The King is dead! Long live the King!

The colonel confirms this opinion with his own experience – he spent almost 2100 hours (with 2,800 full raid).

– Good for Su-22? – I ask.

– On takeoffs and landings, he was very grateful. And knowing – my interviewer emphasizes, after which he explains: – The full doctrine of good landing is simply a appropriate visual assessment of height. But if you made a mistake, it wasn't a drama. The Su-22s had a good shave, they truly took a lot.

Old-school aircraft

In general, however, the piloting of the “bitches” is not easy, as Colonel Pil says. Roman Stefaniak, commander of 21th Tactical Aviation Base (BLT) in Swidwin, where Su-22 are stationed daily.

– This device teaches humility, and it's a real pain. Only after 300, 400 hours of raid can you feel more assured in it – he admits. It's a dry plane that keeps working. It responds nicely to the rudders, but it's old-school, the pilot can't do any computer. Meanwhile, on flights at low altitudes and at advanced speeds, we inactive face a time deficit. For example, we have only 3 to 5 seconds to carry out the targeting process, especially erstwhile we attack from a dive,” says BLT commander 21.

Add for order – Su-22 is not a multitasking machine. According to the russian doctrine of air operations He was expected to execute ground strikes in the field isolation, so fundamentally fly low and at advanced speeds. It looks effective, but in practice it translates into a minimal margin of mistake – that's why it was so important, and still, decently developed habits. “We learned the location of the individual elements in the compartment “blindly”, with our eyes covered,” said Colonel Stefaniak.

Before he sat behind the rudders of the “bitches”, Roman Stefaniak flew the Istry. – In school I made 360 hours of raid on the TS-11, it was a truly solid training. But the leap from Spark to Su-22... It is hard to compare to anything, especially this double velocity – the colonel returns with memories until 1994. erstwhile asked what else impressed him, he answers: "A lot of space and ergonomic cockpit. Whoever got out of Sparky, the 1 in Su-22 felt like on a comfortable couch in the surviving area – jokes my interviewer who flew over 1,700 hours (out of full 2,100).

The engine had a hell of a suction.

There would be no specified flights, if not for specified people as Colonel Andrzej Górnicki, in 1987 a freshly baked WAT graduate, after training for the Su-22 aircraft at the Central Training Centre of method Specialists of the Air Force in Oleśnica.

– It was my first active service aircraft, then Iskra and Su-20 arrived," says Colonel Górnicki, an accessory, liable for electricity, avionics, oxygen installation and black boxes of "suk". – For those times Su-22 it was supertech. Suffice to say that about 273 parameters were recorded on the tester's flight recorder. For comparison, there were only 12 of them on the Su-20, and 2 on the Isbron.

Colonel Górnicki does not spare the Suchojs good grades, but as all technician has besides learned their worst side. erstwhile I ask about flaws, I hear about the nuisance of performing the alleged 15-minute exhibition associated with the request to prepare the navigation strategy for flight. – This was the Su-22 specificity, his Achilles heel, although this procedure could be shortened to 5 minutes if essential – the colonel assures.

– And Su-22 required a clean belt and a parking position – the words of Colonel Górnicki make me smile. – The stones had to be collected meticulously, due to the fact that the engine had a hell of a suction. It was easier at home to take care of it, worse during abroad expeditions. At 1 time during global exercises we were told to set our machines almost on gravel – the colonel does not hide disapproval. “But we truly took care of “bitches” and there was not much suction,” he adds.

Price for access to “supertechnique”

Su-22 flew to Poland on Iłów-76 transport decks. It was only here that the russian mechanics laid them.

“They did not let us to do so, as they did for repairs during the warrant period,” said Colonel Erdmanski.

– I had a year of service erstwhile the Russians left and we gained full access to the machines. We went “to our own” erstwhile it comes to service – Colonel Górnicki complements.

The distrust of access to “supertechnique” besides had a different face. “The commander of the division came to Powidzę and announced that we would not let uncertain people to fly to Su-22”, said Colonel Michał Erdmanski. Uncertain, or unpartisan, which meant that the price for access to valuable machines was the PZPR membership. “This is what it looked like back then,” comments the retired pilot.

