Guests and citizens of the Moscow Region have never seen such an aviation event before. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the ‘Russian Knights’ and ‘Strizhi’ aerobatic teams an outstanding airshow has been held at the Kubinka based Centre foe Display of Aviation Equipment. See the Warmy’s picture story of aerobatic teams’ birthday celebration.
First point of the flight program was a 5 Mi-27 pass-through headed by the leader – the Il-76 military transport aircraft. ‘Ilyusha’ is taking off.
3 aircraft of the ‘Russian Knights’ are following him.
As well as a pair of 27s.
Fighters have dipped below the horizon. Meanwhile, Mi-28N ‘Night hunters’ of the ‘Berkuts’ (Gloden Eagles) aerobatic team getting into the strip.
Spectators have never had a chance of seeing combat equipment so close – the helicopters just a dozen and a half meters away.
‘Berkuts’ pilots greet the guests of Kubinka.
It deserves saying that helicopter pilots started surprising the guests when on the earth. One of the pilots is making the ‘Night hunter’ jump, as if out of impatience.
Helicopters are lining up in pairs and getting ready for the take-off.
Each of the four craft is going up, turning to the crowd, greeting the spectators and going down.
‘Berkuts’ are waiting for the take-off command while a ‘Strizhi’ pilot is performing a MiG-29UB solo flight.
At last, it lands and is rolling to the parking along the ‘stand’.
A few minutes later a large escort of ‘Russian Knights’ is moving over the airfield.
The Il-76 Big Guy is flying aside and the ‘Knights’ are starting the group flight.
At first, five together…
…then four.
The four Su-27 accelerate, gain height and perform their signature maneuver – the break up with heat traps launching, afterwards appears a shade picture of an angel.
Another pair of fighters start landing and just two ‘Knights’ remain in the sky. They are demonstrating a most dangerous maneuver – the opposite course.
After that, one of the fighter jets start landing, the second flies far away from the airfield. Spectators greet one of the ‘Knights’ on the strip.
The quad of ‘Berkuts’ takes off and dips behind the horizon, then appears again along with a fighter jet. A unique maneuver is being performed over Kubinka. The Su-27 heavy fighter jet is flying with the Mi-28N ‘Night hunters’ in single formation.
The difficulty of the maneuver is that the aircraft is moving at a minimum speed of 220-230 kmh (the Su-27 stalling speed is close to 200 kmh).
The aircraft pilot gives full throttle and rushes up while ‘Berkuts’ break up and launch the heat traps.
The ‘Swifts’ are up in the sky!
They are now performing a six Mig-29 group flight.
As soon as ‘Strizhi’ fly away, the time comes for the piston engine aviation. Svetlana Kapanina, the world’s famous female-pilot, performs.
Aviators from the ‘First flight’ club follow her performance.
Two pilots on the Yak-52 are maneuvering around their flagship, the Piper PA 23-250…
…and draw a heart impaled by an arrow in the sky.
The Ka-52 ‘Alligator’ raises in the sky.
The pilot performs maneuvers at low height (sometimes the craft is likely to scrape the earth), then gains height and launches heat traps.
A bit later the ‘Berkuts’ repeat the launch. At first four together…
…then their commander colonel Andrei Popov performs launches.
Fighter jets take off again.
Here comes the highlight of the of the event. Kubinka diamond is in the sky!
Five heavy Su-27 of the ‘Russian Knights’ make a few passes-through over the spectators in close formation with the quad of MiG-29 of the ‘Strizhi’. After that, the MiGs quit the formation…
…The ‘Knights’ make another ‘angel’ break up.
After shooting, the Su-27 come in for landing, however, they move not to the parking but straight to the spectators.
They park the fighter jets in front of the spectators.
The crowd is admired.
The brightest show in the history of the Centre for Display of Aviation Equipment is over.
Victor Bondarev, Commander in Chief of the Aerospace Forces said: “We have outperformed everyone! We can! And there is no need to hide it”.
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