Aviaticka Pout 2026
Hradec Kralove, 30-31 May 2026
After the demise of the Czech International Air Fest and Legends of Heaven, Hradec Kralove has become the new home for the long-running Aviaticka Pout airshow. Is this move a success, or is Hradec Kralove where airshows go to die?
It came as a shock to the organizers of Aviaticka Pout when the Czech air force informed them in December that for the next few years, they could not hold their airshow at the airfield of Pardubice, where the show has been organized 33 times already in honour of the first Czech pilot Jan Kaspar, a Pardubice native. The Gripens of the air force have moved there as heavy reconstruction is going on at their usual homebase Caslav, in preparation for the arrival of the Czech F-35s.
The team scrambled to find a new location, which they found approximately a 15 minute drive away at the airfield of Pardubice. The airfield at this historic city was the venue for 2 other events in the past. It is actually a gorgeous location with a lot of potential, even if increased health & safety measures have led to the audience no longer being allowed to climb on top of the shelters, which used to be excellent vantage points.
The most striking elements of the event were successfully transplanted to the new location at the eastern end of the runway, including the extensive re-enactment area, car show, kids zone, club exhibition area and of course a varied static which also included all flying display participants. The airfield is a popular event location: Just a week later, the large “Rock for People” festival would be held at the western end of the runway.
The city supports events at the airfield well with extra public transport links to the site. The traditional gong on the buses announcing stops was replaced by the roar of an overflying Spitfire, which as a nice touch. Visitors could get from the show to the city center or the station in 15 minutes with these free shuttles, making the show a breeze to get to.
The traditional re-enactment scenes were also a feature again, combining air and ground action, though this year this was far less prominent, perhaps due to not having suitable displays to work with? Czech security forces were present to present two ground demonstrations during the show in a demonstration dripping with testosterone. Quite why they take part in the event is unclear, perhaps we should blame NATO Days at Ostrava for this evolution?
Flying was of high quality throughout, while falling seemed a little more difficult, with parachutists causing severe delays to the Saturday programme when they ended up in trees outside the airfield. Pyrotechnics also caused a fire in the dry grass on both days, something the busy fire department dealt with promptly. The weather was quite hot and dry in the run-up and the Saturday of the event, with Sunday being more overcast.
With acts ranging from the German air force Typhoon to a Bleriot XI, and replicas of World War I aircraft to unlimited aerobatics by the Czech Flying Bulls and Martin Sonka, there was great variety in this celebration of flight. The absence of Czech air force solo demonstrations during the entire 2026 airshow season was felt at the show though.
Hradec Kralove-based DSA took part in the show with 2 demonstrations, but two other popular displays stationed there were noticeably absent. The AH-1 Cobra went tech and therefore couldn’t participate, while the organization could not reach a financial agreement with the Czech Flying Legends for their LIM-2 to take part.
With 26000 people visiting, the show was a rousing success. Let’s hope the show will continue to thrive well into the future.