However, the Suchoje rapidly began to lose the position of "supertechnique" – after respective years their equipment got dramatically old. The deficiency of radio-location station and the weakness of the targeting and navigation strategy made the Su-22 in the West win the nickname "blind boxer". Then there were consequences of geopolitical changes after 1989 – both in economical and strictly military terms. The state faced a financial crisis, problems began with access to spare parts and weapons, the existing concept of utilizing specialized device types began to lose to the Western thought of multitasking tactical aviation. The consequence of these processes was the shrinking fleet of Su-22. At the beginning of this century, it was almost two-thirds smaller, with the exception that the efficiency of many machines was a consequence of cannibalization.

This does not change the fact that Suchoje remained working horses of Polish aviation for years. And that they brought the Polish Air Force into NATO.

– It is simply a 3rd generation aircraft, has its limitations – reserves Colonel Stefaniak. But he wasn't useless. He gave the chance to train pilots, cooperate with the Navy, with anti-aircraft defense, with the ground troops on a mission of close support to the battlefield. And there was a Su-22 Demo squad show group, which earned “bitches” quite a few fans among civilians, both in Poland and abroad.

Honor in a Wonderful Anturaż

In this context it is worth mentioning the signature number of the Su-22 crews – the exit of the squadron from under impact, that is, the simultaneous launch of many aircraft from the endangered airport attack. – It was started in 2 directions, from the west to the east and vice versa, at the same time it was done by respective machines. The full maneuver lasted small more than a fewer minutes. An incredible experience... – shares the impressions of Colonel Górnicki.

– erstwhile did you feel that Su-22 was something wonderful? – I ask the colonel. Roman Stefaniak.

- Multiple times. But I remember that communicative 5 years ago. I've always been in the workplace, and years later, I felt tired, and the thought of leaving was in my head. And in that mood, I got on a plane. It was sunrise, we were flying above the clouds. I saw my guide's device in this wonderful antura, and I realized how large an honor it was for me to see this. Su-22 is simply a perfect remedy for the inconvenience of military service – he admits.

– I was struck by lightning 4 times – Colonel Erdmanski laughs. I even had a gap in my ballast once, but it usually ended in electronics failures. Anyway, the "bitch" never let me down. And of these 4 hits, 3 happened close the horsepower plants, which I have my private explanation for. That's due to the fact that it was the effect of the electromagnetic field that brought down the lightning. But my bitch didn't take anything off.

Will it be missing? It's already missing...

The base in Świdwin is undergoing major reconstruction, is due to adopt the F-35 in a year and a half, and will besides be a "home" for the FA-50 section. So the Suppies are presently stationed in Mirosławec. For parts of machines and staff, it's back to old junk. All the more symbolic, at the end of the service. May was the last period erstwhile training was conducted on Su-22. Now only operational flights and those related to maintaining staff habits are held. In August, 2 Suchoje will take part in the Radom Air Show and this will be the last performance of this kind of device for a wide audience.

– On 10 September we plan an open day for the media – Colonel Stefaniak betrays. – specified a bow towards photographers and the full fan community that has gathered around Su-22 for 41 years. A day later, there will be a formal gathering, a flight of 3 machines, and... no more flights. For this we will cry like beavers – the last commander of the “bitch” does not hide the emotion.

By the end of 2025, aircraft will be transferred to the Military Property Agency. 2 Suchoje will go to the Museum of the Polish Army and the Military method Academy, which will happen to the another twelve machines – for now it is unknown.

– You will miss Su-22 – I ask Roman Stefaniak.

– I can't talk objectively about this plane – the commander of the 21st BLT reserves. - I'm wearing his tattoo, so there's no way of breaking up. I have been flying Su-22 for 31 years, on which I started my professional service and on it I will finish her active, aviation part – she says. To him, the last flight of the Su-22 will be the last flight of his career. Of course I'll miss you, he admits. - But the King died, long live the King! We request to prepare for the new, above all for the adoption of F-35 aircraft – he says what it means in his case to modernise the base in Swidwin. erstwhile this trial is over, then I will feel fulfilled and say goodbye to the uniform.

Colonel Michał Erdmanski made the last flight to Su-22 in 2009 – it could so be considered that he had time to get utilized to the absence of this machine.

- How did you... - Colonel sigh loudly. It's a plane of my life. The heart always killed more erstwhile I saw him in the sky. And now these emotions will be gone.

Colonel Andrzej Górnicki finished his service to Suchojy in 2004.

I don't request to see a bitch to know it's her. All I request to hear is that peculiar engine sound. Will it be missing? – smiles sad. It's already missing...