Dorokhovo (Дорохово)

57°43'34"N 036°38'56"E

Runway: 13/31 - 2508x48m - concrete

Dorokhovo aerodrome (Russian: Дорохово аэродром, also known as Bezhetsk or Dorokhov Air Base) is an air base in Tver Oblast, 230 kilometers northwest of Moscow.
It was in use from before 1953, when the airfield had a dirt runway, sized 1150x100 meters. In preparation for MiG-15 jet aircraft from April 1953 it received a concrete runway measuring 2000x40 meters. By 1954, 611 Fighter Regiment (IAP) had grown to 24 MiG-15bis, 12 MiG-17, 3 MiG-15UTI and a single Yak-12. The Regiment was the first combat unit of fighter aircraft defense, to be equipped with Yak-25 interceptors in 1954. Because of numerous humourous remarks about the shape of the Yak-25s nose by its pilots, 75% of the pilots were transferred to other units in 1960. Lengthening the runway to the present size occurred in the subsequent reconstruction of the airfield. In two squadrons, the Yaks were replaced by newer model MiG-17Fs. Despite the 'reorganisation' of 611IAP the unit remained the best in the Moscow Air Defense district.
In 1967, 611IAP, converted to the new Su-15 'Flagon' fighter-interceptors. At the same time, the unit began to receive a large number of young pilots, which would prove a deadly mix. Over the next few years, the Regiment began to see a series of crashes, not unlike the F-104 Starfighter in NATO. The 611 IAP commander, Col Medvedev, lost his job because of the frequent crashes. The causes of the crashes were the same as with the F-104 in NATO, so proper training and procedures were introduced. By the 1980s the reputation of the Su-15 had turned into a safe aircraft. A final incident with a 'Flagon' on 15 July 1988 resulted in the rescue of the aircraft and its pilot was awarded the Order of the Red Star for bravery.
611 IAP had a reputation for delivering good pilots to other units.  It was a 611 IAP pilot who flew Su-27 '33' when he 'established contact' (quite literally, in fact) with a Norwegian P-3 Orion in September 1987, at the expense of a propellor and some Flanker rudder parts. Both aircraft safely returned to their respective airfields.

In 1992, the unit was taken off first line duty to retrain on the Su-27 'Flanker'. One of the aircraft they received was the Flanker that had made contact with the Norwegian Orion in 1987. By the end of 1993 the regiment had 25 Su-27 and 5 Su-27UB trainers.
On 30 November 2000, the regiment formed the 3rd Aviation Squadron with MiG-31B fighter-interceptors. "Pravdinskaya" squadron of the 611 th Regiment lasted until January 2005, after which it was disbanded. 611 IAP had been the first in the Russian regiments to operate two types of interceptors simultaneously.
During the reconstruction of air base Khotilovo in 2006-2008 790 IAP was temporarily relocated to the base, but continued to carried out combat duty.
Until 2009 the 611 IAP was based at the air base. In September they disbanded, their aircraft sent to Khotilovo.
The airbase closed soon after.


Dorokhovo Air Base in 2007, then it was still in use (Google Earth)