Monday, November 28, 2005

Strizhi Team will not participate in Al Ain

Urgent news: Strizhi Team will not participate in Al Ain, the visit cancelled. Russian Knights only will fly in January 2006 to Emirates.

Friday, November 25, 2005

Back again

Dear visitors!
I am very sorry for so long being mute :), this is because of work overload.
There were not so much news from the Team, actually main news for today is: it is almost confirmed that Strizhi's 5 MiG-29 and Russkie Vityazi's 5 Su-27 will take part of Al Ain 2006 Airshow.

Monday, August 22, 2005

MAKS 2005, your impressions

Dear colleagues, authors, photo and video cameramen!

Your impression of MAKS '2005 we always welcome to get and save here, with all your needed contacts info and copyrights notices (your rights will be respected and reserved as usual).

Share the bright moments of the show, best and rare shots, which could been taken from unusual points of view, to airmen friends and aviation enthusiasts!

Our server's personal partitions with capabilities of uploading files by ftp, is waiting for you to share that stuff.

Please contact me at admin@strizhi.ru

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

MAKS 2005, a second Day


Guards colonel Gennady Avramenko, from Kubinka afb, after landing:
"Today our flight have been in group of 5 MiGs, everything was OK."

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

MAKS 2005, 1st Day

August 16, Zhukovsky
United diamond of 4 MiG-29 "Strizhi" and 5 Su-27 "Russkiye Vityazi", 1st flight.

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Upcoming MAKS 2005


As you could see below, from August 16 till 21 at Zhukovsky 'Strizhi' will fly over MAKS airfield together with our aerobatic colleagues 'Russkiye Vityazi', almost everyday.
Unfortunately, two our russian Air Force aerobatic teams will not take off and land to MAKS runway, as were published earlier by some sources, so we're still go working on the show from the Kubinka airbase.

For detailed info, visit MAKS official website, in English and Russian

Meanwhile, you could look at our photo collection gathered for many years.

A short description:
"1st_time_in_the_west" – Kubinka's pilots and their MiG-29, first time in the West, in Finland at Rissala ab.
"new_paint" – Strizhi's MiG-29 in a brand new red-blue-white paint, brought to us by RSK MIG corporation in 2003.
"old_guys" – Strizhi's MiG-29 until 2003 year, in their first white-blue paint.
"strizhi_rv" – Strizhi's MiG-29 and Knights' Su-27 in the united aerobatic team, the photos of last and this century.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Short schedule, for August – September 2005

August 16-21, MAKS 2005 at Zhukovsky – 6 MiG-29 "Strizhi", 5 Su-27 "Russkiye Vityazi".

End of August, demo flights dedicated to Millennium of Kazan (Tatarstan, Russian Federation) – united "Strizhi" + "Russkiye Vityazi" aerobatic team.

Thursday, August 11, 2005 colonel Gennady Avramenko, from Brno (Czech Republic) says about Strizhi's visit:
"September 10-11: CIAF 2005 at Brno, Czech Republic, 5 MiG-29 "Strizhi".

End of September: China visit, 5 Su-27 "Russkiye Vityazi".

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

A pyramid of the Swifts over Kubinka

June 22, 2005 Kubinka airbase

Two flights of the 6 MiG-19 'Strizhi' (Swifts) aerobatic group were succesfully completed over the airbase runway. Congratulations to guards colonel Serguey Osyaikin, who have joined the Team as Number Six!
From now the Strizhi Team will fly 6 MiG-29 in pyramid formation.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Looking for a Volunteer!

Dear english-russian-speaking friends, are you foreigners or not, that's does not really matter!

As you could note we have got a English News Blog – http://ruswifts.blogspot.com/ - waiting for your kindly help.

If you're smart enough to create a good English news, you're about to became the Head of this English News Blog. ;)

Of course the source of news is in Russian, your task is to regularly translate the Russian text received by email and to post it in the Blog.

Thanks and sorry for my English,
your admin

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Your help wanted!

Dear visitors!

The pilots of Swifts and Russian Knights display aerobatic teams is asking your help!

