History of aviation in Bălți
Russian version of the article: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Авиация_в_Бельцах
| Aviation in Bălți | |
|---|---|
 Il-18 of Grixona airline at Bălți-Leadoveni International Airport | |
| Active | 1 June 1926–present |
| Allegiance |  Moldova, Kingdom of Romania, USSR, Republic of Moldova |
| Branch | Bălți |
| Type | civil aviation, air force |
| Role | airplanes, helicopters, TAROM, Aeroflot, Air Moldova |
| Size | two airports |
| Part of | Flight Detachment No 281, Î.S. Moldaeroservice, Government of the Republic of Moldova |
| Garrison/HQ | Bălți Corlăteni |
| Engagements | Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina World War II Eastern Front (World War II) Operation Barbarossa |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Alexander Pokryshkin, Reinhard Heydrich |
Aviation in Bălți is part of Bălți society in Moldova since the early 20th century.
History[edit]
The aviation activity in Balti and the suburbs of Balti historically dates back to the period of the Romanian Kingdom and during the Second World War. If civil aviation developed in Balti before and after World War II, then the period of development of military aviation is focused on the era of World War II.
Romanian period[edit]
On June 1, 1922 the first aircraft (de Havilland DH.9) started on a 410 kilometres (250 mi) long line: Bucharest – Galaţi – Chişinău.
The first scheduled flights to Bălți started on 24 June 1926, on the route Bucharest – Galaţi – Chişinău and Bălţi.[1] The flights were operated by Compagnie Franco-Roumaine de Navigation Aérienne - CFRNA, later LARES. [2] The airport was located near Bălți, in a neighbouring village Singureni along with the aerodrome located at the central city lake in Balti. 10-passenger aircraft Farman F.168Bn4 powered with Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engines started operation of internal flights in May 1928 from Bucharest, through Galati and Chisinau to Balti. At that time airplanes were used for transport of passengers, newspapers and mail.
First commercial passenger flights were to be operated from Balti to Hotin and Chisinau by CFRNA – (Compania Franco–Română de Navigație Aeriană as later renamed LARES) during the period between First and Second World Wars. One of the first flights operated to Bălți was the special flight on 28 October (or 28 November) 1930 organized by the Romanian Civil Aviation Authority in order to select the suitable terrains for aerodromes and to market civil aviation to large classes of population.[1]
As for the Chisinau - Balti - Hotin flight, the stop in the northern capital of Bessarabia in Bălţi was decided taking into account the importance of Balti center for the northern part of Bessarabia. Thus, according to the doctor in law, Mikhail Tashka, "the distance of 240 km between Chisinau and Hotin had to be covered in one hour and 40 minutes, and the return flight in three hours and 20 minutes. The takeoff from Chisinau was scheduled for 06.10, and the landing in Balti was programmed for 6.50. In Balti, after a 20-minute break at 07.10, the plane flew to Hotin and arrived at 08.10. The return to Balti was set at 10:00, where the plane arrived an hour later, that is, at 11:00 in the morning. Then there was a break of several hours, since the flight to Chisinau was programmed at 18.00, and the arrival in Chisinau - at 19.00. For the Chisinau - Balti - Hotin flight, the ticket price was: to Balti 500 lei (100 km x 4 + 100) and from Balti to Khotyn/Hotin 600 lei, in total - 1,100 lei. The cost of the flight on the full route was 4 071 lei.".[3]
In 1937 there was a scheduled flight Bucharest - Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi/Cetatea Albă - Chişinău - Bălţi.
In 1940, LARES operated daily the route Bălţi - Chişinău - Iaşi - Galaţi - Bucharest (the flight number 2116).
In the interwar period, Bălți was connected to Bucharest through regular flights.
