style helmet. Interesstingly the most pilots said, that the soviet helmet was the better one.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Gepard

[Svetlin]

The pilot with the open visor is wearing an old MiG-21 style helmet and a non soviet oxygen mask. While the pilot with the red star is wearing the original soviet MiG-29 helmet and oxygen mask.

The german MiG-29 pilots used only for a short time the soviet helmet and changed later to the NATO style helmet. Interesstingly the most pilots said, that the soviet helmet was the better one.

 

Believe it or not, a Bulgarian Air Force pilot says, the MiG-29 style helmets were not personally adjusted for each pilot and so in flight and with the HMTS fitted on, the helmet would not stay stable on the pilot's head, causing discomfort and even potential danger.

Since many of the elderly pilots turned to MiG-29 from MiG-21 or MiG-23, I guess some of them opted to keep their old style helmetm used on the 21 or 23, that would be more comfortable in flight.