AIRFIELDS AT STARA ZAGORA, PLOVDIV, TELISH, MITROPOLIYA, VRAZHDEBNA, BOZHURISHTE, AND SLIVNITSA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R012900130004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2011
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: July 15, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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run" w. 51-4AA
,MFEB 1952
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S! ":'/'CO:R:ROL - LSe OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Airfields at Stara Zagora, .Plovdiv,
Telish, Mitropoliya, V azhdebna,
DATE OF
INFO.
DATE DISTR. . Jaly 1952
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
PLACE SUPPLEMENT TO
ACQUIRED REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION`.
Stara Zagora
1, The Stara Zagora airfield, 1,200 x 600 meters in size, is located eight kilo-
meters southeast of Stara Zagora. The terrain is only slightly permeable
The landing strips are being improved. A description of the field follows g
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
a, :Barracks for 500 men;
b, Three cement hangars, 60 x 20 meters;
c m ;Flaiiroad spur line, none;
d. Workshops, none;
ea Runways, 1,000 x 150 meters, of packed earth, north-south direction;
f. Apparatus to facilitate blind flying;
ga A radio station;
h, Radio direction finder;
i. Control tower;
J. Sleeve;
k. Fire fighting squad, 10-12 men;
1. Tnf irmary;
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m. Repair crew, in each hangar;
n. Automobiles, approximately 10 along the western side of the field;
o. Fuel depots, not known;
p. Arms depot, not known;
qb Spare parts depot, none; and
r. Five or six small planes.
Plovdiv
2. The Plovdiv airfield, 1,500 x 1,000 meters in size, is situated three kilo-
meters southeast of the city. The terrain is permeable, despite the work
carried outs and is not usable when there has been a hard rains A description
of the field follows
Barracks for 350 men;
b. Four hangars, 70 x 30 meters;
c. Railroad spur line;
d. Workshops;
e. Runway dimensions and orientation not known;
f0 Apparatus to facilitate blind flying;
Radio station;
h. Radio direction finder;
i. Control tower;
J. sleeve;
ka Fire fighting squad;
1. Infirmary;
m. Repair crew, in each hangar;
n. Automobiles, southern end of the field;
oa Fuel depot, directly northeast of the field, underground, contains
250,000 liters;
Arms depot, not known;
a Spare parts depot, none; and
r. Approximately 15 planes of various types; in the summer of 1951, approxi-
mately 50 planes arrived at the field.
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3,
Telish
The Telish airfield is situated 200 meters northwest of Telish, northwest
of the Pleven-Cherveni Bryag railroad. The field is 1,500 meters long and
has a width of 1,000 meters in the center, 800 meters on the eastern side,
and 600 meters on the western side. The grass-covered terrain is soft and
permeable. A descript qn o f the. field. follow -.8
a; Barracks for 500 men, recently constructed;
b. Two hangars, 60 x 40 meters, recently constructed;
c. Workshops, none;
d. Railroad spur line, none;
e. Runway dimensions and orientation not known;
f. Apparatus to facilitate, blind flying; often there are night flights;
g. Radio station, recently constructed;
Radio direction finder;
i. Control tower;
i. Sleeve;
k. Fire fighting squad; two new fire engines were received in August 1951;
1; Infirmary, 200 meters from the southwest corner of the field;
m. Repair crew, in each hangar;
n. Automobile unit, directly east of the hangars;
o. Fuel depot., underground, approximately 200,000 liters, along the south-
eastern side of the field;
Arms depot, just outside of the camp, on the western side;
Spare parts depot, ,o, and
r. Ten to 15 planes of various types.
In the beginning of September 1951, maintenance work was under way. There
is a plan to construct a runway approximately 1,000 meters long in an east-west
direction. Frequently, student pilots practice on the field in Yak 9 and
JL 10 planes.
