2024-04-14 01:24:12
Bulgaria has made a worthy contribution to the development of aviation thanks to the patriotism, dedication, courage and dedication of generations of Bulgarian pilots. This was stated by the head of state Rumen Radev at a ceremony of awarding the President’s Medal of Honor to outstanding military pilots on the occasion of the International Day of Aviation and Cosmonautics and the recent anniversary of the honorees.
Lieutenant-General (retired) Stefan Popov, Major-General (retired) Evgeni Manev, Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Dinko Dinkov and Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) were awarded for their significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian aviation. ) Petar Krastev, the press center of the presidency announced.
“Today we pay tribute to the idea, drive, efforts and sacrifice of humanity in the study and mastering of airspace and space”, the president pointed out and congratulated the military pilots on the International Day of Aviation and Cosmonautics – April 12. The head of state highlighted Bulgaria’s contribution to the development of aviation, giving the example of the first combat flight of pilots Radul Milkov and Prodan Tarakchiev, the heroic defense of Sofia in the Second World War, the construction of the most powerful military aviation in the Balkans in the post-war period, as well as the preservation and development of new capabilities in the last decades saturated with many resource constraints.
The President highlighted the significant contribution of Lieutenant General (retired) Stefan Popov and Major General (retired) Evgeni Manev to the Bulgarian Air Force in the difficult years of the transition and in conditions of restrictions. “Nevertheless, they managed to preserve the capabilities and build new ones, were an example of professional training and built generations of worthy pilots and commanders,” the head of state pointed out. The president also addressed Lt. Col. (retired) Dinko Dinkov with words of appreciation and lieutenant colonel (retired) Petar Krastev for giving the most active years of their lives, their youth and strength to the sovereignty of the Bulgarian skies. “You managed to transfer the traditions of the Bulgarian military school to civil aviation, to achieve a high level of safety and educate several generations of pilots,” Rumen Radev also pointed out.
On behalf of those awarded the President’s Medal of Honor, Lieutenant General (retired) Stefan Popov expressed his gratitude for the high award and told his memory of 2002, when he ended his flying career with a MiG-29 flight at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base “Then Lt. Col. Radev, chief of staff of the base, presented me with the plaque of the Third Fighter Aviation Base, and now I am receiving an award already from the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, and this is a very big gesture for me,” said Lieutenant General (retd. ) Stefan Popov.