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                 Krakow, Poland  September 2023  Richard Bowater

We had planned to go to Tourn Poland in 2021 to see the Gordon Benet gas balloon race travelling via a couple of major cities. Unfortunately we had to cancel that trip due to the continued presence of covid restrictions.

Poland was off until reasonably priced Krakow flights appeared in early 2023 so we decided to plan a city break. We found a nice apartment in the suburbs, with brilliant transport links and a very good supermarket. Some landing and departing aircraft could also be seen from the window as a bonus!

 

To save more we took the two pound bus from Stockton High Street to the Gateshead Metro exchange, it was free as the ticket machine was broken! We flew with Ryanair from Newcastle so had to put up with the old luggage scanners and chicken shed scruffy departure lounge again.

It was dark when we arrived at Krakow-Balice, so not much could be identified. From various sites, a BBJ parked on the remote stand turned out to be HL-8290. It was parked next to a Gulf 450 N20G which had escaped identification until I discovered the playback function on ADSB.

 

We passed through arrivals and proceeded to the bus stands. I had planned to buy a week bus ticket at this point but couldn’t find the correct ticket machine so a one trip ticket had to do. We did notice over the whole week we didn’t see a single ticket inspector, but to be safe we did get the correct ticket with help from the apartment owner. A second point of interest was that drunks that came up to you at bus stops, were friendly but would continue with a detailed conversation in Polish even thought you told them that you didn’t understand a word!

 

The first day we visited the zoo and in the evening we walked from the apartment to the Bronwice district which is about half a mile away. Here is a military building with a preserved Polish air force Istra jet.

 

 

I checked the arrivals lists for Krakow-Balice the week before we travelled. I didn’t spot any days with different or significant movements so I decided to just go on the Friday. The traffic is mainly Ryanair / Buzz, Wizz with about four or five based A321s. LOT ERJ flights to Warsaw and a daily 787 flight to Chicago. The highlights on the schedules list were a daily FlyDubi 737 Max flight and an Air Serbia ATR-72. Various other companies operate ERJ-190s. And any military movements at the attached base.

 

I decided to walk as far as the approach, but on arrival the wind had changed, so a bit of a waste of time! With a few in the spotted only bag it was time to move on.

 

The next stop on the aircraft day was the aircraft museum. We had to travel on a couple of buses and trams to reach it. Signposts from the tram stop to the museum don’t exist. 

The front lawn of the museum contains three Istra jets; one wares the “Red 1” scheme of the national display team and another 40th anniversary of a squadron.

 

The ticket booth area looked quite new and beyond that there was an internal display of homebuilt aircraft. Once through here you start into the many external displays and buildings/ hangars.

 

The museum displays a large number of PZL aircraft, so many that we didn’t know existed. None Polish aircraft include a fine example of an American Air Force Phantom F-4E. This was only delivered to the museum in early 2023.

 

The outside area is ringed by Migs and Su’s. A LOT Airlines Tu 134, which I last saw at Heathrow many years ago and a number of Mil helicopters. The strangest exhibit is a jet crop spraying biplane a PZL M-15 Belphegor.

 

There are a number of internal display halls with more excellent exhibits. A First World War hangar has genuine complete examples of German and Allie aircraft. This runs through into an engine display.

 

 

The main exhibition hangar has a Li 2 Russian Dakota hanging from the roof joined by a Junkers 52 and a Tuplev 2. The big surprise is a UK army Skeeter helicopter is hanging with them. Below are many aircraft including a Spitfire, Vampire from the UK.

 

         

 

         

 

        

 

 

 

Google Earth helped me to find the next location. Pobiednik. Krakow’s, general aviation, gliding and parachute airfield. It is located about half a mile from a bus stop along a busy road. I asked in the flying school to have a look around. This was granted and we were escorted into the hangar which mainly contained gliders a few Cessna’s and a Gawron glider tug.

 

A PAC 750XL came back after its final parachute jump of the day and joined a pair of AN-2s which were parked out on the airfield. A few more Cessna’s were present and some Tecnams.

 

         

 

Next stop was Nowa Huta, for a restaurant we could not find and the best ice-cream which we could. Finally we went to the pinball museum for an hour’s free play once you pay to enter.

 

The next day we went on the 102 bus route which allows you to see three more relics in the suburbs. One terminus of the route is the village of Bielany. A Jak 23 jet is mounted next to the bus stop but unfortunately shots are poor due to a tree. The bus stops here just long enough for a quick jump off and photograph. Then continuing back the other way there is a stop very close to an army training barracks. This contains the mortal remains of a Mil 8 helicopter and a wingless Antonov 2. We also went to see the tethered observation gas balloon in the city.

 

        

 

 

The week went quick but before heading to the airport we had a tram ride into the city which just coincided with some activity at the heliport. SP-FER Robinson 66 and SP-HBN Ec-120B went into the bonus book. Then back on the 102 bus for the airport. The heliport, I found out later that it is on the top of a car park.

 

The airport has an excellent viewing gallery with clear glass and reasonable seating. It gives a view of the whole civil ramp and half of the runway. The military ramp and the rest of the runway are behind some trees.

 

With plenty of time before our flight back to Newcastle I decided to go on a walk and see what was parked on the military ramp. I reached the approach just as 0112 737 BBJ of the Polish Air force made an approach and go around. The military ramp contained six CASA 295s of the Polish Air Force 013 and 014 looked to be stored out of use with propellers removed and the airframe tied down. It was disappointing to see none of the based PZL M-28s parked up.

 

The bus didn’t show for the return trip so I had to make the long walk back to the viewing gallery. The arrivals were as expected with the majority being Polish Ryanair, Buzz and Malta. Wizz air produced the based 321s. The schedules produced a number of ERJ 195s examples from Air Dolomite, Austrian, KLM and of course LOT. Air Serbia also produced YU-ALZ ATR-72.

 

One of the M-28s did returned and did a few circuits along with a couple more C 295s and a handful of GA performing ILS approaches.

 

We flew back on EI-EBY of Ryanair, the same one we went on. Newcastle was almost empty with nothing much to be seen.