Szeged Aviation Days and Air Parade
We found out about the first edition of the Szeged Air Show in 2016 by pure chance – long live Facebook and Zuckerberg! The location being at a mere distance of 200 km from our home town we didn’t miss the chance to see how our neighbors manage to set up an air show not far from us and check out the general atmosphere. And let me tell you that it was a very good decision!
Organized at Szeged Airport, usually in the middle of September, this event becomes more and more interesting with each passing year. A huge number of planes, helicopters, sky divers, hot air balloons and all kind of flying machines can be seen on the ground and in the air from dawn ’till dusk. So, if you are an aviation enthusiast or you just want to spend a nice day just sit down, relax, have a cold drink and enjoy the show! But if you are a passionate aviation photographer, make sure you bring a lot of memory cards for your camera, because you’re going to “shoot” like crazy all day long.
As I mentioned before, air crafts start flying early in the morning – around 08:00 AM, local time. The first part of the air show ends at noon, when the flight crews take a little break. But not to worry, there is plenty to do. You can visit the vintage cars exhibition or air crafts static display. If this is not your thing, you can always enjoy the Hungarian culinary experience. In fact, this is the idea around which the entire event is wrapped – a big picnic at the airport.
On the other hand, if you prefer other kind of experiences, there is always the possibility to book a flight – you can choose from the “old-timer” Liusinov Li-2 for an enjoyable view of Szeged from above or the more daring Antonov An-2. Still, if you are keen on adrenaline or you are just testing your courage, I encourage you to opt for the Mil Mi-2 – it is a helicopter that will put your stomach to a serious test. Prices for each flight range from approximately 31 euro/ person for the Li-2 and An-2 to 46 euro/ person for the Mil Mi-2 ride.
And speaking about prices, be advised that there is an entrance fee of about 5 – 6 euro/ person and a parking fee of about 5 euro/ car which must be paid in the local currency, which is Hungarian Forint.
What can you do beside photography
If you are either passionate about photography or videography, or maybe flying or culinary experiences, Szeged Air Show will certainly rise to your expectations. The first 2 editions that we attended, 2016 and 2017, showed off ULM’s, motor-delta-trikkes, gliders from the local air club, vintage planes, aggro planes, military and civilian helicopters, sky divers, hot air balloons and aerobatic teams and pilots.
It seems that this air show is growing more and more each year. The organizers have made continuous efforts to bring over fresh air crafts for each edition. Personally, I think that in 2 or 3 years Szeged Air Show will become one of the largest and most attractive event of its kind in this geographical area.
2019 Edition of the air show
As the 2019 edition is getting near, September 14th is just around the corner, the lineup is very interesting – 9 Antonov An-2 have already confirmed their participation. Also the Flying Bulls with their W.W. II planes, L-29 and one very rare aircraft at such events – the Soko G-2 Super Galeb. I only saw this plane once in my life at the Aeromiting Batajnica – Belgrad, Serbia, in 2012.
And there are plenty more surprises in “store” at this year’s Szeged Aviation Days & Air Parade or by its Hungarian name: Szegedi Repülőnapok & Légiparádé.
