THE SWIFTS FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION TEAM NEWS

Russian Knights at Bahrain

2012-01-30T00:17:00.001+04:00

Our aerobatic colleagues Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) is back home from Bahrain Airshow! Congratulations!

Below is some shots of Iranic Air Force F-14 Tomcats and F-4 Phantoms escorting our Il-76 and Su-27. Courtesy Russian Knights pilots Oleg Erofeyev and Sergey Schsheglov.

Re-opening the blog

2012-01-29T23:52:00.000+04:00

Dear visitors, we're back to the Blog again.
This blog is re-opening! Additionally, the English website is on, too www.strizhi.info
Thanks for the patience and stay tuned.

Open Day at Kubinka air force base

2006-05-02T14:00:00.000+04:00

6 May 2006.
15th anniversary of Strizhi team (1991-2006).
The really amazing home "birthday" airshow at Kubinka air force base.

Will fly:
9 aircrafts of 2 teams: "Swifts & Knites", with united (new!) flight program
6 MiG-29: "Strizhi" aerobatic team
5 Su-27: "Russkie Vityazi" aerobatic team

and "Kubinka ATSK" aeroclub some sports aircrafts will perform!...

Strizhi Team will not participate in Al Ain

2005-11-28T15:12:00.000+03:00

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

Back again

2005-11-25T17:11:00.000+03:00

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.

MAKS 2005, your impressions

2005-08-22T14:54:00.000+04:00

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

MAKS 2005, a second Day

2005-08-17T13:21:00.000+04:00

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

MAKS 2005, 1st Day

2005-08-16T17:25:00.000+04:00

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

Upcoming MAKS 2005

2005-08-11T17:11:00.000+04:00

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.

Short schedule, for August – September 2005

2005-08-03T19:08:00.000+04:00

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".

A pyramid of the Swifts over Kubinka

2005-06-22T16:36:00.000+04:00

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.

Looking for a Volunteer!

2005-06-16T19:43:00.000+04:00

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

Your help wanted!

2005-04-13T21:33:00.000+04:00

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.

April 12, Big Diamond over Kubinka

2005-04-12T17:20:00.000+04:00

The Aeroclub on the Kubinka!

2005-04-11T14:19:00.000+04:00

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!

The 'Big Diamond' flies over Kubinka again!

2005-04-07T22:05:00.000+04:00

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!

Q. and A. from the letters

2005-02-18T15:19:00.000+03:00

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!

Landing at Kubinka Airforce base

2005-02-02T13:45:00.000+03:00

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.

Going home!

2005-02-01T20:17:00.000+03:00

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.

Flight with Mirage-2000 (UAE) was cancelled

2005-01-28T14:45:00.000+03:00

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.

Another good day of the Show

2005-01-27T18:39:00.000+03:00

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."

3rd Day of the Show completed.

2005-01-26T11:00:00.000+03:00

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.

Russians are here!

2005-01-19T17:01:00.000+03:00

Finally all the Team landed at Al Ain, UAE!

2 Su-27UB "Russkiye Vityazi", 2 MiG-29UB "Strizhi" and transport Il-76 landed at Al Ain airport, United Arab Emirates.

Our first training flights at Al Ain scheduled in January 22, the demonstration flights will begin from January 24 with the program of common two-team "rhombus" of Su-27 and Mig-29.
-
The map of the succesfully completed cross-countries flights, click to see

"Strizhi" and "Russkiye Vityazi" flight to Al Ain

2005-01-17T22:00:00.000+03:00

2 MiG-29 "Strizhi" and 2 Su-27 "Russkiye Vityazi" with transport Il-76 has started their flight to Al Ain, UAE.

Happy New Year!

2004-12-31T11:56:00.000+03:00

Dear visitors, the Strizhi team pilots and the site administration wishes all the best regards for you!
Happy New Year and good luck!

Training flights began at Kubinka

2004-12-10T21:39:00.000+03:00

December 10, 2004 - The successful trainings of rhombus formation of 2 Su-27 'Russkiye Vityazi' (Russian Knights) and 2 MiG-29 'Strizhi' (Swifts) aerobatic teams at Kubinka airforce base.

November 15, 2004 - Back at Kubinka!

2004-11-15T23:30:00.000+03:00

Monday, November 15, 2004.
10:48 AM, Kubinka AFB.
This morning the Strizhi (The Swifts) Team passed over the runway in 'pyramid' formation, the guys having finished their long trip home from Zhuhai, South China!
The very first photos:

For those of you who can read russian I'd like to highly recommend to read a short report brought to you right from Kubinka airforce base runway!
Full version of this article is here, include many photos taken at Kubinka AFB in November 15.

November 14, 2004 - Our MiGs fly home from South Siberia!

2004-11-14T05:13:00.000+03:00

Lieutenat Colonel Vlad Russanov, from Belaya AFB (South Siberia)
"Headed for Novosibirsk."
Later today the Team succesfully landed at Novosibirsk and then at Ekaterinburg, having crossed over Siberia and the Ural region.
Where's the Swifts Team today?

Click here to see daily updated map of current flight route.
Last updated November 14, 2004.

Strizhi (The Swifts) Team movie in English

2004-11-12T20:25:00.000+03:00

The Swifts video is now available in English! If you are interested in our team aerobatics video, please
download our movie from here (176 mb).

Or, choose the 2nd mirror server (North America) to download this file.

I'd love to show you some images taken from this movie:

--
Feel free to add comments, your impressions are always welcome!

November 12, 2004 - Back in Russia!

