There's a fighter jet 'parked' in a random parking lot in Europe that doesn't make sense until you discover what used to be here
Published on Apr 04, 2026 at 12:34 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 07, 2026 at 8:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
There’s a place in Europe where you can go to work and literally park next to a fighter jet.
It is, admittedly, ‘protected’ by a flimsy metal fence, but other than that, it’s within touching distance.
On the face of it, the jet is parked in a random lot near a gas station and some office space in an area of a city that’s half residential and half industrial.
But it all makes sense when you realize that the aircraft is older than nearly everything else around it.
This is where you can find the jet
The jet’s in bad condition, and it’ll never fly again.
It is in such bad shape that it’s also hard to tell exactly what it is.
However, most reports agree that this is a Soko J-22 Orao, an ancient fighter jet used in the former Yugoslavia – land of the iconic Yugo.
But if you squint, it’s also vaguely reminiscent of the Dassault Mirage III.
The location is interesting because the jet stands out against the background of Eastern Bloc-era buildings.
But stands out even more against the new backdrop of modern glass-and-steel buildings, including the HQ of Rivian, built over the last decade or so.
The plane is so decrepit it almost looks like a deliberate work of art.
Among other things, it’s parked on its own wings.
Odd.
The entire city ‘grew’ around it
You don’t have to go far back in time to find a landscape that looked completely different.
There are people alive today who might be old enough to remember when this area of Belgrade, Serbia – called Airport City – was just a giant beach on the Sava river in Southeast Europe, with nothing but a few buildings, one of which was the original airport.
Hence why there’s a random fighter jet on display here.
Then the airport was relocated to another area, and this part of the city was quickly repurposed and redeveloped as both an industrial and a residential area.
So this aircraft is like a tree.
It was ‘planted here’ as a reminder of what had been here before, and then the rest of the town grew around it
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
