Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: Kladno

Many of the Communist-era ex-CSD stations have stained glass in them, much like earlier 20th-Century stations. This example is from Nadrazi Kladno.

This Airlony Skylane UL, another plane classified as a microlight under Czech regulations, is also operated by Franair, hence the livery. Based aerodynamically on the Cessna Skylane, although only loosely, it is scaled down, and powered by a 100-horsepower Rotax 912 engine (similar to the Zephyr, although Franair's Zephyr only has an 80-horsepower Rotax) rather than the 235-horsepower Lycoming 0-540-J3C5D used in the original Cessna. This makes it smaller than any plane currently made by Cessna other than the Skycatcher, which it can still outperform. It is also far cheaper, although it is a higher-end aircraft than the Atec Zephyr.

This is an Atec Zephyr 2002LS microlight, which is actually Czech made. Microlight planes are fairly popular in the Czech Republic due to their relatively low cost (comparable to a car), and greater capability than a traditional ultralight. In fact, some of them rival lower-end light transports in certain aspects of their performance. Microlights are a legal category used for some planes classified as ultralights in some countries, but not in others (the term "microlight" is used in several jurisdictions). This means that they are heavier than ultralights but lighter than light transports, with some characteristics of both. Many could almost be flown IFR, but generally microlights are only legal for VFR. Therefore, it is common to fly them VFR at under 4,000 feet, at speeds under about 115 m.p.h. or so, compared to about the same speed for a single-engine light transport, and half that speed for a traditional ultralight (even slower in some jurisdictions). The Atec Zephyr is one of the most popular microlights in the Czech Republic, but there has been talk of discontinuing it in favour of the newer Atec Faeta. When I checked the Atec website today, however, it appeared that the Zephyr was still in production. This Zephyr is operated by Franair, a flight school based in Kladno.

Kladno is a junction for local and commuter services in and out of Prague from the Northwest, and this Class 854 DMU had just brought me from Prague. There is also a small airport here, which I visited on my trip.

Increasingly, local services on Ceske Drahy are being taken over by these Class 814 railbuses, in place of the older Class 810's. My understanding is that these are rebuilds of 810's.

Here's another shot showing the other 814 that was waiting in Kladno at that moment, as they appeared to be doing a meet while making their station stops simultaneously.

Here's the old Radnice, or town hall, of Kladno, constructed in 1898, is considered neo-Rennaissance in style. The architect was named Jan Vejrych, which brings up the question of whether he could have been related to Jan Werich, the actor and comedian.

This is the view out the window of the station bar in Nadrazi Kladno. I just shot this because I liked how it looked.

This church has its origins in the 14th Century, but the current building as it stands dates to about 1900. It faces the main square in the center of Kladno, known as Namesti Starosty Pavla, or the "Square of Mayor Paul." I don't know the significance of Paul, and wonder if it really refers to someone of greater importance than a mere mayor.