During an excellent visit by 4Aviation to this base we were allowed to enter the maintenance hangar too. This K-8 Karakorum, operated by 1st Flying Training Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force, was seen. It was non-ops at the time of the picture and was awaiting some spare parts, including ejection seats. The aircraft was part of an order of six K-8s when it was delivered to the SLAF in 2001. Initially serialled as SJT-1803 with 14sq at Colombo, moved to China Bay in 2011, reserialled to SJT-746 by mid-2012.

During an excellent visit by 4Aviation to this base we were allowed to enter the maintenance hangar too. This weathered K-8 Karakorum, operated by 1st Flying Training Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force, was seen. It was non-ops at the time of the picture and was awaiting some spare parts, including ejection seats. It is a second-hand and former People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF, Chinese Air Force) jet when it was delivered to the SLAF as SJT-1807 in 2009. The K-8 was delivered in an order of two K-8s. It was reserialled to SJT-1612 by mid-2012.

During an excellent visit by 4Aviation to this base we were allowed to enter the maintenance hangar too. This weathered K-8 Karakorum, operated by 1st Flying Training Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force, was seen. It was non-ops at the time of the picture and was awaiting some spare parts. This Karakorum was delivered to the SLAF as SJT-1802 in 2001, initally served 14sq at Colombo, moved to China Bay in 2011 and reserialled to SJT-744 by mid-2012.

During an excellent visit of 4Aviation tours to China Bay, this PT-6A was found in the maintenance hangar of the base. This basic training was delivered to the Sri Lanka Air Force as SBT-1607 in 2001. It was damaged on 22 October 2007 in a Tamil Tigers attack at Anuradhapura air base, but luckily repaired. It was reserialled to SBT-189 by March 2012.

An excellent visit by 4Aviation to this base yielded this fine K-8 Karakorum operated by 1st Flying Training Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Sadly, this SJT-748 crashed on 21 March 2025 near Wariyapola during a training flight after it encountered an emergency. Both pilots ejected from the aircraft. The K-8 was on a mission out of Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport.

FMS serial 72-1468, delivered to Sri Lanka. Became as SBT-1205 and reserialled to SBT-154 in early 2012. The basic trainer is assigned to the 1 Flying Training Wing at China Bay. The wing is operating the K-8, PT-6A (CJ-6A), and Ce150. During an excellent visit of 4Aviation to China Bay, many opportunities were created to picture the local aircraft.

Dusty Sea Kings of 846sq return to their parking spots at KAndahar. They were deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, supporting the Operation Herrick within the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Former Boeing test registration N37019, was delivered to the RAF as a HC1 in early 1981 (with construction number MA005). It was modified to HC2 ( with construction number M7004) by late 1993. Converted to HC4 by Vector Aerospace Ltd at Fleetlands in 2014 and saw again a modification to HC6A by Boeing at Boscombe Down during 2018. Check that cockpit section and the top of one of the blades, the workhorese shows very heavy wear and tear due to the tough mission in the difficult Afghan weather and dust environment.

Former Boeing test registration N37044, was delivered to the RAF on 18 Nov'81 as a Chinook HC1 (with construction number MA022). It left the RAF inventory for Boeing Philiadelphia via Liverpool Docks on 4 Nov'93, returned as a HC2 ( with construction number M7003). It was modified to HC4 by Vector Aerospace Ltd at Fleetlands in 2012/2013 timeframe, then in 2018 to HC6A by Boeing at Boscombe Down. The Chinook is seen here - as one of seven deployed RAF Chinooks to Kandahar - as a HC2. It shows quite some wear and tear due to the tough Afghan mission, and the weather and dust environment.

This 2003 built Raytheon King Air was seen in the heathaze of Kandahar. It was delivered as N6193C to B200 Air Charters LLC in Jun'03. It became N299AK with the same company in Oct'03 and in Jan'04 it again switched its identity, this time to N299AL. From Jul'04 to Dec'09, it was transferred to Aviation Specialties Inc as N299AL (as pictured). It is related to US secretive organizations. On 28 Jan'04 it went to Trevor Corp. In Jan'20, that company changed the registration into N200EV. By Mar'21, the King Air became 5Y-EXZ with Everett Aviation Co. It's good to be King!

A fresh arrival at Kandahar, as the Black Hawk lack any dust over the fuselage. Its (former?) squadron markings were clearly repainted

Most probably assigned to 7-101st AVN

This Lynx logged its first flight on 9 July'79, it was retained by Westland for all kind of flight trials. The Lynx was delivered as an AH1 to the Army Air Corps on 22 February 1984. It was later converted to AH7. Served the AAC up to 1 Dercember 2011. On that day, the Lynx suffered an in flight fire due to a hydraulic leak. The pilot performed an emergency landing in a field near Tatenhausen (Germany), about 16 km from RAF Gütersloh. The crew abandoned the helicopter which was consumed by fire before the local fire brigade arrived.

Speaking about wear and tear... this Sea King clearly shows it has a tough time over war-torn Afghanistan. It just landed from a mission and returned to its parking spot at Kandahar. ZG821was sold (as one of seven) to Pakistan and officially handed over on 25 May 2017. Some were intended to use as spare part, but ZG821 was planned for active duty with Pakistan. The tie-up to its new Paki serial (19?) is not clear.

First flight at 14 March 1980, delivered to the Army Air Corps as a Lynx HT1 on 2 April 1980, redesignated to AH1. Later modified to AH7. After a long AAC career, stored with MPSU at Middle Wallop and being stripped for spares up to June 2015. Then dumped at Middle Wallop. Became an instructional airframe with DSEME at Lyneham from early September 2015. The AH7 is seen hovering over the Dutch platform at Kandahar. After landing it waited with XZ208 for the take-off of two Dutch Chinooks. They then joined for a mission to Uruzgan in which both Lynx' gave armed support.

Bought directly from Lockheed along as commercial L100-30 aircraft (former N4080M) as a replacement Hercules for written-off RCAF C-130s. It was delivered to the RCAF on 16 May 1997, modified to CC-130H-30 military standard by Spar Aerospace at Edmonton and assigned to No. 8 Wing at CFB Trenton in May 1997. 344 is seen here taking off from Kandahar with a fine combat vehicle back-ground.

A 1985 built seven-three. It started its life as N1790B with Boeing. Sold to CAAC - Civil Aviation Administration of China as B-2512 on 12 Oct'85. Moved as such to China Southern Airlines in 1989 and to Xiamen Airlines on 29 Nov'94. Withdrawn from use and moved to AerFi Corp. as N234GE on 15 Nov'00. Sold to Air Kazakhstan as UN-B3703 on 20 Dec'00. Phoenix Aviation became the new owner in Jun'04 of the 737 which received registration EX-027. Became A6-PHA with Phoenix in Feb'05 and was eventually sold as such to AVE in 2006. Permanently withdrawn from use at Sharjah (UAE). Last noted in Feb'19.