Pilots of the Russian Air and Space Forces and pilots of helicopters of the Syrian army began preparations for the flight of the aviation parade formation for Victory Day at the Khmeimim airbase. The first joint rehearsal was successful, pilot Nikolai Petrov told reporters.
"There are no difficulties for the level and class of our pilots, they pass in the parade calculations not for the first time. I think it will not be difficult to carry out all the activities to prepare for a quality parade formation. [They] have participated in parades, but at home, on their home soil. In the Syrian Arab Republic for the first time," he said.
Russian army aviation helicopters Ka-52, Mi-35, Mi-8AMTSh, Syrian Gazelles and Mi-24 helicopters paraded over the airbase at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour and an altitude of 100 meters. Russian military transport aircraft, AN-26, IL-20 and AN-72, flew at a speed of 350 km/h at an altitude of 200 meters. The IL-76 and two MiG-29 fighters followed by two Su-34 fighter-bombers flew at an altitude of 500 km/h. The pair of frontline bombers Su-24M and fighters Su-35S followed at a speed of 600 km/h at the altitude of 200 meters and two Mig-29 finished the flight.
"The parade formation is opened by the AN-26 aircraft because it suits best by its speed characteristics. Keeping up with it, it is easier to keep the interval and distance," explained Petrov.
Helicopter formation
In his turn, Mi-35 helicopter pilot Alexander Smirnov told about the first training of Russian pilots on the ground. "We stand behind each other and walk on foot as we will fly in the air. After that, when there is a 'walk to fly', there is a readiness check - this is knowledge of aviation equipment, knowledge of your actions, what you will do, who and where you will be, when you will be," he specified.
According to him, helicopters will fly over the airbase at intervals of 30 seconds.
The Russian helicopters will be followed by Syrian helicopters. "We are very pleased to fly in formation with the Russian pilots, especially on such a festive day. We are now practicing all the nuances of joint actions in the air, the order of formation and overflight. We also want to show everyone our skills. It will be a spectacular show," said General Hamid Ibn Abbas, a Syrian air force participant in the parade formation.
Engine thrust
Ivan Alekseev, assistant commander of the An-72, said the hardest part was keeping the time intervals and distance intervals. "In this case, the distance between us was 4 km - between the planes - and 30 seconds in time. That's the hardest part, because the planes have different engine thrusts, different flight characteristics," he explained.
The first rehearsal, he said, was successful. "The time to reach the point of the demonstration was kept to one second thanks to the professionalism of our crew. This was not the first time we had participated in such events, the crew took part in the May 9th parade over Red Square, which allowed us to gain experience and show it here in Syria," he said.
The pilot noted that preparations for Victory Day at the Khmeimimim airbase and in Moscow are virtually no different. "The responsibility is equally big both here and there. What people look at us there, what people look at us here. Our task is to get to the point in time," Alekseev added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS