MILAVIA > Air Shows > Inowrocław Helicopter Picnic 2018 - 56.BLot Poland Last updated: 23 November 2018
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Air Show Report : Inowrocław Helicopter Picnic 2018 - 56.BLot Poland

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Inowrocław Helicopter Picnic 2018 - Poland

Helmut Richter visited the annual Helicopter Picnic event held by the 56.BLot Inowrocław-Latkowo in May 2018, a perfect opportunity to see the Polish Army Aviation assault helicopters.



For the aircraft enthusiast, Poland is probably one of the most interesting countries in Europe, because the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated SZ RP) operate a large variety of aircraft, of which a major part is of domestic or still of Soviet origin. For this very reason, each edition of the Radom International Air Show is a prime attraction for military aviation enthusiasts and photographers.

Significantly smaller, less well known and missing from many annual air show diaries are the annual Air Picnic (Piknik Lotniczy) events, which are held at most Polish air bases. These picnics typically are fairly small events with very limited foreign participation and only a short flying programme. On the other hand, they are very relaxed and mostly give good access to the equipment of the local units.

The 56th Air Base (56. Baza Lotnicza - 56.Blot) of the Polish Army Aviation (Lotnictwo Wojsk Lądowych – LWL) at Inowroclaw-Latkowo held its “6th Kuyavian Helicopter Picnic” (6. Kujawski Piknik Śmigłowskojy) on 19 May 2018.

The 56.Blot is part of the 1st Army Air Brigade and is organised into three assault helicopter squadrons (ESSz- Eskadra Śmigłowców Szturmowych) and a support helicopter group. The assault helicopter squadrons are equipped with the Mi-24V (designated Mi-24W in Polish service) and assault versions of the PZL-Świdnik W-3 Sokół (W-3PL Głuszec) and PZL-built Mi-2 (Mi-2URP Salamandra and Mi-2URP-G Gniewosz). At the helicopter picnic, most of the Mi-24Vs had a 1.ESSz 30 year anniversary badge applied and two of them additionally featured a large graphic depicting an armoured knight on their sides.

Participation by other Polish units was limited to just a Mi-2CH smoke laying helicopter from the 49.BLot. The only foreign participants in the static display were a CH-47F, a UH-60M and an AH-64D of the U.S. Army, which were very welcome, because the U.S. Army is not a frequent participant in European air shows. A Czech Air Force Mi-35, which participated in the NATO Tiger Meet, came over from Poznan for a flying display, but did not join the static exhibition. The helicopters used the aeroclub's airfield across the road as staging base for the flying displays.

On the other hand, the event provided excellent opportunities for images of a large number of helicopters in the static display in perfect sunshine.

In short, for someone travelling to the Helicopter Picnic at Inowroclaw with a focus on the local equipment like me, the small event certainly did not disappoint.

Mi-24V 738 56.BLot 1.ESSz
W-3PL 0609 56.BLot
W-3PL 0609 56.BLot
W-3PL 0820 56.BLot
Mi-24V 740 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-24V 740 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-24V 736 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-24V 728 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-24V 734 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-24V 734 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-2URP(G) 8220 56.BLot
Mi-2URP(G) 7339 56.BLot
Mi-24V 739 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-24V 739 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-2URP(G) 6946 56.BLot
Mi-2URP(G) 6946 56.BLot
Mi-2URP(G) 7337 56.BLot
Mi-24V 736 56.BLot 1.ESSz
30 years Mi-24W squadron emblem (1986-2016)
W-3PL 0820 56.BLot
Mi-24V 738 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Mi-24V 728 & Mi-24V 738 56.BLot 1.ESSz
Czech Air Force Mi-35  3361 221.LtBVr
Mi-2URP(G) 7339 56.BLot
Mi-2URP(G) 7338 56.BLot
Mi-2URP(G) 7336 56.BLot
Mi-2CH 6003 smoke laying version of the 49.BLot
U.S. Army CH-47F Chinook 13-08434 H Co. 1-214 AVN
Mi-2URP(G) 6922 56.BLot
W-3PL 0615 56.BLot
U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk 10-20245, A Co. 1-214 AVN
U.S. Army AH-64D Apache 04-05427, 1-3rd ARB
Mi-24V 741 56.BLot artwork
Mi-24V 741 56.BLot
Mi-2D 3829 56.BLot
Mi-2URP(G) 7840 56.BLot


Report and photos by Helmut Richter ( view portfolio )



First Published: 23 November 2018
Last Modified: 23 November 2018

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