Nice to catch but could do with a little more colour!

An evening session shooting arrivals on 04R in lovely clear conditions after a highly rewarding seven-hour drive to the Finnish Air Force Museum and back. Good to catch this B738F in the new colours.

Of the four MiG-15 trainers obtained by Finland for operation by HävLLv 31, three remain in preservation, the other being written off in 1970

Finland received 13 Gnats from 1958 (nine F.1s and two FR.1s) and had intended licence building them in addition, but that did not proceed. As the first operational user of the Gnat F.1, many challenges had to be faced by the Finnish Air Force. In the harsh Scandinavian conditions, operation and maintenance was challenging, with four being lost in accidents. Once maintenance issues were overcome, it proved to be a good performer with excellent manoeuvrability, but was replaced in 1972 by the introduction of the Draken.

The extraordinary Päijät-Hämeen ilmailumuseo near Lahti, in a very dark wooden storage hangar on the former WW2 Vesivehmaa air base is a collection of extremely rare and historic items run by a volunteer organisation that saved from scrapping many significant airframes stored there in the 1960s. Blackburn Ripon IIF RI140 is the only surviving example of this inter-war torpedo bomber anywhere in the world. One of 25 built under licence by the State Aircraft Factory between 1930 and 1934, it was also used for reconnaissance, liaison and target tug work.

On the viewing roof overlooking Helsinki's dock area, on top of the Verkkokauppa electronics store

At the end of the 1950s, Finland purchased 18 Magisters from France, also obtaining a manufacturing license. The Finnish manufacturer Valmet later built 62 Magisters, finishing in 1967. The aircraft had a secondary attack role in the event of war, but limited by agreements with the Soviet Union. Also dominating this photo is the last remaining example of a Finnish IL-28 bomber, NH-4. Four of these were used for target towing, maritime reconnaissance and patrolling as well as aerial mapping until 1981.

A rare machine indeed, the last surviving example of the Vihuri trainer, of which 51 were built by Valmet in Finland between 1951 and 1959. A large number of accidents led to government intervention and grounding in May 1959, but it was later determined that pilot violations of flight regulations were mainly to blame. Interestingly, the engines were rebuilt Mercurys from Blenheim bombers. This example accumulated 802 flying hours, after which it served as a ground instructional frame at the Air Force Academy in Kauhava.

Positioned next to two-seater MK-126 and Draken DK-270 outside the Finnish Air Force Museum

On outside display and the superb Finnish Air Force Museum. A total of 37 Drakens were obtained from Swedish stocks by Finland, including five of the J35CS variant for use as unarmed trainers. A further 12 Drakens were assembled under licence by Valmet in Finland.

Finland was the first country to place an export order for the Blenheim light bomber and around 20 Mk Is were delivered in 1937 and 1938. Additionally, a licence to locally produce the aircraft was granted to Finland's State Aircraft Factory in 1938 with an order placed for upwards of 40 Mk II and Mk IVs, completed in time for service in the 1940 Winter War against Russia. Twelve new Mk IVs were later diverted from RAF production, followed by 12 former RAF Mk Is. BL-200 was part of the final batch of Blenheims constructed in Finland and after service as target tugs, the last flew in 1958.

For some reason marked as DK-247, this Draken displayed at the Tuulos shopping centre is really DK-249

When the Finnish Air Force stopped flying their MiG-21s in the late-1980s, many were preserved across the country. This one is part of an outdoor display along with an Mi-8 and Draken at the Tuulos shopping centre.

When first retired from Air Force service back in the 1980s, this Mi-8 was placed on display at the Finnish Aviation Museum at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. It later moved to the Lahti-Vesivehmaa collection, and most recently to the Tuulos shopping centre where DC-2 DO-1 is preserved indoors.

The interior of this unique DC-2 exhibit has been superbly restored, as seen here in the cockpit

This beautifully presented DC-2 has a rich history, going back to 1935 when delivered to KLM as PH-AKH. It was acquired by the Finnish AF in 1940 via Sweden under registration SE-AKE and served in the Winter War, initially performing bombing and later VIP transport duties. When retired by the Air Force in 1955 it was converted as a café in Hämeenlinna, until saved by the Finnish Air Force Museum in 1981. After restoration between 2009 and 2011 in the colours worn during the later war period, it was placed on display in its own building at Tuulos Shopping Centre in 2015.

This beautifully presented Mustang made its first post-restoration flight on 26 Sep 2020 and has a widely-travelled history. After delivery to the USAAF as 44-72059, it was acquired by the Swedish Air Force in 1945. Ten years later, it was sold to Nicaragua and eventually salvaged in the US in 1963. It found its way back to Latin America for service with the Bolivian Air Force from 1966 which whom it remained until 1995. Repatriated to the US again, restoration was began in 2002 and not completed till 2020, impressively finished to represent an P-51 of 424 (City of Hamilton) Sqdn RCAF. The aircraft is privately-owned by Hannu Halminen.

Some of the many F-5s littered around Thessaloniki Macedonia Airport. The desert camo pair are ex R Jordanian AF.

A lucky shot on landing of this recently repainted RF-5A, preserved on the perimeter of Mikra AB along with F-84F 26866

The second Q400 for Umza in Nigeria on delivery through Southend having arrived from Keflavík for a fuel stop. To be 5N-CAE (last three on nose door) and departed for Algiers.