Antonov An-2

RF-FLA Antonov/PZL Mielec An-2 c/n 1G165-24 at Szeged aerodrome in Hungary on May 15, 2004

Designed originally for agricultural duties under the designation SKh-1, the An-2 utility transport flew for the first time on August 31, 1947. Of robust construction and suitable for operations from short, semi-prepared strips, the Antonov An-2 has been manufactured for both military and civil roles. The An-2 remained in production until 1991. Over 18.000 of the different types were built in the Ukraine (5000), Poland (12000) and China (1000).

The RF-FLA, staying idle at Szeged aerodrome in Hungary, was built in 1975 by WSK-PZL in Poland and originally delivered as CCCP-19710. After the Soviet Union split up it was registered in Latvia as LY-AFC. The An-2 was exported to Israel and the registration 4X-CYC was allotted. On July 2003 it was noticed at the Megiddo Airstrip in Israel as RF-FLA. After some maintenance was done the An-2 left Israel in 2003 on route to Estonia. The RF-FLA didn't finish the trip as it had to land out of precaution due to technical problems at Szeged aerodrome in Hungary. The Antonov is staying idle since. The registration RF-FLA is a prefix and indicates that the An-2 is registered in the Russian Federation. The real registration of this An-2 is not know yet but has to be FLA-RF-followed by numbers. FLA-RF means Federation of Light Aviation/Russian Federation or Rossiyskii Federacjii.