Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Flight hours of Bulgarian military pilots are way below NATO’s standards

Photo: BGNES

The flight hours of the Bulgarian military pilots are way below NATO’s minimum standards, the Commander of the Bulgarian Air Forces Major General Tsanko Stoykov said at Krumovo Air Base. The Bulgarian pilots should fly ten times more to cover the NATO standards, General Stoykov went on to say. On Monday evening a military helicopter MI-17 crashed at this air base. Two pilots died in the accident. The pilots who lost their lives during the accident had 17 and respectively 18 flight hours since the beginning of 2018. According to the NATO standards, each military pilot has to fly 180 hours a year, of which 40 hours may be spent in a flight simulator. The Bulgarian military pilots cannot cover these standards due to the lack of enough resourcing, Major General Stoykov pointed out.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

DPS - New Beginning will submit a proposal for zero VAT on bread and flour

"There is no problem that the adoption of the budget will be slightly delayed, because the Public Finance Act has outlined what happens if the budget is not adopted", National Assembly Speaker Natalia Kiselova said in Kalofer.  ''The Budget and..

published on 1/6/25 9:45 AM
President Radev at the water blessing ceremony in central Sofia on Epiphany (archive)

Water blessing ceremony of the Bulgarian Army Flags to take place on Epiphany

On January 6, the feast of Epiphany, the traditional water blessing of the battle flags and holy flags of the Bulgarian Army will be celebrated in all garrisons of the country. The solemn ritual in Sofia will begin at 11:00 in front of the Monument to..

published on 1/6/25 6:05 AM
Traditional male dance in Kalofer on Epiphany (archive)

Traditional male dance in the icy waters of Tundzha River to take place on Epiphany

This year, as always, hundreds of brave men from the town of Kalofer and the whole country will embark on January 6 - Epiphany - in a men's dance in the icy waters of the Tundzha River . It is believed that anyone who enters the cold water of Epiphany..

published on 1/6/25 12:35 AM