In 1936, Nadia Russo (1901–1988), from Chişinău, was one of the first women from Romania of white Russian origin to obtain a flying licence. Nadia Russo returned to Bălţi with White Squadron in 1941.[4] File:Balti After July 1941 Bombings.jpg
During the Second World War, Bălţi became the centre of aeronautic activity in Bessarabia with five different locations of runways (including support aerodormes) in and around the city of Bălţi with most prominent pilots battling over Bălţi coming from Jagdgeschwader 77 and 55th Fight Regiment and notably Alexander Pokryshkin[5] and Reinhard Heydrich.[6]
Heydrich started Operation Barbarossa from a German aviation base next to Balti in(Moldova)(Bessarabia), which, after a year-long presence within the Soviet jurisdiction after ultimatum opposed to Romania from Stalin in 1940 with request to transfer Bessarabia to USSR, came back again within the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Romania. Different German Luftwaffe bomber groups/regiments (Kampfgeschwader) and notably Kampfgeschwader 77 were based On the German air base in Singureni, next to the actual Bălți-Leadoveni International Airport in Corlateni[6]:
"Although his chef Himmler had many times forbidden him to fly, Heydrich was secretly in the USSR for the beginning of the Operation Barbarossa: with his private Me-109 he appeared with JG 77 at the base of Balti (Belzy) in Moldova."
Second World War[edit]
Since arrival of the Soviet air forces in Bessarabia after 1940, Balti City Airport (with its numerous airfields) served as a military airport. The following pictures were mostly taken in June - July 1941 before and after the German air forces attacked and occupied Balti City Airport or rather different airfields in Balti and its surroundings.[8] (see page 21)
The military history of Balti City Airport apparently starts as aerodromes located in approximately five different locations in Balti and its suburbs, including locations of alternate airfields in Semenovka in Singureni and in Parlita (next to Ungheni Moldo-Romanian border), served as the initial home bases for the Soviet 55th Fighter Aviation Regiment (28.08.1940 - 07.03.1942)/16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (07.03.1942 - 10.04.1942), which were part of the Soviet 20th Mixed Aviation Division during the Second World War. The aviation regiment moved to Balti after 1940 from Kirovograd (Ukraine). Triple Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Prokryshkin, Double Heros of the Soviet Union Grigoriy Rechkalov and Alexander Klubov started their war path in this regiment as well as 17 pilots who became Heroes of the Soviet Union.[9]
From the German side, German fighters from Kampfgeschwader 27 took part in attacks on Balti in June 194125 and Kampfgeschwader 51, formed in Landsberg am Lech from Kampfgeschwader 255, which[10] stationed on different Balti airfields between July 1941 and October 1941 before being disbanded in 1945.
Localities Singureni together with Corlateni formed during the Soviet times the locality called Leadoveni. BZY was built in late 1980s on the territory of Corlateni, but kept initially the name of Leadoveni. Construction of concrete slabs on the runway in Singureni was in process as the Second World War begun, however the construction works were not finished as the war started. In May-June 1941 the training base of the based in Balti Soviet aviation regiments became Mayaki in Krasnooknyanski region of Odessa oblast in Ukraine. Before the Second World War I-153 and I-16 were operated from Balti City Airport. By 22 June 1941, Balti City Airport operated 54 airplanes I-153 and I-16, as well as 62 MIG-3, which could be flown by 22 pilots from 70 available.
Most of 1941 the aviation regiment fought using I-153 and I-16 and until November 1942 – MIG-3 and I-16. From April to September 1942 the regiment had one squadron equipped with YAK-1. Since November 1942 the regiment started using Bell P-39 Airacobra until the end of the Second World War.
Since March 1942 the regiment was part of the Soviet Air Forces of the 18th Army of the Southern Front, notably within the 216th Fighter Aviation Regiment and 9th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.
As German air forces stationed on Balti airfields, such planes as Messerschmitt Bf.109, Junkers Ju 88 were operated from Balti airports. One of the most resultative German pilots from Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) Oberfeldwebel Rudolf Schmidt[11] was injured during Balti attacks and air fights around and in Balti.
