Cheshnegirovo Air Base

{{Infobox military installation

| name = Cheshnegirovo Air Base

| native_name = Авиобаза Чешнегирово

| ICAO = LBPS

| location = Cheshnegirovo, Bulgaria

| type = Former Military Air Base

| elevation = {{Convert|184|m|ft}}

| coordinates = {{coord|42|6|50|N|24|59|29|E|region:BG_type:airport|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map = Bulgaria

| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Bulgaria

| owner =

| operator = Bulgarian Air Force

| controlledby = Bulgarian Air Force

| r1-number = 10/28

| r1-length = {{Convert|2544|m|ft}}

| r1-surface = Concrete

| used = 1951 – 2002

| footnotes =

}}

Cheshnegirovo Air Base/Sadovo (ICAO code: LBPS) used to house the 25th Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment (flying MiG-23BN/UBs) of the 10th Composite Aviation Corps. Located in central Bulgaria, north east of Plovdiv. According to the major restructuring plans it became the first regiment to convert to an air base structure. Briefly it housed the entire Bulgarian MiG-23 fleet after which it became inactive.

History

Alternate name Sadovo. Also spelled 'Tcheshnigirovo'. Date when built - 1951. Home of 25 Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment of 10th Composite Air Corps, with the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 "Fresco". In 1976 it received the MiG-23BN. The base closed in 2000 and is now used for the storage of aircraft. There are reports that the 68 Special Forces Brigade will move here from Plovdiv.

Runway data: Location: N42 06 50.91 E024 59 34.59, Elev: 604 ft (184 m), Rwy 10/28, Size: 8345 x 170 ft (2544 x 52 m), concrete.

Aircraft

{{External media|float=right|image1=[http://tiiim.snimka.bg/reports/aviobaza-cheshnegirovo.708983.28842258 Cheshnegirovo Air Base after close]}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ MiG-23BN Flogger in Cheshnegirovo Air Base

! Serial

! c/no. Prev. Identity

!Delivered

!Fate/Notes

06

| 7942/0393215766

| 1981

| Preserved Rakovski Apr 2003

20

| 6542/0393209520

| 1978

| Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

21

|6543/0393209521

| 1978

| Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

23

|6545/0393209523

| 1978

| Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

30

|6546/0393209530

| 1978

| Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

31

|6547/0393209531

| 1978

| Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

36

|6548/0393209536

| 1978

| Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

37

|6549/0393209537

| 1978

| Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

39

|6641/0393209539

| 1978

| w/o 7 August 1984

48

|7843/0393215748

| 1981

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

49

|7844/0393215749

| 1981

|w/o 3 August 1994

50

| 7845/0393215750

| 1981

|Preserved Plovdiv/Krumovo Oct 2004

51

| 5650/0393208751

| 1976

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

52

| 7846/0393215752

| 1981

|w/o 16 Sept 1986

53

| 7847/0393215753

| 1981

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

54

| 7848/0393215754

| 1981

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

55

| 6344/0393209355

| 1977

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

56

| 6345/0393209356

| 1977

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

57

| 6346/0393209357

| 1977

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

58

| 6347/0393209358

| 1977

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

60

| 7849/0393215760

| 1981

|Stored Graf Ignatievo May 2004

61

| 7850/0393215761

| 1981

|Stored Graf Ignatievo May 2004

63

| 7941/0393215763

| 1981

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

65

| 6348/0393209365

| 1977

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

66

| 6349/0393209366

| 1977

|Preserved Cheshnegirovo Town Apr 2003

67

| 6350/0393209367

| 1977

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

70

| 5644/0393208370

| 1976

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

75

| 5645/0393208375

| 1976

|Stored Dobrich Sept 2002

77

| 7943/0393215777

| 1981

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

79

| 5646/0393208379

| 1976

|Preserved Plovdiv/Krumovo Oct 2004

80

| 7944/0393215780

| 1981

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

90

| 5649/0393208400

| 1976

|Dolna Mitropoliya

91

| 5647/0393208391

| 1976

|Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007

93

|

| 1976

|w/o 19.08.1986 г.

References:

European Air Forces Directory 2003/04 (Mach III)
European Air Forces Directory 2005/06 (Mach III)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20190315135343/http://www.arrow-aviation.nl/]

=Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23UB Flogger=

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ MiG-23UB Flogger

! Serial

! c/no. Prev. Identity

!Delivered

020

| A1037620

| 1976

021

| A1037621

| 1976

022

| A1037622

| 1976

023

| A1037701

| 1977

024

| A1037702

| 1977

25

| A1037855

| 1978

26

| A1037856

| 1978

27

| A1037857

| 1978

028

| A1038105

| 1981

29

| A1038318

| 1983

30

| A1038320

| 1983

31

| A1038330

| 1983

32

| A1038404

| 1984

33

| A1038406

| 1984

040

| 19015140

| 1984

References:

European Air Forces Directory 2003/04 (Mach III)
European Air Forces Directory 2005/06 (Mach III)
arrow-aviation.nl

References

[http://tiiim.snimka.bg/reports/aviobaza-cheshnegirovo.708983.28842258 Снимки на авиобазата след нейното затваряне.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035751/http://tiiim.snimka.bg/reports/aviobaza-cheshnegirovo.708983.28842258 |date=2017-12-01 }}

[http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/bulgaria/af/types/mig1.htm] www.aeroflight.co.uk

Bibliography

Air Base History [http://vvs-bg.start.bg/%D0%98%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0+%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0-15709]

Air Group 2000 [http://www.airgroup2000.com/www.airgroup2000.com]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Category:Airports in Bulgaria

Category:Air force installations of Bulgaria

Cheshnegirovo Air Base

History

Aircraft

=Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23UB Flogger=

See also

References

Bibliography