In early July 2025, news broke that the Polish Air Force would be organizing “something” to mark the retirement of the Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter at Mirosławiec Air Base in northeastern Poland. Fantastic news: one of the last icons of the Cold War era and a long-time favorite among aviation enthusiasts.
The announcement immediately triggered a massive wave of interest. Thousands registered, while the organizers had only planned for roughly 200 Polish participants and about 100 foreigners. Fortunately, thanks to our good relationship with the Polish Air Force, we were given the opportunity to send a delegation. A lottery conducted by 4Aviation selected participants from all registrations, and the names were then submitted to Poland for approval. That process took some time, but in the end we received the much-desired green light.
A compact schedule was set: day 1 travel, day 2 on the base, day 3 return home.
In the morning of Tuesday 9 September, the group gathered in Eindhoven for the 800+ km journey to Stargard, where we would stay for two nights. Up until the 1990s, the city had been home to a Russian Su-27 Flanker regiment, which sparked some fond memories among a few participants.
The weather forecast was less pleasant: it was already raining hard in Eindhoven, and once we crossed into Germany the showers turned into heavy downpours. Several highway exits were even closed. But once we passed the Ruhr area, the weather slowly improved, and the farther east we drove, the better it became.
Because we were making good time, we decided to stop at the Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt, another former Russian airbase that once housed the 787 IAP with its MiG-29 Fulcrums. By then the weather had turned beautifully sunny, and several aircraft were perfectly positioned for photography. Just before closing time we got back into the van for the final two hours to our hotel.
In Stargard we were warmly greeted by the hotel owner, a seasoned storyteller. Within half an hour we knew everything about the town, previous guests, the neighbors—and, importantly, the best nearby restaurants. Later that evening, we enjoyed an excellent meal there with a refreshing drink.
