09.05.2026.

Memorial air show held in honour of pilot hero Milenko Pavlović

By participating in the fifth edition of Colonel-Pilot Milenko Pavlović Memorial Gathering at the Divci Sports Airfield near Valjevo, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces paid tribute today to the former wartime commander of the 204^th Fighter Aviation Regiment, who was killed while heroically defending the sky over our country during the 1999 NATO aggression.

The event started with a memorial service, followed by an impressive flyover of a MiG-29 SM jet and a parachute jump performed by members of the 63^rd Parachute Brigade from 1,200 metres, which was especially enjoyed by the youngest visitors.

Alongside numerous citizens and admirers of the Serbian aviation hero, the event was attended by the Commander of the 204^th Air Brigade, Brigadier General Milan Elenkov, as well as Colonel Milenko Pavlović’s wife, son, and granddaughter.

Colonel Vlada Glišić, Head of the Operations Department in the Air Force and Air Defence Command, said that members of the Air Force took part in both the static and dynamic segments of the event, using H-145 and Mi-17 helicopters, the Lasta training aircraft and the MiG-29 SM.

- The event is an opportunity to help young people understand the importance of patriotism, and to highlight the sacrifice not only of one man, but of the entire pilot community in the defence of the homeland in 1999, as well as all air force personnel in earlier periods. I would also like to invite young people to attend the Open Day on May 16 at the military airfield in Batajnica, as well as on May 23 at the Serbian Armed Forces airfield in Lađevci – emphasized Colonel Glišić, urging young people to apply until the end of the month for aviation study programmes at the Military Academy and the Military Grammar School and to pursue the noble profession of military pilots in the Serbian Armed Forces.

He stressed that Colonel Pavlović’s sacrifice was not only a sacrifice of a pilot carrying out his duty, but a beacon to all defenders of the homeland.

The president of the Valjevo Air Club, Slobodan Andrić, said that in challenging and difficult circumstances, Colonel Milenko Pavlović remained true to his duty and calling, showing that his decision and final flight were a testament to a strong sense of obligation and a readiness to take responsibility when it mattered most.

At the end of the event, pilots from the 204^th Air Brigade gave the youngest visitors helicopter rides in a Mi-17, while first and second-year students from the Military Grammar School’s aviation programme were also in attendance. Members of the Helicopter Unit of the Ministry of the Interior also took part in today’s event.

The ceremonial part of the programme featured performances by the Stanislav Binički Art Ensemble of the Ministry of Defence.

Milenko Pavlović was born on October 5, 1959, in Gornje Crniljevo, municipality of Osečina near Valjevo. He was the wartime commander of the 204th Fighter Aviation Regiment. He died in an air battle against the NATO aggressor over Valjevo on May 4, 1999. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Bravery, Gold Pilot Wings, and the Order of St. Bishop Nikolaj, the highest decoration of the Diocese of Valjevo. Colonel-Pilot Milenko Pavlović military airbase in Batajnica was named after him.