IAR 99

Servicemen with the Romanian Land and Air Forces will be present at the NATO Days, due to take place Friday through Sunday, in Ostrava, in the Czech Republic, the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) informs in a release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday.

The Day of Romanian Aviation and Air Force represents an occasion to remember those who devoted their life to flight, National Defence Minister Gabriel Les told the event organised on Saturday at the Air Heroes' Monument, in Aviators' Square.

A Romanian military IAR 99 Soim trainer aircraft crashed on Monday during an exercise in eastern Romania, a week after one of its old Soviet MiG-21 Lancer fighter jets crashed during an air show, killing the pilot.

A IAR 99 Hawk aircraft crashed in Bacau County on Monday and the pilots managed to eject.

"There is indeed an IAR 99 Hawk aircraft that has crashed in Bacau. Specific procedures have been started in such situations. The pilots were able to eject and now they are being searched for," Defence Minister Mihai Fifor told Realitatea Tv in a phone-in.

Aircraft belonging to the Romanian, US and Portuguese Air Forces will participate on Saturday in the Bucharest International Airshow 2015 - BIAS 2015, on the Aurel Vlaicu International Airport.

The 6th edition of the most impressive air show in Romania - the BIAS - is gathering 100 civil and military planes both in an air show and on display for the public as well as over 100 elite pilots and parachutists at the Romanian capital's Aurel Vlaicu - Baneasa Airport on Saturday and Sunday.