There are many aircraft marked '01', especially MiGs. And also, some would argue that there is not much aircraft left of this Laotian PFM. But, anyway, I was happy to encounter it on my trails!

Seen after it departed from the airport, although the photo is very cropped as I was standing nearly 2 kilometres from the runway...

When I was visiting the Plain of Jars site 1, I took this long-distance shot of some dumped MiG-21s. During a visit to the actual air base a couple of years later by another enthusiast, the c/n was partly read off.

The Laotian air force received two MiG-21US, 09 and 10. Later, the surviving MiGs received a '7' in front of the serial and I presume this 710 is the former 10.

After operations with the MiG-21 ceased, they were parked on the ramp here, and a handful at Vientiane/Wattay. Gradually, they have found their way elsewhere to be preserved although six remain on the ramp in 2024.

During a short stop in Laos I only had time for a night visit to the Army museum, that was obviously closed. Nowadays, they have sun sheds to shelter the exhibits.

Parked along the ramp during my visit were two rows of MiG-21s. Seen here are Bis-es 729, 722 and 724, awaiting preservation or scrapping.

It seems that it was either used to transport regular passengers, or possibly military families. I was not allowed close inspection but I think it is a Mi-17V-5.

Dumped here many moons ago, at least twenty years already. It failed to take off, made a (very) hard landing and was subsequently written off and pushed off to the side.

Ex USAF 43-30678. Photographer: Marc Miller

Ex USAF 43-48565. Photographer: Marc Miller

Ex USAF 45-1127. Photographer: Marc Miller.

Ex 44-78055, N9895Z. B-918 and XW-EAB. To XW-PBW in 1964. According to Joe Leeker, the aircraft was probably owned by the Laotian government from 1963 and painted like this, wearing Laotian insignia, but maintained and flown by Air America and associated operators until 1973, when it went to Royal Air Lao. Crashed in 1974 on a cargo dropping flight. Muong Kassy is also called Muang Kasi or Kasi. Photo by: Joel Halpern / University of Wisconsin-Madison

'King Savang Vatthana's airplane', a gift from President Eisenhower in 1956. Ex N2714B. The king did not like to use the Aero Commander, as he could not sit in an elevated, regal position. On the right is a C-123K Provider, 617. The USAF's 54-617 was transferred to Air America in 1966. It was converted to a C-123K in 1969. During November 1973 it was used to train Laotian pilots out of Vientiane and subsequently transferred to the Royal Lao Air Force as 617. Photo by: Ernest Kuhn / University of Wisconsin-Madison