At Kep Air Base in Bac Ninh, the final days of August have been filled with urgency as officers, pilots, and technicians pushed through intensive training to prepare for demonstration flights marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and Vietnam’s National Day (A80).
Absolute resolve and responsibility
Long before dawn breaks, Kep Air Base already hums with activity. Preparations for training flights involving the SU-30MK2, Yak-130, and L-39NG are in full swing.
On the tarmac, hundreds of officers, engineers, and logistics personnel from multiple regiments, supported by specialized vehicles and equipment, work tirelessly. The roar of transport engines and the scent of fuel fill the air as ground crews meticulously check every parameter of the aircraft to ensure flawless execution, maximum efficiency, and absolute safety.
While SU-30MK2 squadrons are based in the North, all Yak-130s and L-39NGs were redeployed from the South. Pilots, commanders, engineers, and support staff of Regiments 940 and 910—both under the Air Force Officers' College —relocated from Tuy Hoa Air Base in Dak Lak to Kep Air Base to carry out their A80 mission.
Technical officer Lai Anh Duc, 30, Head of Regiment 940’s aircraft maintenance workshop, has been stationed at Kep Air Base since early July. “Although I’ve been away from my wife and children for nearly two months, this A80 mission is of such significance that personal feelings must be set aside,” Lai Anh Duc shared. “I took part in A50, but A80 is on a much larger scale. Each of us—pilots and technicians alike—must embrace our duty with the highest resolve and responsibility.”
Precision to the second
This year marks the first time Yak-130 jets will perform a six-aircraft formation, raising the intensity and technical demands of training. Colonel Hoang Hai, a first-class pilot and Political Chief of Regiment 940, recalled that during A50, Yak-130s from Bien Hoa Air Base flew in two formations of three aircraft each over Ho Chi Minh City. For A80, the formation will expand to six aircraft.
Since mid-July, eight Yak-130s have been redeployed from Phu Cat Air Base in Gia Lai to Kep Air Base. Six will form the official demonstration team, while two serve as reserves.
“This is our first-ever six-aircraft Yak-130 formation. It requires exceptional flying skills and razor-sharp coordination,” Colonel Hoang Hai explained. He added that on September 2, three jet types—the SU-30MK2, Yak-130, and L-39NG—will fly over Ba Dinh Square at 530 kilometers per hour. “Ground command, coordination within each formation, and synchronization across formations must be precise to the very second, ensuring a performance that is both spectacular and absolutely safe.”
Proudly, Colonel Hoang Hai emphasized: “As part of the Air Force Officers' College, being entrusted with both A50 and A80 is a profound honor. It reaffirms the quality of our training and the professionalism of our pilots.”
A mission of pride
Senior Lieutenant Bui Cao Khanh, 28, a Yak-130 pilot with 480 flying hours and three years of experience on the aircraft, will be flying over Ba Dinh Square for the first time. “During A50, I was honored to fly over Ho Chi Minh City. For A80, flying above historic Ba Dinh Square is an immense source of pride—and a weight of responsibility,” he said. “My parents are overjoyed and proud that within a single year I’ve been chosen to perform in the two most important national celebrations.”
Alongside the Yak-130 formation, the A80 celebration will also feature—for the first time—the L-39NG light trainer in a four-aircraft stepped formation. Colonel To Anh Tuan, a first-class pilot and Chief of Staff of Regiment 910, called the mission “a task of special significance, showcasing the strength of the Vietnamese People’s Air Force.”
“Autumn weather in the North often brings low-level fog, affecting visibility,” he noted. “But with solidarity, trust between pilots, ground controllers, and commanders, and high-level coordination, we are confident of completing this mission with excellence.”
For Colonel To Anh Tuan, despite his extensive flying experience, A80 will be the first time he and his team fly the L-39NG over Ba Dinh Square. “Pilots often fly in many places, but to soar above Ba Dinh Square and President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum on the morning of September 2 is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime honor,” he shared.
According to the plan, 31 Vietnamese Air Force aircraft will join the September 2 aerial salute above Ba Dinh Square: ten helicopters, three CASA transport planes, six Yak-130s, four L-39NGs, and eight SU-30MK2s, operating from Hoa Lac, Gia Lam (Hanoi), and Kep (Bac Ninh) air bases.
This aerial display is more than a demonstration of aviation mastery—it is a declaration of discipline, resolve, and the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese People’s Air Force on the occasion of A80.
