Cheshnegirovo Air Base/Sadovo (ICAO code: LBPS) used to house the 25th Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment (flying MiG-23BN/UBs) of the 10th Composite Aviation Corps. Located in central Bulgaria, north east of Plovdiv. According to the major restructuring plans it became the first regiment to convert to an air base structure. Briefly it housed the entire Bulgarian MiG-23 fleet after which it became inactive.
History Alternate name Sadovo. Also spelled 'Tcheshnigirovo'. Date when built - 1951. Home of 25 Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment of 10th Composite Air Corps, with the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 "Fresco". In 1976 it received the MiG-23BN. The base closed in 2000 and is now used for the storage of aircraft. There are reports that the 68 Special Forces Brigade will move here from Plovdiv.
Runway data: Location: N42 06 50.91 E024 59 34.59, Elev: 604 ft (184 m), Rwy 10/28, Size: 8345 x 170 ft (2544 x 52 m), concrete.
Aircraft
+ MiG-23BN Flogger in Cheshnegirovo Air Base Serial c/no. Prev. IdentityDeliveredFate/Notes 06 7942/0393215766 1981 Preserved Rakovski Apr 2003 20 6542/0393209520 1978 Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 216543/0393209521 1978 Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 236545/0393209523 1978 Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 306546/0393209530 1978 Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 316547/0393209531 1978 Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 366548/0393209536 1978 Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 376549/0393209537 1978 Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 396641/0393209539 1978 w/o 7 August 1984 487843/0393215748 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 497844/0393215749 1981w/o 3 August 1994 50 7845/0393215750 1981Preserved Plovdiv/Krumovo Oct 2004 51 5650/0393208751 1976Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 52 7846/0393215752 1981w/o 16 Sept 1986 53 7847/0393215753 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 54 7848/0393215754 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 55 6344/0393209355 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 56 6345/0393209356 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 57 6346/0393209357 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 58 6347/0393209358 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 60 7849/0393215760 1981Stored Graf Ignatievo May 2004 61 7850/0393215761 1981Stored Graf Ignatievo May 2004 63 7941/0393215763 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 65 6348/0393209365 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 66 6349/0393209366 1977Preserved Cheshnegirovo Town Apr 2003 67 6350/0393209367 1977Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 70 5644/0393208370 1976Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 75 5645/0393208375 1976Stored Dobrich Sept 2002 77 7943/0393215777 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 79 5646/0393208379 1976Preserved Plovdiv/Krumovo Oct 2004 80 7944/0393215780 1981Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 90 5649/0393208400 1976Dolna Mitropoliya 91 5647/0393208391 1976Chopped in Cheshnegirovo Apr 2007 93 1976w/o 19.08.1986 г.
References: European Air Forces Directory 2003/04 (Mach III) European Air Forces Directory 2005/06 (Mach III)
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23UB Flogger + MiG-23UB Flogger Serial c/no. Prev. IdentityDelivered 020 A1037620 1976 021 A1037621 1976 022 A1037622 1976 023 A1037701 1977 024 A1037702 1977 25 A1037855 1978 26 A1037856 1978 27 A1037857 1978 028 A1038105 1981 29 A1038318 1983 30 A1038320 1983 31 A1038330 1983 32 A1038404 1984 33 A1038406 1984 040 19015140 1984
References:
European Air Forces Directory 2003/04 (Mach III) European Air Forces Directory 2005/06 (Mach III) arrow-aviation.nl
See also Dobroslavtsi Air Base Gabrovnitsa Air Base Uzundzhovo Air Base Graf Ignatievo Air Base Bezmer Air Base Dobrich Air Base Ravnets Air Base Balchik Air Base Vrazhdebna Air Base List of Bulgarian Air Force bases List of Bulgarian military bases 28th Air Detachment Military of Bulgaria The Bulgarian Cosmonauts List of joint US-Bulgarian military bases
References
Снимки на авиобазата след нейното затваряне. www.aeroflight.co.uk
Bibliography Air Base History Air Group 2000