Russian champions arrive to participate in 'Al Ain Aerobatic Show 2006'

These aircraft will be magnificently flown by the renowned 'Russian Knights' who have recently arrived at Al Ain International Airport to participate in 'Al Ain Aerobatic Show 2006' to be held under the patronage of His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, with participation of more than 40 countries from 11 to 15 January 2006.

The 'Russian Knights' team was created in 1991, and has been provided by the Kupinak Air Base with the finest pilots who have excelled in flying the 4th Generation aircraft of the fighter Su-27. The 'Russian Knights' are part of the Russian Air Force Aerobatic Show Center, and the Sukhoi fighter - the team's aircraft - has been the spine of the Russian Military Forces. Due to the advanced technology and significance of this aircraft at war, trainings were done in secrecy, and just seeing it has been a dream for flying fans around the world.

The participation of the 'Russian Knights' with Sukhoi fighters in 'Al Ain 2005' makes it the first air show for this type of fighters in the Arab World and the entire Middle East. Two Su-27 and two Mig-29 fighters were flown last year, while five Su-27 fighters will be flown in for 'Al Ain 2006'. The show will start with formations of the five fighters for 35 minutes, and then two of them will perform extremely demanding displays and acrobatics rarely seen around the world. Finally, the team's leader will offer a breathtaking solo performance. He is a test pilot and one of the best in Russia, and has flown various aircraft, such as the F-16, F-18 and Mirage 2000.

During 'Al Ain 2006', the daily close-down will be with the spectacular Su-27 sunset display. The end of each display will be marked by throwing thermal balloons, which are usually used to avoid the missiles of the enemy fighters, to give an extremely stunning view. Many aerobatic teams around the world fly sport and training aircraft, and even light fighters, but the 'Russian Knights' are the only team that performs formations on heavy fighters.

The average total weight of the team's six aircraft is approximately 150 tons during performance, and the total length of their wing spans is more than 75 meters, which makes flying these heavy aircraft at air shows a real challenge. It is well known that the heavier the aircraft, the harder it is to control when flying in formation, but the unique and splendid performance of the Su-27 heavy fighters has well contributed to developing aerobatic shows. Combining the high performance capacity of the Su-27 fighter with the broad experience of the pilots of the Kupinak Air Base, the display of the 'Russian Knights' is really mind-blowing.

The first air show for the 'Russian Knights' outside Russia was in the United Kingdom in September 1991, and since then the team has become a main regular participant in the biggest aerobatic competitions around the world. They have performed in Malaysia, USA, France, Holland, Canada, Slovakia, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, and China. They also offer outstanding displays during the Moscow International Aerobatic Show organized at the Grumov Air Base in Jokovski.

Last June, the 'Russian Knights' started to use in acrobatic flying Su-35 modern fighters of the '+4' Generation. These aircraft are considered a transitional type between the currently used 4th Generation aircraft and those of the 5th Generation, the design of which is under way, and they are characterized by new component parts, digital technology, and high maneuver capacity during slow flight.