Without doubt, the NATO & Czech Air Force Days at Ostrava (Czechia) are among the best-organized air shows our team has ever visited. Little can the organizers do when the event is marred by bad weather, as was the case with the 2017 edition.

The Polish air force showed the SAR-capabilities of its indigenous W-3 Sokol helicopter, in a scene somehow related to twin-peaks…

The show is not only about aircraft, but more about the capabilities of the armed forces in general, as demonstrated by this troop extraction with an Mi-171Sh helicopter.

The Czech Police being one of the main participants of the show, they brought in the Bell 412 to demonstrate counter-terrorism operations...

...and their EC135 helicopter which was tasked with police duties around the event.

As all the flying alone wasn’t enough, the Czech army brought one of its T-74 tanks, seen here showing off its capabilities amidst heavy smoke…

The winner of the best air show performance was the Slovak MiG-29 demonstration. Despite adverse weather conditions, it put on a great show, which was met with sheer enthusiasm by the public.

The weather would have been a good excuse for the Slovak government to cancel the flying of its recently acquired Airbus 319. To the contrary however, they choose to take advantage of it to the fullest, much to the joy of the crowd.

A modest NATO-partner of great strategic value is Lithuania, which along its L-39 and L-410, sent one of its AS365 Dolphin helicopters used for SAR-operations.