TripleDelta

Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk, 166347

TripleDelta — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:07:18 GMT

Jackhammer 81 and 82 (167834) caught during an attractive formation departure from the helicopter start gates for a late-afternoon mission above the hills of northern Croatia. A type not unfamiliar to Lucko airfield (LDZL) near Zagreb, these two US Navy Knighthawks were in town as part of the Jackal Stone 12 NATO exercise.

Photo © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta), 2012.

Boeing MH-47G Chinook, 08-03775

TripleDelta — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:00:39 GMT

When Crazy 22 had joined it sister ship Crazy 21 (07-03774) already waiting at the start gates, we'd got a scene that even my friends in the States assure me is quite a rarity: two special ops Chinooks at the same place and time, rearing to go. Both machines were in town - Lucko airfield (LDZL), Zagreb, Croatia to be exact - to participate in the Jackal Stone 12 NATO exercise.

Photo © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta), 2012.

Boeing MH-47G Chinook, 07-03774

TripleDelta — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 20:54:23 GMT

By far the most impressive visitor to our little airfield - Lucko (LDZL), Zagreb, Croatia - is seen hover taxiing to the helicopter start gates for a night mission behind callsign Crazy 21. An impressive piece of kit, this extremely rare special operations machine and its sister ship 08-03775 - both part of the US Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment - are in town to participate in the annual Jackal Stone 12 NATO exercise.

Photo © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta), 2012

Cessna 172N Skyhawk II, 9A-DMG

TripleDelta — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:42:54 GMT

The only way to truly enjoy the beauty of flight - rumbling above Zagreb, Croatia on a summer's late afternoon in a simple and cheerful Cessna 172. Pure magic!

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21UMD, 165

TripleDelta — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:38:29 GMT

Attracting its fair share of attention during the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Croatian Air Force. One of the few remaining twin-stick MiG-21s still in Croatian service, tired and weathered 167 had been wheeled into the hangar to provide a suitable background to the official ceremony.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21UMD, 165

TripleDelta — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:36:17 GMT

Still glistening from the morning's dew and looking absolutely brilliant at the head of the static lineup for the 2011 Pleso AFB Open Day. The distinctive ILS shack paintjob is actually a blown-up version of the Croatian coat of arms - known locally, for obvious reasons, as the "chessboard" - and is the source of the aircraft's popular nickname, "Kockica" (or "little square").

Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, 9A-DZA

TripleDelta — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:55:30 GMT

A clear sky, some orange light from the Police helicopter hangar - and my cellphone's normally useless lamp... all handy ingredients for a satisfying night photo shoot :). @ Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Cessna 182K Skylane, 9A-DTD

TripleDelta — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:24:05 GMT

Almost prepped and ready for the incoming storm. One of the bigger ones to hit Lucko airfield (LDZL) this year, it'd given us only 15 minutes advance warning before completely flooding the entire airfield with almost an inch of standing water. © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Cessna 150M, 9A-DMM

TripleDelta — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:11:28 GMT

Looking pretty at the small grass airfield of Zvekovac (LDZE), just a short 15 minute hop from Zagreb, Croatia. Calm and quiet, in the middle of a sedate rural area, it was the perfect destination for a short getaway on this beautiful February day. The flock of sheep standing a dozen meters behind me though was not amused by our noisy arrival :D.

Croatian AF Mil Mi-8MTV-1, H-201

TripleDelta — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:51:25 GMT

Not much of a romantic ride into the sunset for these guys, eh? :) Part of a CSAR demo - including two Mi-8s, two PC-9s and two MiG-21s - at the 2006 Armed Forces Day held at Lake Jarun in Zagreb. © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Croatian AF Mil Mi-8MTV-1

TripleDelta — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:49:28 GMT

An entrance in style - H-201, H-202 and H-206 opening the 2006 Armed Forces Day air program held above Lake Jarun in Zagreb. © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Croatian AF Pilatus PC-9M

TripleDelta — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:45:27 GMT

The semi-permanent CroAF display duo performing against a fantastic sunset at the 2006 Armed Forces Day held on the shores of Lake Jarun in Zagreb. © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Ilyushin Il-96-300, RA-96008

TripleDelta — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:38:56 GMT

Cleaning her up after a spirited departure from Salzburg, Austria's RWY 16, while another high-flier provides a suitable background. © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Pilatus PC-12NG, OK-PPP