Different sources refer to different five locations of aerodromes in Balti and surroundings. Below you will find three of them, the first one is where the official Balti City Airport was situated before it was recently closed, the second one is next to the central lake in Balti and the third one is “Semenovka” aerodrome, located in Singureni village (on the other side of the road to actual BZY in Corlateni) [12] (see page 25)
Moldavian branch of Aeroflot[edit]
The development of civil aviation in the northern region of Moldova continues after 1944, when two Po-2 airplanes landed on the former military airfield in Balti and then Yakovlev Yak-12 aircraft from Chisinau. The aforementioned planes transported the mail in the following directions: Bălţi, Cuhneşti, Ocnita, Glodeni and, if necessary, took 1-2 passengers to Chisinau. Thus, on May 15, 1947, based on this aerodrome was opened a flight service base in Balti. In the same year, three airplanes Yakovlev Yak-12 were stationed from Chisinau to Balti, which were carrying mail and cargo, and then the next year were used for passenger transport, transportation of medical personnel in the localities, transportation of seriously ill patients to the hospitals in the capital and the use in agriculture. I. The first commander of the Balti aviation enterprise squadron was Vorontsov A.N. In 1954, the airport terminal in Balti with airport services was put into service operation and the landings of military airplanes Li-2 modified civilian airplanes landings began, which enabled travel to Lviv, Ivano-Frankovsk, Chernivtsi.
Since 1961 Balti City Airport begun to receive IL-14 aircraft landings and to carry passengers on routes with longer distances in the farthest cities of the former USSR. This is how was formed Soviet Bălţi air transport squadron enterprise. The most important date for the state enterprise is 1966, when, according to the order of the Minister of Civil Aviation of the USSR, on the basis of the Yakovlev Yak-12 and An-2 aircraft squadrons, the Balti Avia Detachment No.281 was formed and, together with the airport services, the Balti Avia Unit Detachment.
The Moldaeroservice State Enterprise was founded in 1966 as "Balti Avia Unit Detachment No.281" and renamed in 1996 in "Moldaeroservice". New An-10, An-12, and An-24 aircraft expanded its fleet in Balti. With the dismantling of the USSR, the airspace control and air navigation and air traffic control services became distinct as the latter were operated by the state enterprise "MoldATSA". The enterprise Moldaersoervice becomes self-sustaining as Î.S. "Moldaeroservice" with its own balance and accounting. The state enterprise IS Moldaeroservice administered: Bălți International Airport (Balti-Liadoveni International Airport) (145 ha), Balti City Airport (136 ha), professional staff, constructions and premises necessary for the technological and production process, aircraft type An-2 and Mi-2. According to the Air Operator License No. Md 001, issued by the Civil Aeronautical Authority of the Republic of Moldova, the company performs the following operations: ambulance flights, observation flights, search and rescue flights (rescue operations), advertising and leisure flights, flights for the agrarian and forestry purposes.
The commander of the Balti Avia Unit Detachment No.281 was Nicolae Zavadschii, the head of the airport, Petru Ovcinicov, the head of the technical assistance base of NA, Victor Şerştiuc and the head of the Balti Avia Unit Detachment, Vitalie Bezdenejnîh. Among the commanders of the Balti Avia Unit Detachment were: Alexei Liciman, Evghenii Iliacov, Anatolii Bajucov, Alexei Alexeev, Vasilii Burma, Ivan Tomac, Vladimir Riscovoi, Valeriu Cenin. Among the directors of the technical assistance base of NA were: Grigore Rotari, Boris Cabac, Victor Gherta. The air navigation service was led by Dmitrie Covalciuc, and the passenger service was directed by Maria Ribacova, Alexandr Ojegov, Leonid Soloviov. The airport handling service and ground service was led by Petru Lobanov, Raşid Biriucov, Dmitrie Gubarev and currently by Vasile Barabas.
Throughout development, the company Balti Avia Unit Detachment has undergone many stages of restructuring and advancement. But the most pronounced period was 1989 - the year of putting into operation the concrete runway at the newly built Bălți International Airport, thanks to which passengers from the north of Moldova became able to travel on regular flights to 14 cities of the former USSR with such airplanes as An-24, Tu-134, L-410, until 1993.[13] The new runway built in 1987 at Bălți International Airport is located at the highest altitude (231m ASL) as compared to most surrounding airports in Moldova, as well as in Romania and Ukraine.
