A Long Day on the Way Home

The check-in for the first group was at 4:30 am., but for understandable reasons, nobody complained about it. The German C-160D Transall completed the airlift in three flights, so by early afternoon everybody – and as it turned out later, all luggage – was in the German camp operating at the airport of a town bordering Afghanistan. Here the luggage was screened and then loaded into containers corresponding to the destinations, since after Pápa, the A310 flew to Cologne as well. Similarly grouped by countries, the PX cases were loaded into the cargo space of the troop carrier aircraft, which started its career with the Eastern German Interflug airline, and continued it with the Luftwaffe in 1991, when the former airline was closed down following the German reunification.

After a short lunch break, the soldiers went through security and were transported by bus to the plane that was ready to take off at the airport. During the air travel back home, as the distance decreased, the atmosphere turned electric. The landing at Pápa received an enthusiastic applause. The Hungarian soldiers said goodbye with understandable joy to their comrades remaining aboard the aircraft, and then changed for the buses waiting to take them to a designated site of the HDF Pápa Air Base. Here, after the required authorized entry, they had only wait for their luggage to come in.

They took the cases, bags and rucksacks off the cargo beds of the trucks with a quickness never seen before, then everybody continued the way back home by the respective vehicle designated for them. In the case of the aircrews and aircraft maintenance technicians of Szolnok, this was a Finnish Mi-8 helicopter with registry No. 3307, and the soldiers and their luggage were transported to the aircraft in a flash, thanks to the Pápa airmen’s courtesy and help. By that time night had already long fallen, so the members of the homecoming team saw the lights of Hungary by night from above again.

After a graceful touchdown, the aircraft taxied from the end of the Szolnok runway to its stand, then in the floodlight, Lt.-Col. Gábor Oláh reported that the mission was completed to Brig.-Gen. Imre Lamos, the commander of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base who was present to receive them. Brig-Gen. Lamos thanked the report in a single sentence, then “handed over" the eight tired travelers to their relatives waiting
for them. The command “Dismiss!" was given, and then hugs, kisses and of course the children’s joy played the leading role in the night of the Szolnok Air Base.

Photo: Veronika Dévényi