Surprise at the airfield: Eastern bloc planes land spectacularly in Großenhain!

Surprise at the airfield: Eastern bloc planes land spectacularly in Großenhain!

There is a lot of flying activity in Großenhain again! Numerous pilots and aircraft fans came to the historic airfield for a happy end to the Eastern Bloc aviation season. Among the guests were Matthias Fetzner, Hermann Huxohl and Malte Thielmeier, who had traveled from Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia, on an old Antonov. This started on Saturday morning with an impressive sightseeing flight over the city - a real treat for the spectators.

This year, the event took place publicly for the third time in a row at the Historic Fliegerhalle Ost and Hangar 23. Ronald Größner, the owner of the hangar, organized the event together with Alexander d'Avignon and many other passionate aviators. “The Antonov will hibernate over the winter and we are already looking forward to the next flights,” said Größner, who also reported a special surprise: a second, yellow aircraft also landed and attracted additional spectator interest.

A look into the past

The airfield in Großenhain is not only an exciting destination for aviation enthusiasts, but also has an eventful history. During the GDR era, the square was an important location for the Soviet army and research is now being carried out into its military-historical significance. Historians estimate that nuclear weapons may have been stored in Großenhain since 1962. This raises many questions - Marcel Reichel has been documenting the military history of the airfield since 2004 and is planning to, among other things, examine the historical facets in an exhibition. The region intends to transform the airfield site into the largest industrial area in East Germany, although the soil contaminated with kerosene still needs to be rehabilitated.

Ronald Größner, a former mechanic at Interflug, has housed a collection of historic aircraft in his hangar, including the “Bücker Jungmann” from the 1930s. This served as a training aircraft during the Nazi era. Größner is also investigating whether the “Arado 234”, delivered from Großenhain to German fighter squadrons, was retrofitted in his hangar. Another tragic incident in the history of the airfield was the crash of a Sukhoi Su-07 in 1966.

A place for history lovers

Großenhain Airfield is attracting more and more history buffs and aviation enthusiasts, not least because of the ongoing efforts to preserve and present historic aircraft. A current exhibition on historical aviation in the German Museum offers exciting insights into the beginnings of flying in the 20th century, from the technical advances to the challenges of the two world wars. Here visitors can marvel at exhibits such as the Junkers F13 and the Messerschmitt Me 262.

With a formation flight over Großenhain and the lively participation, the joy of flying is expressed at every event. In this beautiful setting, the connection between history and technology comes to life - a real highlight for everyone who is enthusiastic about the art of flying. So if you are interested in aviation, you should definitely not miss Großenhain! Further information can be found in the Sächsische or the MDR about this historic place. In addition, those interested can find out more about historical aviation in the [Deutsches Museum](https://www.deutsches-museum.de/museumsinsel/ exhibition/historical-luftfahrt).