Lappeenranta June 6th 1999,

In June 1999 we had some base visits in Finland , coinciding with these visits we noted that there was a air show at Lappeenranta.
With Lappeenranta being close to the border of Russia we decided to have a look at the show you never know what might be appearing at the show.
The show was organized by the aero Club of Lappeenranta. The Club members are very committed to aviation and engage actively in promoting it in Lappeenranta area. Club members also frequently get together to organize airshows and fund-raising activities.

The first thing we noted at the show was the large amount of aircraft from the Royal Air Force  Including the Red Arrows. A other unexpected visitor was a RF-4C from the Spanish Air Force. With a good mix of aircraft from the Finnish Air Force the show was worth the visit. Not being the biggest show is must be sad that it is well organized and also in later years the variety off visitors was noteworthy. 

One very special aircraft on the show was a Gloster Gauntlet MK II

The Gloster Gauntlet is a single-seat biplane fighter aircraft designed and built by Gloster Aircraft in Britain in the 1930s. It was the last Royal Air Force fighter to have an open cockpit and one of the very last biplane fighters in service anywhere. The first production-quality prototype flew for the first time in 1933 and the aircraft entered serial production the following year. The Gauntlets were retired in Britain in 1943 after some 246 planes altogether had been built by Gloster in Britain and under license in Denmark.

The Finnish Air Force received 25 ex-RAF Gauntlets from South Africa in 1940 and used them mainly as advanced trainers. Other users were Australia, Denmark, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia. Today, only one Gloster Gauntlet II remains airworthy in the world, the "GT-400" / OH-XGT operated by Lentotekniikan Kilta in Finland