NATO Days 2023

NATO Days 2023 – 16th/17th September 2023

Venue: Leoš Janáček Airport Ostrava

https://maps.app.goo.gl/YhBtuu7xzfT13N3C6

NATO days is a well established large annual airshow attracting a wide variety of participants both in the flying display and presented statically. Also, there are significant ground displays including tank demonstrations and other heavy equipment. The airport is quite small but does have a large single runway that is capable of handling the largest and heaviest types e.g. USAF B-52 training flights during deployments to RAF Fairford in the UK. There are passenger, cargo, maintenance and painting facilities, so a lot of diverse types are attracted throughout the year.

Due to the position of the airport terminal, the airshow is unusual in having the display line at 90 degrees to the runway. This means that photography is not great from the show side as it faces the Sun during most of the day. Fortunately, it is possible to get to the south side of the airfield in a well policed area where display items are doing 360 degree turns right around you.

Good and Bad points about the show

Positives

• It is a totally free event (apart from parking)

• The show is generally well organised and there is a very informative App that is kept up-to-date including for the pre-show and departure days. This information is also available via social media:https://www.facebook.com/natodays

• The surrounding area is very scenic and looks great in September light.

• Access around the airport is good. There are many vantage points and the attitude of the airport towards photographers and spotters is very positive. They even have their own photography group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057525366380

• There are always new show highlights. This year, it was the appearance of the USAF F-35A  demo that was excellent (as indeed were the majority of the fast jet displays), the first public appearance of the new Viper and Venom helicopters in Czech service and a great send off to the types they will replace, the venerable Hind and Hip.

• Flares, flares and yet more flares.

• It’s easy to meet up with other COAP members as I did this year with Oliver Santa https://members.coaponline.com/members/oliver-santa77gmail-com/

• There are plenty of food and drink outlets at the show and reasonably priced too.

• One of the show sponsors is Radegast, that is one of my favourite Czech beers🍺

Negatives

• Being held in September, the weather can be changeable. It is often either very good or very bad, with not much in between. This year was fine along with other years such as 2010, 2018 and 2019. Others such as 2017 were a complete washout after a perfect arrivals/rehearsals day on the Friday that year.

• Being a free event, a lot of ‘Josef Publicski’ turn up so the roads, car parks and show areas become very busy. Bear in mind that often, the Sunday is less busy than Saturday irrespective of the weather forecast as for Czech’s, their main social times of the week are Friday evenings and Saturday’s.

• The less said about the RAF attendance at this year’s show the better – a bit of a ‘faux pas’ and PR disaster!🙄

A Selection of images from this year’s show