In the beginning of 90's international routes from Bălţi included Istanbul, Moscow, Sochi and planned route to Frankfurt, but since 1994 most regular fights from Bălți International Airport were ceased due to the informal directive not to operate international airports around 150 km of Chisinau. Passenger and cargo charter fights continued to be operated from Bălţi until 2015, when the operational certificate for Bălţi International Airport was withdrawn by Civil Aviation Administration.
The most important accident in Balti was the crash of the military airplane of Gregory Leadov in 1944 next to Singureni[14], in whose name was named the Balti International Airport.
Air Moldova[edit]
Air Moldova was established after the independence of Moldova and started operations in 1992 on the basis of the local Aeroflot unit. It was wholly owned by the Republic of Moldova and on 13 July 2004, Air Moldova became an IATA member. Air Moldova was sold to private shareholders[15]
Since 1994, Air Moldova ceased regular flights from Bălți-Leadoveni, the entire Moldovan passenger traffic being monopolised by Chisinau airport.
Airlines of Moldova[edit]
Airports in Bălți[edit]
Although there are five historical locations of airfields in and around Balti, currently Balti International Airport remains the second international airport in Moldova, although not operational and Airport Balti City ceased to exist due to sale of its terrains and buildings to the Free Economic Zone of Balti https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zona_economică_liberă_Bălți.
Gallery[edit]
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Il-18 of Grixona in Balti
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Screenshot of consultation of www.geoportal.md
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Arrival terminal and baggage handling at Bălți-Leadoveni
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Order No 79 on creation of State Enterprise Moldaeroservice at Bălți-Leadoveni Airport
External links[edit]
- Ofifical Page of Moldaeroservice Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- Authority for Civil Aviation of the Republic of Moldova
- Satllite image of Bălți Internațional Airport
- http://gzt.md/article/бельцы/21458/
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aviation in Moldova. |
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ursu-Bukowina, Alexandru (30 October 2014). "Transportul aerian în Bucovina și Basarabia interbelică" (in Romanian). ROMÂNIA în imagini de ieri şi azi România noastră şi a străbunilor noştri!. Retrieved 2019-07-24.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ Mulder, Rod (17 June 2010). "Airline companies in Romania (1918-1945)". European Airlines. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- ↑ Tașcă, Mihai (2011-03-11). "Zbor cu avionul spre Hotin și Cetatea Albă în 1930" (in Romanian). Timpul. Retrieved 2019-07-24.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ Яндекс, Дзен (2019-02-22). ""Белая эксадрилья"- румынские летчицы на войне против СССР" (in Russian). Яндекс. Retrieved 2019-07-24.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ Binyon, Laurence (November 2015). "Outstanding Soviet Fighter Pilot and Leader Aleksandr Pokryshkin". Aircrew Remembered. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dederichs, Mario R. (25 November 2013). "Serie Teil 3: Hitlers eiskalter Vollstrecker". Stern (in German). Unknown parameter
|name-list-style=ignored (help)CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) - ↑ Mario R., Dederichs; Teja, Fiedler; Geoffrey, Brooks (2009). Heydrich: The Face of Evil. USA: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1935149125. Search this book on
- ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByzeBJ2v1kVpRFp3akFxdFF0UUE/view
- ↑ http://forum.aviaskins.com/showthread.php?t=3677
- ↑ http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Kampfgeschwader/KG27.htm
- ↑ http://www.stormbirds.com/eagles/units/JG_77/ii_jg_77/Schmidt_Rudolf.htm
- ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByzeBJ2v1kVpRFp3akFxdFF0UUE/view
- ↑ http://www.helicopter.md/rom/rezerv-0a4e7a8b960789c728cb49861d2e63c6.html
- ↑ http://www.airwar.ru/history/aces/ace2ww/pilots/lyadov.html
- ↑ https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/79572-moldovan-president-may-annul-air-moldova-privatisation
- ↑ FlyOne
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Look up aviation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Media related to Bălți International Airport at Wikimedia Commons- Civil Aviation Administration of Moldova Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- Airport information for LUBL at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
- Airport information for LUBL at Great Circle Mapper.
- Current weather for LUBL at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for BZY at Aviation Safety Network
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