Guards colonel Alexander Dyatlov, former leader of Swifts Team (1993-1999) need in serious surgical operation (artificial limb of the hip joint), his life and health are in the big danger now. This operation and placement into hospital will cost at least $5000-6000.

His banking account in details, for those of you who could send the money for this surgery:


Please try to help, if you could.

Yours,
Swifts' and Knights' pilots & crew.

Monday, April 11, 2005

The Aeroclub on the Kubinka!


April 11, 2005. Some great breaking news from Alexander Gornov, former teacher and aerobatic instructor of our today's pilots, now Head of the first in the history aeroclub founded on the Kubinka airbase. The brand new Aviation-Technical Sport Club of ROSTO-DOSAAF (Kubinka's ATSC) just created!

Thursday, April 07, 2005

The 'Big Diamond' flies over Kubinka again!

April 7, 2005. Our aerobatic pilots flew again their Big Diamond formation, within united two-team group of 5 'Russian Knights' Su-27s and our 4 'Swifts' red-blue-white MiG-29s in the sky of Kubinka air force base.



You could look at these group flights in the following topics of our forum:

>> April 20, 2004: the first Big Diamond ever spotted over Kubinka
>> May 12, 2004
>> May 18, 2004
>> Juny 18-19, 2004, the 90th Jubilee of the Orshansky regiment: the irst official demo flight of such a 'Big Diamond' formation
>> MAKS'2004 airshow
>> Hydroavia'2004 at Gelendzhik, near Black Sea

Our forum is available for your comments 24 hours per day!

Friday, February 18, 2005

Q. and A. from the letters

Take a look at the dialogue from the letters, and don't blame us for some kind of English please :). Anyway I think it could be interesting.

Q.
"...First of all, I want to thank you for your magnificient forum, where i've learn a lot of things and get absolutely superb videos and photos..... even if i don't understand russian language (thanks online translator ;-))"
...
1) How are your aerobatic program built ? Is it "drawn" on a paper ? If yes, you could send me an exctract of this ?
2) What are the radio call sign of the group ?
3) Could you explain me the take off and landing procedures ( speed, radio messages, "actions" ) you use during your formation ?
...


A. Hi! Thank you for your questions and interest in us.

1) You asking about Strizhi display program or about common 2-teams program with the Russian Knights' Su-27, in 10, 9, 8 or 4-planes formations?
There is big difference between the both squadrons' programs and there is much more difference and many "hues" in the each, after all I'm afraid that I could not answer to many questions. This is just MUST have to see by yourself... :)

In present time it could be a 6-planes, 5-planes and 4-planes formation program. Each time Strizhi team performing their group formation aerobatic, the program is subject to change. The main reasons is the weather (f.e. low clouds ceiling) and runway conditions, display box sizes and local airshow regulations. Surely the airshow bosses will know about all the program before the show begins.

I'll try to explain, let's consider we are talking about our MiG-29's Team Strizhi.

I. Lining up, run and takeoff in two (pair), three or four planes formation: leader #1, wingman #2 to the left, wingman #3 to the right, and wingman 4 ("slot" or "tail") to the right, right behind wingman #3. 5th wingman (his position in the group is at left edge of "pyramid") taking off alone or with 6th wingman in pair formation.

II. Migs going in the close group in the midair off-screen and return to spectator's area in the "PYRAMID" with 6-migs (or 5-migs) formation, or in the core "RHOMBUS" 4-migs formation.

III. Then, you can look at the aerobatic complex program performed by Strizhi with the:
a) loops and fly-bys,
b) "inclined loops" (75-degrees to the line or horizont loop),
c) flat 360-degrees turns,
d) so-called "battle turn" (turn to 180 degrees at high-G's),
e) fly-bys in "close rhombus", the distances between neighbours are minimal,
f) barrel rolls in group,
g) synchronous barrels of each mig,
h) fly-bys in the left or right line formation, with flare salute (time is subject to change).
j) (a b c) in "ARROW" or other formation
i) "The Tulip" – main "flower" spread performed directly in front to the spectator's area. All the migs is pulling at 7-8G and then build their pattern to quick landing, except leader.
Note that a), b), and c) maneuvers could be performed with and without the gears retracted.

