This is not an air show report, but as I am a Bulgarian citizen, I decided to participate on the Thracian Eagle 2016 media day – June 22.
The flights start minutes before 10:00 with F-15 take-offs followed by an L-39ZA and MiG-29 fighters, and continued to 15:00.
The Thracian Eagle 2016 is a joint US Air Force and Bulgarian Air Force exercise, and takes place from April 28 to June 30, 2016 at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria.
The military exercise includes eight F-15C/D aircraft from 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard from the US Air Force side. Bulgarian Air Force are represented by MiG-29, Su-25, L-39ZA and C-27J Spartan aircraft, AS 532 AL Cougar, Mi-24 and Mi-7 helicopters, and Air Defense Forces units.
The exercise director is Brigadier General Ivan Lalov, Commander of the Graf Ignatievo Air Base.
The objective of Thracian Eagle 2016 is to hone the training of Bulgarian Air Force personnel to handle state-of-the-art tactics, techniques and procedures and to function in an international context.
