Kecskemét 2013: A Final Flash of Eastern Rarity
The 2013 Kecskemét Airshow felt like the last proper East-meets-West throwdown. A stacked line-up of rare Eastern European jets sat shoulder to shoulder with the usual Western crowd, and the result was something genuinely special.
Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, shows across Central and Eastern Europe were building a bit of a reputation. While UK events were solid, places like Brno, Bratislava and Zeltweg were turning up trumps with stuff you rarely saw in the West - Serbian Oraos, Ukrainian Backfires, Hungarian MiG‑21s… the kind of exotic metal that really got the imagination going. I only really started doing UK shows from around 2000, but reading those reports definitely planted the seed. Problem was, by the time I was in a position to travel further afield, things had changed. Budgets tightened, aircraft retired, shows moved around, and participation rules got stricter. Gradually, the line-ups across Europe started to look a bit samey.
Then along came Kecskemét 2013.
The build-up had been bubbling away for months and the rumour mill was in overdrive. This one was shaping up differently. By Christmas 2012, it was already clear that this wasn’t going to be a run-of-the-mill show. Big international backing, and crucially, the Russian Air Force committing the Russian Knights. Suddenly this wasn’t just another date in the calendar - it was the show to do in 2013.
As spring rolled into summer, the forums went into meltdown. Updates were sporadic, rumours were flying in from all directions, and every new snippet just added fuel to the fire. Bulgarian Su‑25, Polish Su‑22, Slovak MiG‑29, Ukrainian Su‑27, Romanian MiG‑21… it just kept getting better. Proper old-school variety. Superb stuff.
On the static, it absolutely delivered. The Bulgarian Frogfoot and Ukrainian Flanker were obvious highlights, while a Romanian IAR‑330 and Slovenian AB.412 added some interest on the rotary side. Then there was a bit of a curveball - a US Air Force C‑12C Huron from the US Embassy in Budapest. Embassy King Airs are rare enough as it is, but with sequestration biting in 2013, seeing that arrive late for the static was a bonus.
In the air, the Hungarian Air Force really showed up. And not just with Gripens - they’re ten a penny across Europe anyway. The real interest came from the supporting cast: An‑26s and Mi‑17s getting involved in both the flypast and the role demo. Far more interesting from an enthusiast point of view. And then, tucked into the inventory flypast, a pair of Hungarian Yak‑52s just trundled through in straight and level flight - a fleeting appearance, but for anyone paying attention, that was a seriously rare little moment. Great stuff.
Then, of course, the big one - the Russian Knights. Six Su‑27s, all dancing around the sky in the huge jets. Thanks to a bit of schedule slippage, their Saturday slot slipped into gorgeous golden evening light. Absolute jackpot. The crowd had been hanging around all day for it, and they weren’t disappointed. Big, graceful jets flown hard and tight - it was one of those displays that just sticks with you. As soon as they wrapped, the crowd headed straight for the exits, kicking up a huge dust cloud across the base.
Looking back now, what really elevates Kecskemét 2013 is just how strong the whole supporting line-up was. Sure, you had the usual suspects - Belgian and Dutch F‑16s, Czech Gripen, Italian C‑27J - but even the “standard” nations brought interesting kit. Austrian PC‑7 and Saab 105 solos, Croatia’s Wings of Storm, the Turkish Stars, plus an Italian Coast Guard H139… it all added up to a seriously well-rounded show.
In hindsight, it really does feel like one of the last of its kind. Kecskemét didn’t return until 2021, and by then a lot of those classic Eastern Bloc types had either been retired or were tied up elsewhere. Other shows in Czechia and Slovakia had long since lost a bit of their former spark, and even Radom - still a great show - has leaned more Western as Poland’s fleet has evolved.
Since then, it’s been pretty quiet for Kecskemét. Just the 2021 show, and then a string of cancellations in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Fingers crossed it makes a comeback, because when Kecskemét gets it right, it’s right up there with the very best in Europe.
