The Nanchang CJ-6 – The Affordable Warbird

Warbird flying is exhilarating. The aircraft are usually quite different from the ‘normal’ commercially available GA aircraft, which are generally built to provide a feeling of as close as possible to driving a car. Whilst such aircraft offer high levels of safety, convenience and ease of operation, they rarely offer excitement (unless the noise stops in flight).

Most warbirds by their very nature expensive are to buy and operate, and, particularly with high performance aircraft, can be something of a handful for the average GA pilot. The Chinese designed and built Nanchang CJ-6, on the other hand, has proven to be an ideal warbird for the average GA pilot; it is simple, reliable, and economical to operate and maintain, while still providing the excitement and satisfaction which comes from flying an unusual military aircraft from another culture and another era of technology.

Lampa Holdings Pty Ltd (Lampa) has had over 16 years experience operating the Nanchang CJ-6 in Australia since we flew the first aircraft in Australia in 1990. This CJ-6,
VH-NNA, was one of a batch of three airframes imported from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Since then we have flown the type all around Australia to every mainland capital city including Darwin and Perth. The CJ-6 has never let us down.