IV. The leader remain in aerobatic area to do his agile solo, performs the loops and those maneuvers with up to 9G, + add the low-speed fly-by at 200-220 km/h., + the bell and salute at the end of show.

The ceiling for all the maneuvers is below 1200-1500 meters, the "bottom" aerobatic line is according local airshow regulations (usually 100-200 meters), speed is 600-800 km/h, angle of attack up to 12-15 degrees in group formation, up to 18-20 degrees in the solo.
The usual sequence is: come to display in 6-planes pyramid, then, after doing some group aerobatics one leaving to land, the rest continue display in 5, ...then one leaving to land, and now continue to display in 4 ("rhombus") core Strizhi formation, ...then you got the flower :), ...then – leader doing solo to the end of his personal show.
All 6-5-4 formation could be rebuild and re-rebuild right before the spectators, this is especially featured.

2) The radio callsign does not any matter, it is just abstract number, f.e. "348" or "712". In case of your team you could assign the callsign before each of your training flights.

3) The radiochatter of formation takeoff I've just described is simple: leader request lining up, check the group already built, and request takeoff. After clearance is granted, the throttle goes froward with the brake is on, we're about to begin the genesis run, the leader command to release brakes, ...speed rise to 200 km/h, pulling up the stick and now the show is beginning! :)

The radiochatter of formation landing is unusual, because of mostly Strizhi have to land alone.
The pair landings were often performed on the many airshows, and have no any special chatter except request and clearance to land – this is just the part of show, pair leader and wingman do their jobs to keep the formation.

Anyway you can always come to see the photos:
http://www.strizhi.ru/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=aerobaticshow;action=display;num=1093052139;start=50, this topic is the best to describe my message. And surely you can dig into the whole Gallery:
http://www.strizhi.ru/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=pilotsphotoglance, please note that Gallery have 6 pages of 15 topics each :).

I'd recommend to open all the topics, and see all the photos and videos to get an idea.

Hope I could help.
Best regards from russian sky!

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Landing at Kubinka Airforce base

All the Team landed at Kubinka 2:30 pm, the return route from UAE (Al Ain->Ashgabat->Astrakhan->Kubinka) is completed.
The photos from snowy runway February 2, 2005. Click to see high-resolution images.




The portraits of the Strizhi (Swifts) pilots is here and the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) is here.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Going home!

All the Team coming home, the airshow was closed.
February 1, our four aerobatic fighters and one Il-76 at Astrakhan, February 2 is the date of return.

Thank all of you in Al Ain!

The many photos from Al Ain is here, please note the continuous numbers of pages.





Friday, January 28, 2005

Flight with Mirage-2000 (UAE) was cancelled

Flight of three-planes formation Mirage-2000 + Su-27 + MiG-29 was cancelled, everything else will be as planned earlier.
Today weather is calm, +27.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Another good day of the Show

Colonel Igor Tkachenko, leader of our united aerobatic team, from Al Ain (UAE):

"Today everything was OK, tomorrow at the end of airshow we will be in three-planes formation: Mirage-2000 + Su-27 + MiG-29."

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

3rd Day of the Show completed.

Today "Strizhi" (Swifts in English) and "Russkiye Vityazi" (Russian Knights in English) performed 3rd rhombus formation flight in the current Al Ain Airshow 2005, our takeoff always scheduled at 4:50 pm.
Current weather conditions at display area: haze because of sand dust in the air, visibility to the sun: 3-4 km, lack of the clouds, well for photographers :).


Now you can get an idea about such a formation. By clicking the link please go view and download the higher resolution (1200x800 pixels) photos taken at Kubinka AFB before, during the first training flights in season Winter 2005.




A closer look to our leader's two-seater MiG-29UB "Sparka 01" taxiing, and to running Su-27UB (Russkie Vityazi).

This is the brand new blue helmet of the Russkiye Vityazi Team - our aerobatic colleagues!



Information about us (note that they called the Team as 'Russian Strizhi') and about all participants on the Al Ain Airshow 2005 official site.