2004-11-12T14:34:00.000+03:00

Friday, November 12, 2004.
As the pilots said, "Both legs of today's hop are complete. We've landed at Belaya airforce base, crossing over Northern China and Mongolia in a single day ". Flight time from Ulan Baatar: 50 minutes, early from Zhengding: 2:05.

Where's the Swifts Team today? Click here to see a daily updated map of the current flight route.
Last updated November 12, 2004.

November 11, 2004 – Team lands at Zhengding, flight time from Wuhan: 1:55.

2004-11-11T14:16:00.000+03:00

Thursday, November 11, 2004.
Lieutenant colonel Valery Morozov, from Zhengding (China):

"The second leg of today's hop is complete, we are all at Zhengding airport", flight time: 1:55.

Where's the Swifts Team today? Click here to see a daily updated map of the current flight route.
Last updated November 11, 2004.

November 11, 2004 - The Team begins their trip home!

2004-11-11T10:24:00.000+03:00

Thursday, November 11, 2004.
Lieutenant colonel Valery Morozov, from Wuhan (China):

"We have landed at Wuhan". All 5 MiGs of the Team have landed at Wuhan around 7:00 AM, Moscow local time.

Where's the Swifts Team today? Click here to see a daily updated map of the current flight route.
Last updated November 11, 2004.

November 10, 2004 - Bad weather conditions at Zhuhai

2004-11-10T14:15:00.000+03:00

Colonel Gennady Avramenko, from Zhuhai (South China):

Wednesday, November 10, 2004.
"We are not flying out today because of bad weather reports. Best regards from China!"
Where's the Swifts Team today?
Click here to see a daily updated map of the current flight route. Last updated November 10, 2004.

November 7, 2004 - Last 2 official demonstration flights at Airshow China

2004-11-07T13:10:00.000+03:00

Lieutenant colonel Valery Morozov, from Zhuhai:

Sunday, November 7, 2004.
Today, we succesfully flew our last 2 group demonstration flights over Zhuhai airport, at the Airshow China 2004. The scheme of both flights was 5+4+1.
Now the show is closed, we are heading home on November 10.

November 6, 2004 - Another 2 official demonstration flights at Airshow China

2004-11-06T11:00:00.000+03:00

Lieutenant colonel Valery Morozov, from Zhuhai:

Saturday, November 6, 2004.
Today, our MiGs flew another two group demonstration flights over Zhuhai airport, at the ongoing Airshow China 2004.
The scheme of flights was: 1st flight = 4+1, 2nd flight = 5+4+1.

November 5, 2004 - 2nd official demonstration flight at Airshow China

2004-11-05T11:00:00.000+03:00

14:00 Friday, November 5, 2004.
Today, all five of our MiGs flew for the 2nd successful group demonstration flight over Zhuhai airport, at the ongoing Airshow China 2004.

November 4, 2004 - 1st official demonstration flight at Airshow China

2004-11-04T10:05:00.000+03:00

14:00 Thursday November 3, 2004.
Today, all five of our MiGs flew for the 1st group demonstration flight over Zhuhai airport, at official opening the Airshow China 2004.

November 3, 2004 - 1st practice demonstration flight over Zhuhai airport

2004-11-03T13:15:00.000+03:00

12:00 Wednesday November 3, 2004.
Today, all five of our MiGs flew for the 1st group training demonstration flight over Zhuhai airport, before official opening the Airshow.

November 1, 2004 - 5 of our MiGs landed at Zhuhai!

2004-11-01T22:25:00.000+03:00

November 1, 2004 - Five of our MiGs landed at Zhuhai!
Tonight our group of five MiG-29s flew over the airport and succesfully landed at Zhuhai, having flown a distance of 2330 km over China in a single day.

Last news: November 3 is the main rehearsal day.

Sunday, October 31 - The Team landed at Hohhot, China

2004-10-31T13:58:00.000+03:00

Sunday, October 31.
12:50 PM (Moscow local time), the team landed at 1st waypoint in China – Hohhot airfield.

The Team landed at Ulaan Baatar

2004-10-29T13:47:00.000+04:00

October 29, 2004 7:30 AM (Moscow local time)
'All the migs landed at Ulan Batar', said in a short phone conversation lieutenant colonel Valery Morozov, Swifts #5 wingman. He stay in the centre on this photo.

Today's early morning photos from Ulan Bator.

Author of photos - Gankhuyag Ganbold, thank you so much!

Swifts will perform their show of 5 MiG-29 'pyramid' formation.

Swifts fly to visit China

2004-10-26T20:00:00.000+04:00

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2004
The Swifts take off to visit The People’s Republic of China

Six MiG-29s from the Swifts team are headed for Zhuhai, southeast China, to perform at Airshow China 2004, held from the 1st through the 7th of November.

The planned flight route will take the team thousands of miles eastward across Russia and then swing southeast through Mongolia and China:

Schedule of the ongoing cross-Siberian hop of six MiG-29s:
(Moscow local time)

October 22, 2004
Take off from home airbase at Kubinka.
1:05 PM: team landed at Ekaterinburg.

October 23, 2004
11:20 AM: team landed at Novosibirsk.

October 24, 2004
11:38 AM: team landed at Belaya airbase, in the Irkutsk region.

October 29, 2004 - The planned date to cross the Russian Federation - Mongolian border.

October 29, 2004
7:30 AM: 6 MiG-29 landed at Ulan Batar, capital of Mongolia.

Welcome to the Swifts Flight Demonstration Team!

2004-10-26T18:12:00.000+04:00

This blog was created for the purpose of supporting our official website www.strizhi.ru, which is mostly Russian for the moment.
It is intended to be a short relay system for our news in English. Hold short for updates...

See you!