More than 100 thousand people visited the festivities at the airfield of Ivanovo dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Combat Use and Retraining Centre of the military transport aviation (MTA) Flight Strength.

During these events, a mobile selection point for contract military service was deployed at the aerodrome, attended by about 300 people. More than 70 of them passed the initial stages of selection, and 15 people wrote applications for contract commissioning in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

In the framework of celebration of the MTA Air Centre’s anniversary, an air parade was held. 23 An-2 aircraft created a figure of “50” in the sky, the Il-76 aircraft carried out a landing of the Airborne Forces’ subunits, as well as a flight with shooting squibs and the discharge of water painted in the colours of the Russian Flag. In addition, An-124 ‘Ruslan’, An-22 ‘Antei’, A-50, Tu-134, An-12, An-26, An-72 and other aircraft performed the mutual flight in air formation.

The static exposition site presented the audience aviation equipment, which is in the service of the MTA, including the newest military IL-76MD-90A transport aircraft. During the celebration, an opening of the renewed exposition of the MTA historical-and-memorial hall in the museum of the Air Centre and Park ‘50th Anniversary of the 610th MTA Centre’ was held at the airfield.

The solemn events were held under leadership of the MTA’s Commander Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov.