On 23 October 2025, the Czech Air Force bade farewell to its last Mil Mi-8 helicopter. Almost six decades of the rotorcraft active service officially came to an end during a solemn ceremony held at Prague-Kbely Air Force Base.
The history of the Czech Mi-8 (NATO reporting name: Hip) helicopters dates back to 1967, when the then Czechoslovak armed forces acquired the first four examples of the rotorcraft in two different variants – three Mi-8Ts and one Mi-8P. In the following years, the total number of the Mi-8 helicopters in service with the Czechoslovak Air Force reached thirty-eight.
In 1970, the first two Mi-8PS (the militarised variant of the Mi-8S, intended for VIP transport duties) were acquired by the then Letecký oddíl Ministerstva vnitra (Aviation Unit of the Ministry of the Interior), which provided VIP and government transport services in Czechoslovakia. This unit, and its two direct successors, continued to perform these duties until the late 1980s.
A change occurred in January 1989, with the arrival of four new Mi-8PS helicopters. The VIP transport rotorcraft, including those already in service and the newly acquired ones, were taken over by the Czechoslovak Air Force and assigned to 3. dopravní letecký pluk (the 3rd Transport Aviation Regiment), based at the Prague-Kbely airfield. At that time, the four new Mi-8PS received military identification numbers from “0834” to “0837”, while those previously operated by the Ministry of the Interior were redesignated “0829” and “0830”.
However, shortly after being transferred to the air force, the “0830” lost its VIP transport configuration. At the end of 1989, the helicopter underwent general maintenance and was effectively rebuilt into the Mi-8P transport variant. The rotorcraft also received standard Czechoslovak camouflage and the square windows of the passenger cabin were the only remaining trace of its past VIP service.
In 1992, following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the “0837” was handed over to Slovakia, together with eight other Mi-8s that had previously been operated by the Czechoslovak Air Force. The remaining helicopters of that type, including the four Mi-8PS VIP transport variants, were assigned to the newly established Czech Air Force.
In the mid-1990s, all four Mi-8PS helicopters underwent their first significant modernisation. This included installing of modern avionics and navigation equipment, as well as increasing their passenger capacity from nine to fifteen. However, the “0829” was damaged beyond repair in an aviation accident that occurred in October 2021.
During the first two decades of its existence, the Czech Air Force – including its transport units – underwent several restructurings. The VIP helicopters were assigned to various wings and squadrons within the air force, although they were always based at Kbely AFB.
Eventually, the task of providing air transport services for Czech government authorities, as well as for official civilian and military delegations from abroad, was assigned to 24. základna dopravního letectva (the 24th Air Transportation Base). The unit was officially established in 2003, and its structure included 242. vrtulníková letka (the 242nd Helicopter Squadron), equipped with Mi-8PS, Mi-17 and W-3A Sokół rotorcraft. In 2007, following the final reorganisation, the helicopter unit was renamed the 243rd Helicopter Squadron.
Between 2004 and 2005, the remaining three Mi-8PS helicopters underwent a second round of general maintenance and further modernisation. It was also the time when discussion about their future successor was opened for the first time. However, the plans to retire the VIP transport helicopters were finally postponed due to budgetary constraints.
The third and final general overhaul and upgrade of the Czech Mi-8PS fleet was carried out between 2013 and 2016. The modernisation focused on significantly enhancing passenger comfort and flight safety.
The Mi-8PS retirement was then reviewed a few times but always postponed to eventually began in the early 2020s. The “0835” was retired in January 2023, and the “0834” was withdrawn from active service in August of the same year. The latter was then donated to the Kbely Aviation Museum, operated by Vojenský historický ústav Praha (Military History Institute Prague – VHU).
It is worth noting that the “0834” became already the third Mi-8 helicopter in the VHU collection with a VIP transport history. As early as 1994, the museum had received the aforementioned “0830”, which had reached the end of its service life. Next, in 2021, VHU acquired another notable aircraft – the Mi-8 “0001”.
Built in 1983, helicopter “0001” was manufactured as the Mi-8VKP (ВКП – воздушный командный пункт / airborne command post), also known as the Mi-9. It was the only rotorcraft of that type operated by the Czechoslovak Air Force. In 2004, the special command equipment was removed, and the helicopter was used as a standard transport rotorcraft.
Six years later, during general maintenance, the aircraft was converted into the standard Mi-8P variant. The rotorcraft received the characteristic white-red-blue livery similar to that of the other three Mi-8PS helicopters and was assigned to the 24th Air Transportation Base. The “0001” remained in service with the Kbely helicopter squadron until 2017, and four years later became part of the VHU collection. Unlike the “0834”, this helicopter is distinguished by its “government transport” livery and round windows typical of the Mi-8 military versions.
Following the retirements mentioned above, the Mi-8PS “0836” remained the last VIP transport helicopter in the Czech Air Force, as well as the final Mi-8 in state service. The armed forces had retired most of their Mi-8s in the early 1990s, while Letecká služba Policie České republiky (Aviation Service of the Police of the Czech Republic) withdrew its last Mi-8 from active service in June 2003.
However, the service life of the last Mi-8 in the service of the Czech statewas nearing its end. The helicopter officially concluded its operational service on 23 October 2025, during a solemn ceremony held at the 24th Air Transportation Base, attended by senior military officials and the Czech Minister of Defence, Jana Černochová.
Fifty-eight years of Mi-8 service with the Czechoslovak and later Czech Air Force were ceremonially concluded by a farewell flight, during which the “0836” was piloted by Brigadier General Jaroslav Falta, commander of the Kbely AFB. According to the Czech Ministry of Defence, during its service the helicopter logged over 5,150 flight hours and performed 10,300 take-offs and landings.
Although the ceremony officially marked the end of the Mi-8 service with the Czech Air Force, it did not represent the final flight of the “0836”. The helicopter will remain operational until it reaches end of its airframe service life, which is expected to occur in November 2025. Until then, the Mi-8PS will be used for unofficial farewell and training flights throughout the country.
The retirement of the “0836” also means that the 24th Air Transportation Base has lost its last rotorcraft specifically tailored for the VIP transport duties. Although the withdrawal of the Mi-8PS helicopters had been under discussion for some time, the Czech government taken no action to acquire any new rotorcraft for this purpose. According to information reported by the local press, no new VIP helicopters are expected to be acquired before the mid-2030s, depending on budgetary considerations. Until then, the 242nd Helicopter Squadron will provide VIP air transport using two specially modified Mil Mi-17 helicopters.
