Strana 91
BUILT
MiG-21F-13, c/n 660416, 1 Fighter Air Regiment, České Budějovice AB, Czechoslovakia, 1968-1970
Czechoslovak political changes in the spring
of 1968 were also reflected in the coloring
of some of MiG-21Fs. Members of the 1 Air
Force Regiment in České Budějovice took the
initiative to design their own squadron insignia.
While the insignia for the MiG-21PF and PFM
all-weather and night interception squadrons
featured nocturnal creatures, specifically
a bat and an owl, the symbol chosen for the first
training squadron was a devil with a pitchfork
against a clear blue sky. The author of the
design was Miloslav Martenek, later known for
his cartoons and illustrations. The inspiration
for the drawing was the strict squadron
commander, Major Jan Jansa. It was said
that serving under him was hell. His red nose
was also an inspiration for the devil drawing.
All designs were approved on May 17, 1968,
and subsequently spray-painted onto the
aircraft. The same symbol also appeared in
a smaller form as a decal on the pilots’ helmets.
The devil drawing was used until August 20,
1970, when an order was issued to remove all
such symbols. The aircraft served until 1983
with the 1. Air Regiment in České Budějovice,
then between 1983 and 1991 with the 5 Air
Regiment in Plzeň-Líně, and in 1991 it ended
its service with the 1 Air Training Regiment in
Přerov.
INFO Eduard
91
January 2026