Mitropoliya
The Mitropoliya airfield is located on the southern outskfi.:!lw-
poliya west of the Peven-Nikopol railway. The airfield, 1,500 x 500 meters
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in size, is the headquarters of the Aeronautic Academy. The terrain is "very
suitable." Ades iptian , tom= i~rld fd]llows a
Barracks for 450 men, 200 of which were reserved for cadet officers;
Four hangars, 70 x 40 meters;
Railroad spur line, none;
d.. Workshops;
e. Runway dimensions and orientation not known;
f. Apparatus to facilitate blind flying;
g. Radio station;
h. Radio direction finder;
i. Control tower;
,~. Sleeve;
k. Fire fighting squad;
l.: Infirmary;
m. Repair crew;
Automobiles, approximately 15 located behind the quarters for cadet
officers;
o. Fuel depot, more than 300,000 liters, undergroundat the beginning of
the north side of the field;
p. Arms depot, directly west of the southwest corner of the field;
q. Spare parts depot, none; and
r. Ten to. 15 airplanes of various types.
Vrazhdebna
Vrazld.ebna airfield, which is used by both the civil and military, is situated
six or seven kilometers east of Sofia, and one kilometer south of Vrazhdebna;
the field is bordered on the east by the Iskur River. The dimensions of the
field are two kilometers by 1,200 meters. The terrain is hard. The runway is
being lengthened, and the lighting unit improved. A shelter is being con-
structed in the headquarters of the command located on the southern side of
the field. A descritiop. of the field. followsd
a. Barracks for 500 men, on the northern side of the field;
b.. :Four hangars, 70 x 30 meters;
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c, Rai.l.road spur line, none;
d. Workshops;
ea One cement runway, 1,200 x 200 meters, oriented in an east-west direction;
f. Apparatus to facilitate blind flying;
g. Radio station, one antenna;
h. Radio direction finder;
i. Control. tower;
Sleeve;
k, Fire fighting sgpad;
1. Infirmary;
me Repair crew, in each hangar;
n. Automobiles, approximately 20 located in the north corner of the field;
o. Fuel depot, 200,000 liters, located underground in the northwest corner
of the field;
p. Munitions depot, not known;
q. Spare parts depot, none; and
r. Approximately 20 planes of various types, among which are two or three jets.
Bozhurishte
The Boxhuri.shte airfield, approximately 1,800 x 1,.200 meters in size, is loca-
ted 12 kilometers northwest of Sofia, north of the rail line to Bankya. The
terrain is muddy. The runway and hangars are being-improved. Small head.-
quarter barracks are being constructed. A description of the field followst
a, Barracks for 850 men;
b. Four hangars, 60 x 20 meters;
c. A railroad spur line;
d. Workshops, none;
e. One runway, dark colored;
f. Apparatus to facilitate blind flying;
g. Radio station;
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h. radio direction finder;
i. Control tower;
J. Sleeve,;
Fire fighting squad;
1. :Infirmary, for first aid;
m. Repair crew, one in each hangar;
n. Automobiles;
Fuel barrels situated along the southeast side. of the field;
p. Arms depot, slightly north of the field;
q,.. Spare parts depot; and
r. Approximately 10 planes..
Petrich
8. The Petrich airfield, 1,200 x 500 meters in size, is situated five kilometers
east of Slivnitsa on the western outskirts of Petrich. The terrain is flat,
grassy, and compact, One hangar was in the process of construction. A
description of the field. follows.,
a. Barracks for 200 men;
b. :agars, none;
C. Railroad spur line, none;
d. Worksbops, none;
e. Runway dimensions and orientation, not known.;
f. Apparatus to facilitate blind flying, none;
g, Radio station, none;
hQ Radio dir. ection finder, none;
i. Control. tower, none;
J. Sleeve;
k. Fire fighting squad, none;
1. Dispensary;
Repair squads, none;
n. Automobiles, none;
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o, Fuel., depot, not known;
Arms depot, not kx\cwm,-,
q:9 Spare parts depo '~, none; and.
r. Planes land occasionally.
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