'Packhorse' C-295 spreads its wings in Hanoi's sky, preparing for its first parade

These days, at Gia Lam airport (Hanoi), where the 918th Air Brigade (Air Defense - Air Force, Ministry of National Defense ) is stationed, CASA C-212 and CASA C-295 aircraft have begun flight training missions to celebrate National Day, September 2 (mission A80).

- Ảnh 1. — "Pack horse" CASA C-295 at Gia Lam airport

This is the first time in 40 years that the Vietnam Air Force's transport aircraft formation has performed in the sky over Hanoi on the occasion of National Day, September 2, marking a major step forward in training and combat readiness of the air force.

This is also the first time the "workhorse" CASA C-295 appeared at the National Day flying event.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huy Hoang (main pilot of Air Brigade 918) said that as soon as he received the training plan for the A80 mission, the entire squadron and brigade quickly deployed preparations, coordinated closely and began serious training.

The training team practiced in a tight formation, each movement was standardized and synchronized. From theory, flight crew coordination, to training flights, everything was performed in a standard formation, with tight distances to ensure absolute safety.

Pilots arrived early to check the aircraft before take-off to carry out the mission.

PHOTO: TA

"For me, being able to directly participate in the A80 mission is a great honor. As a soldier and a military pilot, I feel very proud to contribute to serving the country and the people," said Colonel Hoang.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Quan Anh, Deputy Head of the Military Training Department, Brigade 918, said that as both a pilot and in charge of training, he and his teammates created formation flights and submitted them to superiors for review and approval.

"This flight is a new training content for the CASA force. We built a route from single formation to formation, shortening the distance from 150 m to 50 m. The entire process was recorded and thoroughly learned from experience. Although it was just a demonstration flight, all the procedures for take-off, communication, and navigation were like real combat," said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Quan Anh.

According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Quan Anh, the A80 mission is not only an event of profound political significance but also an opportunity to demonstrate the maturity and growth of the Vietnam People's Air Force in general, as well as of Brigade 918 in particular - a unit that has flown to most airports in the country and some airports in Southeast Asia.