Well, that was a surprise!

Because the mid-90s, I’ve lived in Saigon for a complete of 12 years and when not dwelling there, made visits of a number of months every year. In all that point, I’ve by no means seen any plane, mounted wing or rotary, over town centre. I’ve been informed that there was a overflight ban in place*.

So this morning, I used to be very stunned to listen to very loud, high-speed jet site visitors, making passes over town centre. I used to be in a constructing with restricted views, however I did handle to glimpse the supply of the noise on two passes – a five-ship Su-30 formation.

On the second cross I noticed, they did an upward bomb-burst from about 1000’.

My Vietnamese colleagues confirmed what I suspected – it was a rehearsal for the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of the top of the American Warfare on thirtieth April.

I assume they had been working from Bien Hoa, northeast of Saigon. I had a have a look at FR24 and it appeared as if airline operations at Tan Son Nhut had been suspended.

This was my first ever sight of an Su-30. The final time I noticed an airforce jet in Vietnam was about 15 years in the past in Hanoi. Airline flights had been suspended whereas six Mig-21s did a stream takeoff. Flights had been nonetheless held till they declared Bingo gasoline and returned twenty minutes later!

* It’s ironic that the Bitexco Tower, one of many first actually tall buildings in Saigon, has a helipad half means up. So far as I do know no helicopters have ever landed on it.