Chelyabinsk Shagol Airport

Chelyabinsk Shagol Airport (also Bakal) is an airport in Russia located in the northwest part of Chelyabinsk. It was the first airport in Chelyabinsk, but now all passenger services are routed through Chelyabinsk Balandino Airport, and Shagol Airport is used by the local pilots' training school, the Chelyabinsk Red Banner Military Aviation Institute of Navigators. In August 2007 it was used in military exercises of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. It was a military bomber training base during the Cold War and had about 35 Tupolev Tu-134 UBLs based as recently as 1995. The airport can park over 40 aircraft.

Kommersant-Vlast indicated in 2005 that the 239 Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment was based here.

Photos of the aircraft stationed in the airport

 * http://www.airliners.net/photo/Russia---Air/Tupolev-Tu-134Sh/1454827/L/&sid=b57c171a46587b04f302038e573b9f2b
 * http://www.airliners.net/photo/Russia---Air/Tupolev-Tu-134UBL/1517763/L/&sid=b57c171a46587b04f302038e573b9f2b
 * http://www.airliners.net/photo/Russia---Air/Tupolev-Tu-134UBL/1428355/L/&sid=b57c171a46587b04f302038e573b9f2b
 * http://www.airliners.net/photo/Russia---Air/Tupolev-Tu-134UBL/1386986/L/&sid=b57c171a46587b04f302038e573b9f2b