TripleDelta — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:34:07 GMT

Pure elegance with wings... just completed refueling during one of the few breaks in the day's persistent rain. Taken at Portorož Airport (POW/LJPZ), Slovenia. Photo © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Pilatus PC-12NG, OK-PPP

TripleDelta — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:31:13 GMT

A brand-new PC-12NG, on wet tarmac, with the sun breaking through ominous stormclouds in the back - what more could you ask for? Taken at Porotrož Airport (POW/LJPZ), Slovenia. Photo © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Cvjetkovic CA-10 Penkala

TripleDelta — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:21:04 GMT

A modern(ised) replica of the first aircraft designed and built in Croatia - the Penkala P-3 of 1910 - looking gorgeous out on fresh snow at Lučko Airfield near Zagreb, Croatia. Not an identical copy of the original, the CA-10 had been modified with today's aerodynamics theories in an effort to actually make it fly (unlike the P-3 which did not so much fly as hop). The most obvious change is the 80 HP Rotax, replacing the original's 5 cylinder radial. Photo © Boran Pivčić (TripleDelta)

Cvjetkovic CA-10 "Penkala"

TripleDelta — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:48:15 GMT

By far the biggest attraction of the 2010 Lucko Airshow was the CA-10 "Penkala", a modern replica of the Penkala P-3, the first aircraft built in Croatia :). Designed by famed inventor Slavoljub Penkala - the father of the fountain pen - the P-3 had attempted to take off in 1910, but never made it beyond a few hops due to some deficiencies in its design. Intending to set that right, the CA-10 was conceived as "modernized" P-3, upgraded using today's aerodynamic knowledge (and an 80 HP Rotax, with four times the power of the 24 HP radial that Penkala had used). Interestingly enough, the whole aircraft was built by hand using only archive photos as the original blueprints have long been lost. Unfortunately, due to its paperwork not being ready, it had not flown at the show, a huge source of disappointment for many... Photo © Boran Pivcic (TripleDelta)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21UMD, CroAF 165

TripleDelta — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:42:04 GMT

"Kockica" - or "little cube", named for its ILS-shack Croatian coat of arms paint scheme - thunders away into a fantastic sky at the 2010 Lucko Airshow near Zagreb, Croatia. Photo © Boran Pivcic (TripleDelta)

Cessna 150M, 9A-DMM

TripleDelta — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:50:48 GMT

Big lawnmover spinning at an idle 800 RPM before its last training flight of the day. Despite the apparent closeness, the shot was taken from about 6-7 meters away using a telephoto lens.

Photo © Boran Pivčić

Tumansky R-13

TripleDelta — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:39:05 GMT

Took me a good 30 minutes to set this shot up :). A moody close-up of the first compressor stage of the Tumansky R-13 turbojet that normally powers the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21UM two seater... Photo © Boran Pivcic (TripleDelta)

Cessna 172N, 9A-DDD

TripleDelta — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:53:10 GMT

Thunder and lighting! Who'd have thought that a night-time preflight check could be so artsy! :)

Cessna 172N, 9A-DDD

TripleDelta — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:47:46 GMT

Filling her up to the brim before a two-hour training session around the Zagreb airport (LDZA) control zone...

Spitfire PR.19, F-AZJS

TripleDelta — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:02:51 GMT

Learned an important lesson at the La Comina 100 airshow in Northern Italy - NEVER stand behind a WW2 fighter firing up! :)

Spitfire PR.19, F-AZJS

TripleDelta — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:01:39 GMT

North Italy - or North Africa? :) Returning from its display at the La Comina 100 (a few miles shy of Aviano) airshow amid clouds of dust...

Antonov An-2, 9A-DIZ

TripleDelta — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:58:13 GMT

Antonov in the Rye? :) Given that one of the An-2's nicknames is "kukuruzhnik" - freely translated as maize field worker - the image is very appropriate!

The Flying Bulls fly their trademark negative-G formation loop.

TripleDelta — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:44:09 GMT

A confusion of red and white as Paul Bonhomme zips through the gate at the RBAR Budapest 2009.

TripleDelta — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:44:02 GMT

A 1/200th shot show off just what an Edge 540 can do...

TripleDelta — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:43:55 GMT

A fine showing by Red Bull's "dream fleet" from Hangar 7 at the RBAR Budapest 2009.

TripleDelta — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:43:48 GMT

Nigel Lamb darting around the track at the Red Bull Air Race at Budapest (2009)

TripleDelta — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:43:41 GMT