Martin Šonka at Aviatická

Martin Šonka at Aviatická

New venue, new logo—but the proven stars of top airshows remain. At this year’s edition of Aviatická pouť, taking place on May 30–31 at Hradec Králové Airport, the most famous Czech aerobatic pilot, Martin Šonka, will also perform.

“Martin Šonka is a regular participant at Aviatická, and in this year’s program he will appear in two performances. One of them will, of course, feature his aerobatic special, the Extra 300SR, on which he performs his favorite maneuvers—often leaving spectators wondering whether the laws of aerodynamics still apply. We’ll see how he enhances his display this year, as Martin is known for introducing something new into his routine every season. Recently, spectators may have noticed his spectacular performance during the unveiling of a Formula car in new sponsor colors. We don’t have a Formula car this time, so we won’t see that particular act—but who knows,” says Jan Rudzinskyj from the Aviatická organizing team with a smile, and continues:

“We have also become accustomed to seeing Martin Šonka flying an aircraft from the Flight Training Center in Pardubice, where he has worked for several years as an instructor training new military pilots. In recent years, this has typically been a more graceful and noticeably calmer aerobatic display in the proven training aircraft Z-142C AF. This aircraft is also planned for this year; however, the Flight Training Center, a state-owned enterprise under LOM Praha, has begun replacing these aircraft with new Zlin Z-242 Genus models. So we will see whether Martin transitions to the new type for his display. His flying always captivates audiences, as evidenced not only by the applause immediately after his performances but also by the crowds of fans waiting for autographs—both by the aircraft and especially during autograph sessions, which we will once again organize as part of the program,” adds Jan Rudzinskyj.

In Hradec Králové, Aviatická will continue its tradition as a full-day event for the whole family. Both Saturday and Sunday will feature a diverse ground program with numerous presentations and activities for children and adults alike. The flying display itself will last more than five hours.

More information and updates about the upcoming program can be found at www.aviatickapout.cz.