Less than a month remains until the tenth edition of Letecký den Cheb (Aviation Day Cheb), the biennial aviation event organised in the West Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. This year, the show will take place on 29 and 30 August 2026 at Cheb airfield, a location renowned for its rich aviation history.
The first grass airfield in Cheb, a district town located in the Karlovy Vary Region and, until 1945, also known by its German name of Eger, was established as early as 1917 by the Austro-Hungarian armed forces. In the following year, at the time of the establishment of Czechoslovakia, it was the only operational aerodrome in the newly created country.
In later years, Cheb witnessed the development of Czechoslovak military aviation. At the beginning of the Second World War, the city became the home to Flugzeugwerk Eger GmbH (Aviation Works Cheb – FWE), a company that initially produced the Heinkel He 111 bomber before going on to manufacture the renowned Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow), the world’s first operational jet fighter.
After the war, for a short period in the 1950s, Cheb was home to a military base housing an alert unit equipped with Yak-23 fighters. The airfield was later used for agricultural aviation purposes. In 2007, the first air show in the modern history of Cheb airfield was organised there, reviving the tradition of the once-famous aviation events held at the local air base between 1923 and 1933. Another aviation day followed in 2008, after which the event adopted its current biennial format.
In 2026, after a two-year hiatus, the Cheb airfield will once again host its traditional aviation event. The tenth edition of Letecký den Cheb will feature a broad range of aircraft types, from gliders and iconic jets to modern training aeroplanes. Among the event’s highlights will be flying displays performed by legendary warbirds.
The show promises an impressive selection of aerobatic performances. These will include the world-famous Czech aerobatic group, the Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team and its four XA-42 aeroplanes, the Czech solo aerobatic icon and former Red Bull Air Race World Champion Martin Šonka with the Extra 300SR aerobatic special, as well as the renowned German aerobatic duo Team Niebergall, flying two SIAI Marchetti SF-260 aircraft.
A glider aerobatic display will be performed by David Jágr, flying the legendary Czechoslovak Letov LF-107 Luňák (Kite) sailplane from the 1950s.
Centrum Leteckého Výcviku (Flight Training Centre – CLV) in Pardubice will bring one of its traditional display items to Cheb, an aerobatic demonstration by the Enstrom 480B-G training helicopter. This modern rotorcraft will be accompanied by one of the CLV-operated warbirds, the Let C-11 (a licence-built Yak-11) training aircraft.
Visitors to the Cheb air show will also have the opportunity to see two iconic American fighter aircraft designed during the Second World War and played the key role during the final stage of the conflict: the Chance-Vought F4U-5NL Corsair “Devotion” and the North American P-51D Mustang “Excalibur”. They will be joined by another warbird, the lesser-known Taylorcraft Auster Mk V, a British-developed Air Observation Post (AOP) aircraft from the 1940s.
Post-war military aviation will be represented by the popular Czechoslovak Aero L-29 Delfín (Dolphin) jet trainer from the 1960s.
Obviously, the aforementioned list includes only the confirmed and officially announced participants. According to the organisers, they are still working on the flying programme, and expect to announce more participants soon.
On both days of the air show, the gates of Cheb airfield will open to the public at 09:00. Tickets are available via the official Letecký den Cheb website and currently cost CZK 340 for adults and CZK 90 for children aged 7–12. These prices are valid until 16 August, after which admission will increase to CZK 400 and CZK 100, respectively. Tickets for the special “Golden Zone”, which includes seating, are also available and cost CZK 1,200 for adults and CZK 600 for children.
As usual, there will be a car park available near the airfield. This year, the parking fee is CZK 100 per vehicle.
Our report from the 2024 edition of Letecký den Cheb can be found in Aviation weekend in West Bohemia – Letecký den Cheb 2024.
