Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/773724
Almost every single fan of Polish air power, has two places coming to mind after hearing the name of Mi- 24D Hind – Pruszcz Gański and Inowrocław airbases. But only a handful know that first base of Polish Hinds was Leźnica Wielka and first user was 37th Transport Helicopter Regiment. Four helicopters #13, #14, #15 and #16 were delivered on 20th September 1978 to the newly-formed attack helicopters flight. After nearly three years, a decision to relocate helicopters and trained crews to Pruszcz Gdański was made and 8th Attack Helicopters Squadron was formed there. In December, additional four helicopters from from Leźnica joined those delivered in October. And that's how the history of Pruszcz Gdanski and "Hockeys" starts. Why "Hockeys"? Because of the the shape of the tail part resembles an end of the hockey stick. Deliveries of new helicopters were continued until July 1985 when two last helicopters with side number 584 and 585 were delivered to 49th Attack Helicopter Regiment (49. Pułk Śmigłowców Bojowych or 49.PSB in short). What is particularly interesting, those two helicopters were similar to the "W" version that was delivered since 1986 to second attack helicopter unit (56.PSB from Inowrocław) – they came with TW3-117W engines installed. At the beginning, helicopters were maintained and repaired in USSR and Hungary until beginning of the 1990s, when maintenance was moved to WZL1 service plant in Łódź. First repaired (or rather rebuilt after serious accident) helicopter was #013 tactical number (at that moment 3 digit tactical numbers were already in use) which also received a distinctive woodland camouflage paint scheme. Another important date in history of Mi-24s in 49.PSB was 1996, when first helicopter from Germany was introduced into service. That allowed forming 2nd Attack Squadron armed with sixteen helicopters formerly flying in East Germany. It is worth mentioning that the present badge of the squadron is a connection of former badges. Badge of the 8th Squadron was a scorpion that held coat of arms of the city of Gdańsk in its pincers and had a missile instead of its sting. To emphasize the German origin of the helicopters from 2nd Squadron, badge had a cross www.fragoutmag.com