Cheshnegirovo Air Base Explained

Cheshnegirovo Air Base
Native Name:Авиобаза Чешнегирово
Icao:LBPS
Location:Cheshnegirovo, Bulgaria
Type:Former Military Air Base
Elevation:184m (604feet)
Coordinates:42.1139°N 24.9914°W
Pushpin Map:Bulgaria
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Bulgaria
Operator:Bulgarian Air Force
Controlledby:Bulgarian Air Force
R1-Number:10/28
R1-Length:2544m (8,346feet)
R1-Surface:Concrete
Used:1951 – 2002

Cheshnegirovo Air Base/Sadovo (ICAO code: LBPS) used to house the 25th Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment (flying MiG-23BN/UBs) of the 10th Composite Aviation Corps. Located in central Bulgaria, north east of Plovdiv. According to the major restructuring plans it became the first regiment to convert to an air base structure. Briefly it housed the entire Bulgarian MiG-23 fleet after which it became inactive.

History

Alternate name Sadovo. Also spelled 'Tcheshnigirovo'. Date when built - 1951. Home of 25 Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment of 10th Composite Air Corps, with the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 "Fresco". In 1976 it received the MiG-23BN. The base closed in 2000 and is now used for the storage of aircraft. There are reports that the 68 Special Forces Brigade will move here from Plovdiv.

Runway data: Location: N42 06 50.91 E024 59 34.59, Elev: 604 ft (184 m), Rwy 10/28, Size: 8345 x 170 ft (2544 x 52 m), concrete.

Aircraft

MiG-23BN Flogger in Cheshnegirovo Air Base! Serial! c/no. Prev. Identity!Delivered!Fate/Notes
06 7942/03932157661981Preserved Rakovski Apr 2003
206542/03932095201978Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
216543/0393209521 1978Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
236545/0393209523 1978Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
306546/0393209530 1978Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
316547/0393209531 1978Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
366548/0393209536 1978Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
376549/0393209537 1978Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
396641/0393209539 1978w/o 7 August 1984
487843/0393215748 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
497844/0393215749 1981w/o 3 August 1994
507845/0393215750 1981Preserved Plovdiv/Krumovo Oct 2004
515650/0393208751 1976Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
527846/0393215752 1981w/o 16 Sept 1986
537847/0393215753 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
547848/0393215754 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
556344/0393209355 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
566345/0393209356 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
576346/0393209357 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
586347/0393209358 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
607849/0393215760 1981Stored Graf Ignatievo May 2004
617850/0393215761 1981Stored Graf Ignatievo May 2004
637941/0393215763 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
656348/0393209365 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
666349/0393209366 1977Preserved Cheshnegirovo Town Apr 2003
676350/0393209367 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
705644/0393208370 1976Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
755645/0393208375 1976Stored Dobrich Sept 2002
777943/0393215777 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
795646/0393208379 1976Preserved Plovdiv/Krumovo Oct 2004
807944/0393215780 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
905649/0393208400 1976Dolna Mitropoliya
915647/0393208391 1976Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007
931976w/o 19.08.1986 г.

References:

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23UB Flogger

MiG-23UB Flogger ! Serial! c/no. Prev. Identity!Delivered
020A10376201976
021A10376211976
022A10376221976
023A10377011977
024A10377021977
25A10378551978
26A10378561978
27A10378571978
028A10381051981
29A10383181983
30A10383201983
31A10383301983
32A10384041984
33A10384061984
040190151401984

References:

See also

References

Снимки на авиобазата след нейното затваряне. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/bulgaria/af/types/mig1.htm www.aeroflight.co.uk

Bibliography

Air Base History http://vvs-bg.start.bg/%D0%98%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0+%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0-15709Air Group 2000 http://www.airgroup2000.com/www.airgroup2000.com