MIG-29 in alternate dress
 

Few are aware that the German Luftwaffe flew Russian-built fighter jets!?
The story is: At the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1998-90 inherited Luftwaffe twenty MIG-29 from the airforce of the east-German DDR-Volksarme and spent subsequent five years time to convert them all to NATO standards, following a designation to MIG 29 G (as in Germany (beside the Germans have a long history of favouring the G ("Gustav") -designation))
In 1999 did Luftwaffe participate in the joint NATO Red Flag air excercise with the converted MIG's and has probably aroused some interest between the contenders ;-)
At the introduction of the Eurofighter in the Luftwaffe went the MIG's retiring and was sold to the Polish Air Force for one Euro each!

As the picture possibility stinks in this forum, You get a link instead:
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../7/0436789.jpg

Given that the Luftwaffe operated them for around ten years, I suspect that it was fairly common knowledge.

Indeed. They staged through Edinburgh on their way, certainly an unusual movement, but no secret.

They had one on static display at RIAT one year. My back door key is still on the "Remove before flight" (in Russian) key ring tag that they were selling. They seemed to keep very separate from the former West Germany unit that was also displaying, and spoke no English! I've got a photo somewhere, see if I can find it.

The Luftwaffe and Navy inherited many former East German aircraft.

RIAT 94 included a Mil Mi-8T Hip 94+12.:8

I have vague memories of Tu-134's being briefly used in communications roles too

AS

There was one TU 154 rebuild into an open skies plane but it had an midair with a US C-141 over Africa. TU 134 were used with the VIP squad to shuttle politicians between Bonn and Berlin and numerous helicopters were used as well as much as smaller aircraft but only for a short period.
So the MIG 29 was, as I recall, the only aircraft used over a longer period of time.

Was a fantastic airshow performer :ok:

I knew an USAF pilot who was flying in an exchange program with the Luftwaffe and in turn flew the MIG29 for several years. Enjoyed every minute of it. Currently teach tactics at Nellis AFB

Wasn't there a GAF Mig-29 at a RIAT in the early 00's that had its display cut short for busting the minimum height? Cottesmore IIRC.

Here's a lengthy interview with the American pilot who was forwarded to the Luftwaffe in the 90s to fly the MiG-29. A long and interesting story, but at the end of it he just gets reassigned somewhere and Uncle Sam never uses the expertise he acquired. Also, you learn that if you're an American wearing a Luftwaffe uniform, you're going to get a lot of compliments on how good your English is.