Tomas Prochazka

HK01 Hi again! I do not exactly know what the presidents were doing here, you can ask at www.hofburg.at or
www.hrad.cz :) but I will try to comment this few pictures!

HK02 It was 09.40 and a helicopter "Orlik" from LKNA (Namest) was coming to inspect the airfield

HK03 10.32 About 50 cars had been arriving on our airfield for the past hour

HK04 And here it comes! 10.36 Czech Air Force One is roaring through the air

HK05 Heavy Mi8S is hanging above the ground

HK06 Twenty seconds later, finally the touch down

HK07 The man pointing towards the helicopter is Erwin Proell - the sheriff of Niederoesterreich

HK08 Two minutes later the delegation was coming to welcome the Czech president

HK09 Here he comes, the small big man Vaclav Havel. Want a closer look? Right away...

HK10 I have always been wandering what the two could be talking about...

HK11 This is the closest I have ever come to a president... yet :)

HK12 President's spokesperson, Vladislav Spacek

HK13 10.47 - Three minutes later the chopper was lonely

HK14 10.57 - Ten minutes later the Austrian president was arriving

HK15 Augusta Bell 212 is even noisier than the Russian Mi8S!

HK16 Almost the same chopper was used in Vietnam, but this version has two engines

HK17 The rotor was still spinning swiftly when the first Austrian soldier set foot on Czech ground
- ughhhhhhhh this sounds horribly :)

HK18 Even the Czech Air Force One pilots were watching

HK19 10.59 Delegation again. Note the bodyguards

HK20 Vaclav Havel was coming towards the military chopper while Thomas Klestil was being helped into his jacket

HK21 Perfectly gentleman, the Austrian president is smiling at the Czech one as Breznev on Honecker :)

HK22 Klestil liked Havel's kiss and now he is inviting Havel to spend an evening with him... :)

HK23 Posing Havel, Klestil is debating with Proell

HK24 Havel's limousine is heading to Znojmo

HK25 Mr. Faltin is preparing his chopper

HK26 This is how a chopper moves "on the ground". By the law, this is not a flight yet

HK27 Mr. Lenikus inspecting Czech Air Force One

HK28 This is me!!! :)

HK29 There is nothing small on this chopper

HK30 Mr. Skacha and Faltin talking to one of the Mi8's pilots

HK31 We got inside too

HK32 And this is how it looks like inside. Would you know your way?

HK33 Another pilot... Regrettably, I do not know their names

HK34 About the chopper:
Mi8S, empty weight: 6,7 ton, max weight: 12 ton, engine power: 2x 1700 HP, crew: 3, passenger: 11

HK35 Max speed: 250 km/h, rotor diameter: 21,3 m, service tanks: 350 kg, external tanks: 1700 kg

HK36 This is the Austrian chopper - Augusta Bell 212 (built in Italy). It can transport up to 12! person

HK37 Engines: 2x Pratt & Whitney PT6T3 (800 HP each, 1290 HP utile), average fuel consumption: 360 l/h, max weight: 5 ton

HK38 Thomas Klestil used an ordinary military chopper, the same could be used in a military operation

HK39 The design is very impressive

HK40 My best friend Jiri Zuhla

HK41 12.37 Mi8S taking off - it is heading to Namest for refuel

HK42 Mr. Faltin's ultra light chopper CH 7 Kompres
(1x Rotax 914 Turbo, 115 HP :), max speed 209 km/h, fuel consumption: 18 l/h, max take-off weight: 450 kg

HK43 13.52 Mi8S is returning from Namest. This photo was taken from our tower

HK44 Mi8S shortly before touch down. In this flight phase, the chopper has the biggest fuel consumption

HK45 Mr. Faltin in his chopper

HK46 And again

HK47 Once more

HK48 The Austrian pilots were so kind to open the door, so here is one more picture of the cockpit

HK49 16.16 The Austrian president had returned (he is already sitting in the chopper)

HK50 16.19 Here is the take off - one of my greatest photos, you can almost feel the power of the two turbines...

HK51 Heading directly to Austria

HK52 16.57 Vaclav Havel had returned

HK53 17.06 Czech Air Force One heading to Prague... it takes approximately 1 hour.
And this is it! I hope you liked the pictures!