The President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel recently took a flight in a subsonic L-39 Skyfox jet aircraft at the AERO Vodochody complex, during which he piloted the machine himself for a while. In a subsequent interview, he described the aircraft as very successful and suitable for training not only Czech pilots but also foreign pilots.

Video: Czech L-39 Skyfox aircraft was appreciated by President Petr Pavel / CZ DEFENCE

"I had a great experience because it is a completely different generation of aircraft than I have had the opportunity to experience before and I think it is a very good product that comes at the right time," President Pavel told CZ DEFENCE, pointing out that Czech aircraft - from the L-29 to the L-39 to the Skyfox – are competitive on the global market. "If we have a product that can stand comparison with the world, then it would be very unwise not to take advantage of it. I think that we should make it clear not only that we have such a good product, but also that we have the capacity to train pilots from foreign countries on it, so the sooner we come up with a concept that we can offer to our allies and partners, the better the chances that this proposal will take off," concluded Petr Pavel.

During the flight, Petr Pavel experienced up to 4G overload, and according to factory test pilot David Jahoda, who flew with the President, it was evident that Pavel was well-trained and had no difficulties during the flight. David Jahoda, who has flown just over 300 flight hours on the L-39 Skyfox to date, revealed that the Skyfox is fulfilling its role as a pilot continuing training aircraft, being safe to fly and allowing pilots to perform all the necessary manoeuvres. "I think the aircraft can prepare the student well for the transition to supersonic aircraft," the test pilot told our editorial team. Compared to the L-39C, Jahoda said the Skyfox is more manoeuvrable and the time the student can practice in the air has also been increased, making the training itself more efficient.

The L-39 Skyfox, manufactured by AERO Vodochody, is equipped with the latest technologies, including composite materials and integrated fuel tanks, which contribute to lower operating costs and excellent range. Modern avionics ensure maximum safety even in adverse weather conditions. Skyfox features a full glass cockpit - two large colour displays, a transparent display and HOTAS. The multifunctional displays, including a true-to-life 3D terrain display, provide intuitive control and comfort during long flights. A major advantage of the L-39 Skyfox is its integration with a virtual training system, enabling the simulation of complex combat scenarios directly in the cockpit.

The capabilities of the L-39 Skyfox were briefly described by its chief designer Jaromír Lang: "The aircraft is designed for training pilots for modern combat aircraft. Everything that you see on fighter planes, the pilot already has in the trainer. The aircraft is designed from the beginning to carry up to five pylons with weapons suspended. In 2019, we even exhibited such an aircraft at the NATO Days in Ostrava. The aircraft is built for basic types of weapons, but in some local conflicts it can be used as a fighting machine," Lang said. Some people refer to the new L-39 Skyfox as a kind of facelift of the previous generation L-39C, which Jaromír Lang refutes. "It may look like that at first glance, but structurally it is a completely new machine. New materials are used, the design and production approaches are different. Just to give an example, we have increased the service life of the L-39 Skyfox to three times the weight of the original machine," Lang pointed out.

"I have spent more than a decade of my life with the Skyfox and I am of course happy that the aircraft is selling and has more and more customers. We are working on developing the aircraft in another direction, obviously for that combat or reconnaissance use. We have many variants in development, and I hope we will be able to implement them. Today fills me with optimism, because the President himself flew in the aircraft and confirmed that it is a beautiful experience," concluded the chief designer of the L-39 Skyfox.

The first L-39 Skyfox aircraft are already in service at the Centre of Flight Training (CLV) in Pardubice, which is part of the state enterprise LOM PRAHA. CLV will operate a total of four new L-39 Skyfox subsonic aircraft under a contract between the manufacturer AERO Vodochody and the state enterprise LOM PRAHA, which was signed in November 2022 with an option for four more aircraft. L-39 Skyfox aircraft has already been adopted abroad. "In addition to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Vietnam, we have signed two more customers. I can reveal that the next user will be Angola, for example," Viktor Sotona, president of Aero Vodochody, told our editorial team. He also confirmed that technically Skyfox is losing competitors in the form of Hawk, Alpha Jet and other aircraft that are gradually being grounded and have no replacements. Another good news for the L-39 Skyfox manufacturer is the fact that defence budgets are increasing in Europe and the demand for pilot training is growing steadily.

The new Czech L-39 Skyfox is likely to have a very promising future and it is good that the Czech Republic, especially in these uncertain security times, still retains the capability to produce modern subsonic jets.