Dobřany

49°40'31"N 013°16'18"E

Runway: 06/24 - 2500x60m - concrete (1400m usable)
Runway: 03/21 - 1400x20m - asphalt (CLOSED)

Dobrany airfield (Czech: letiste Dobřany, also known as Plzeň-Líně or Dobřany-Líně, Russian: Авиабаза Пльзень - лине, ICAO: LKLN) is a former airbase 95 kilometers southwest of Prague.
The airfield was built around 1950, when it was realised that Czechoslovakia was not only facing a new pollitical reality, but also a technical one, with the new jet enige powering aircraft, especially fighters. The first unit to move into the new airfiels was 5 SLP, flying licence-built MiG-15, locally designated as S102, to guard the Czechoslovak borders. On 10 March 1953 5 SLP wrote history when it made the first post-war kill on an American F-84 Thunderjet that had strayed into Czechoslovak airspace. During the 1950s there were also regular missions against reconnaissance balloons that were sent over Czechoslovak territory from Western Europe.
In 1959 5SLP began reequipping with MiG-19S and slightly later MiG-19PM. From PLzen-Bory came a training unit, flying the Avia B-33 (licence-built Il-10). In 1963, the training unit began to convert to new aircraft: MiG-15bis and the Czechoslovak designed L-29 Delphin. The unit remained until 1969 when it was dissolved and its remainders were transferred into a training and reconnaissance unit.
In 1970 5SLP began the conversion to the MiG-21F, a process that would take two years to complete. 


The new Plzeň-Líně air base, photographed in 1956 with the 'short' runway (www.plzenskeleteckedny.cz)

In the second half of the 1980s helicopter units from Plzeň-Bory began to move to Plzeň-Líně, which meant that Mi-2 and Mi-8 helicopters began to frequently use the airfield.
5 SLP continued to operate the MiG-21 'Fishbed' (ultimately in the MF version) until 22 April 1991. On 29 August 1991 the final MiG-21 of 5 SLP (a UM version) was flown out of the airfield, ending 40 years of a unit with roots in the famous RAF 312 (Czechoslovak) Sqn.
In October the last Bory helicopters began to move to Dobřany-Líně in preparation to close and redevelop Bory. This meant the introduction of Mi-24V to the airfield, which also formed a display flight that successfully travelled Europe the following years. When Czechoslovakia split up, the helicopters were distributed  over both new air forces, leaving one squadron of Mi-17s and one of Mi-24s at Dobřany-Líně. However, in 1994 the 11 Helicopter Regiment slowly dissolved, and the last Mi-24 left the base by the and of November of that year.


Undated photo of Líně airfield with extensions on both ends of the runway. However: there is no trace of the taxiway to the off site dispersal and backup runway. This photo is therefore believed to have been taken somewhere in the 1960s of 1970s.

 
Soviet photo of Air Base Plzeň-Líně, taken in 1986. In this photo the taxyway to the dispersed parking area and the emergency runway 03/21 (upper right) are visible (www.plzenskeleteckedny.cz).

The airbase was not completely abandoned by the militay however. In the early 1990s, the Air Force had recognised a need for SAR/HEMS services. Specially modified Mi-2 and Mi-17 hellicopters began to use Line as a SAR station from 1994. Also, the base was used as an Air Test Center. Líňě test center used the MiG-21MF (ser. no. 7711), MiG-21UM (ser. no. 3756) and Aero L-39.
The airfield was also used by Škoda Air, which used four L-410s, a L-200 and a Saab 340.

Currently, the airfield is used by the Czech Air Forces Sokol W3 HEMS helicopters, which replaced the old helicopters on 1 January 2010. the helicopters are on 4 minute standby during the day, and 10 minute during nights and weekends. Since 2000, civilian air traffic is allowed from the airfield. Many operators use the airfield, including business jets and  the operator of OK-JET, a privately owned L-39C Albatros jet trainer. However, the contract with the airports operator, PlaneStation Pilsen, was terminated in 2013, afther the company had failed to meet its contractual obligations with the ministry of Defense, leaving a debt of CzK 50 million. PlaneStation Pilzen refused to vacate the airfield however. The Defence Minister stated he remained committed to civilian use of the airbase despite this.