Re. Interflug. I heard from my East German friends that they had good service.
Friend Mario would use them SXF/BUD often. On his last flight, it was a different
type of service. He had been caught trying to escape from the Hungarian border
into Yugoslavia, shot at, and arrested, His interrogation was a prison near the
Hilton hotel in Budapest for 10 days before being flown back to SXF with two
other chaps who had been caught trying to escape on a train. This flight was
not the regular IF TU134, but Erich Honecker's personal aircraft. Honecker had
started with an !L14, then a IL18, TU134, and IL62. and eventually an A310.
The a/c flew in Interflug markings. When Honecker was on board, he had his
"Butler", Lothar Herzog wear an Interflug uniform. Herr Herzog was tall, good
looking, and armed with a pistol. He flew with Honecker to 30 countries, and
finally was fired by Honecker as he could get on with Honecker's dog at the
Honecker house in the Waldlitz ghetto. Herr Herzog wrote his memoirs in a
book "Honecker privat", which was both funny, and enlightening. I gave my
copy along with the Mario Roellig's dvd "Der Ost Komplex" to German born
Channel 4 Europe editor Matt Frei., as he had expressed an interest in the
subject. I am still waiting for a "Thank you" email or letter from him. now over
two years ago.
I frequently visit the Netherlands, and love to visit Tuege Airport, near Apeldoorn,
where Honecker's personal IL18 DDR-SEY has been converted into a very
luxurious hotel suite. Each Honnie flight would carry a case with several
thousand US$ cash to pay for fuel if required.
Apart from AY, KL,LO, RB, operating from SXF, I think SQ also flew SXF-SIN
Lance Shippey