KITS 10/2020

Z-37A s/n 23-03 was registered on February 28th, 1977. The

aircraft was owned by Slov-Air Division 02 in Prague and was

passed on to Air Special Ltd. in Jicin on January 29th, 1993.

The aircraft was placed in storage in 2009 as not airworthy.

OK-HJC is famous for its participation in the popular Czech

movie ‘My Sweet Little Village’, with an iconic scene of the

main character’s landing, shot at an airfield near Benesov in

the Czech Republic.

Z-37 s/n 09-18 was manufactured in 1970 and registered in

the Czechoslovak Air Register as OK-ZJE. The aircraft was

sold to Hungary in the same year and registered as HA-MGK.

It returned to Slovakia in 1982 and was flown by Slov-Air as

OK-ZJE. It was re-registered to OM-ZJE in 1993. It was flown

in the Czech Republic with the Slovak registration, seen at

Rakovnik Airfield. The aircraft was retired from flying in 2006

at Nitra, Slovakia.

Z-37A s/n 25-02 was registered on August 2nd, 1983 with

Slov-Air Division 05 Brno. From January 28th, 1993, it was

owned by Reas a.s. in Brno, then from November 28th, 2000

by Radek Jež, flown by Bedřich Vávra, from August 22nd,

2001 by DARA Air s.r.o., and from March 22nd, 2006 by Air

Jihlava Service, s.r.o.. Airframe OK-NJB wore tiger stripes on

its tail going into an overhaul in 2012, and on the engine cowling thereafter.

Z-37A s/n 23-21ND was manufactured in 1979 using spare

parts and was registered on February 19th, 1980 to JZD

‘Družba‘ Boršice, from January 28th, 1993 was owned by

Reas a.s. Brno, then, from August 25th, 1999, by Air Special.

From February 13th, 2006, it was owned by OK-Hudec s.r.o.,

and later DARA-Air and is currently being flown by Air Jihlavaservice s.r.o.

Z-37A s/n 12-18, manufactured and registered to Slov Air in

the Slovak Air Register in 1971. After many changes in ownership, the aircraft is currently owned by Air Jihlava Servise Ltd.

The No. 310 Squadron RAF badge on the engine cowling and

the kill markings under the cockpit are consistent with these

items painted on Spitfire Mk.XVI TE184, when it was flown

as DU-N. OK-AKP was flown with tiger motif fuel tanks. The

plane was stricken off charge in 2018 and became a source

for spare parts.

Z-37 s/n 09-03 was registered on April 7th, 1970 for the County of

Usti nad Orlici Agricultural Association. The aircraft was passed on

to STS Lanskroun on August 4th, 1971. From November 8th, 1972,

it was owned by Slov Air Prague, and was bought by Air Special

Ltd. on February 19th, 1992. It was retired from flying in 1995, and

subsequently stored at Marianske Lazne in 2009. The airframe

was sold to the Riga Air Museum in Latvia in 2014.

INFO Eduard - October 2020

eduard

31