Airplanes, helicopters fly over Air Heroes Monument on Romanian Aviation Day

Several airplanes and helicopters flew over, on Monday, the Day of the Romanian Aviation and Air Force, the Monument of the Air Heroes in Bucharest in a show with aerial acrobatics and elite aircraft.

Four helicopters belonging to the 90th Otopeni Air Transport Base, four helicopters of the Romanian Intelligence Service and three helicopters of the Interior Ministry could be seen performing.

The aircraft also included: three C-27J Spartan aircraft, one C-130 Hercules aircraft, seven IAR-99 Soim and IAR-99 Standard aircraft, six F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, all of which belong to the Romanian Air Force, a Boeing 737 aircraft of TAROM, a Tecnam 2006 aircraft and a Piper Seneca aircraft of the Higher School of Civil Aviation, two BN-2A Islander aircraft and a Beechcraft King Air 90 aircraft of the Elie Carafoli National Research and Development Institute, six Extra 300 aircraft of the Romanian Airclub and IAK-52 aircraft of the independent aerobatic team of the Acrobatic Icaruses.

During the ceremony, a religious service was held to honour the memory of aviators and wreaths were laid by President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of National Defense, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Transport, the Bucharest City Hall.

At the same time, a joint Order of the defence minister, the interior minister and the transport minister regarding the anniversary of the Romanian Aviation and Air Force Day was read out.

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the military and the MAI staff have carried out multiple activities, according to the objectives established when the state of emergency and the state of alert were ordered in succession, according to the order.

"Specific and of a high emotional load to the Romanian Air Force have been the flight missions to carry persons possibly infected with the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 patients, for air transport and return to the country of Romanian citizens stuck in highly epidemic areas, as well as the external missions for the transport of medical and protective materials so necessary for the healthcare system and the population of Romania during this period," the source points out.

The order brings to mind the execution of an integrated UN multidimensional stabilisation mission in the Republic of Mali and the successful accomplishment of the set objectives, as well as the successful return home of the military of the first rotation of the detachment of four IAR-330 Puma helicopters deployed to Mali, an ongoing mission with a second rotation.

"In the country, the Romanian Air Force has established and fulfilled other important objectives: the execution of the permanent air policing combat service by the F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole aircraft, signing a contract with the Portuguese partner for the acquisition of five more F-16 aircraft, which will be delivered in the time ahead, training personnel who will serve the first installations of the Patriot missile system of the Air Force and improving efficiency of training and participating in national and multinational exercises within NATO and the European Union," the joint order reads.

This year, the Romanian civil aviation turns 100 as an institution. In 1920, by decree of King Ferdinand, the Aviation Directorate was established within the Ministry of Communications.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca, Interior Minister Marcel Vela, Transport Minister Lucian Bode, and other officials.