Evidently For People ...

 ... without class and culture it was a show-off. While in reality Russian Knights performed a "Missing Man" routine. 

A tribute was paid to Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who died in a crash on Friday

I don't know how else can one explain to ass-hole what it means sending a pilot into the sky, for eternal patrol ... 

In related news--fuck you ass-holes. Learn what class is ... 

To Finish Off...

 ... this wonderful Monday before Thanksgiving, and believe me, I still view Blue Angels as one of the top... two formation flying teams in the world, but Russian Knights came up with formation... Kolokol (Bell) routine and there is not a single plane which could do this, let alone in formation. As much as F-18 Super-hornet is a great plane, Su-35 flies in a different universe. Here is Zhuhai's Russian Knights just ... showing off, alright. 

Russian Knights At Zhuhai...

For now just training. 

 

Totally Expected.

But it doesn't matter--main events are always held behind the closed doors. 

DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Russian arms makers appear to have been kept to a low profile at this week's Dubai Airshow, underscoring how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sought to balance its ties with the West and Moscow. Unlike past shows, Russian participation has been limited to the very end of the outdoor area where state-arms makers are exhibiting inside their own pavilion rather than in the main hall. "We have been put a bit away, outside the main pavilion," said a Russian arms industry executive, who declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

As they note, however, Russian Knights have been more than well--represented. As multiple videos show, they have been one of the highlights. 

But then again, it is Reuters. Other outlets report a different picture. 

DUBAI AIRSHOW — Despite the continuation of large scale military operations in Ukraine, Russia pitched up at the Dubai Airshow this year with an imposing industry presence, complete with a standalone national pavilion and a variety of fixed-wing, uncrewed, rotary, space and air defense systems, and air-launched missiles. Many of the firms showing off their wares at Al Maktoum International Airport are under sanction from Washington and its allies. But the open participation of Russian firms has not apparently led the US to lodge a protest with the UAE or show organizers. Asked by Breaking Defense if it had any concerns around the UAE continuing to host the Russian Federation at international trade shows, a US State Department official speaking on background said, “We recognize and acknowledge that countries make their own sovereign decisions about diplomatic and defense engagements. We refer you to the Emirati defense ministry to speak to their defense procurement plans.”

But I have news for those who do not know--shows like these are... well, shows. Signing of the contracts and study of the military hardware is done not at such shows, it is done prior through years of study and research, especially in combat conditions. Guess from three times where the real first serious war in the last 70+ years happens now and how US and Russian hardware compare there. I guess you know the answer. With Sukhoi S-75 getting ready for serial production with AL-51F engine and cutting edge avionics, one has to assume that... Western "analytical" outlets on aviation are full o' shit, like this rag:

Rework Means Delay. The Sukhoi Design Bureau started detailed design of the Su-75 in early 2020, and the LTS-M demonstrator was completed by the Sukhoi KnAAZ plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in May 2021. The same plant is working on the next test aircraft, and future serial aircraft are planned to be produced there.United Aircraft Corp. CEO Yury Slyusar says two test aircraft are under construction and four will be produced in all. It is unknown if he counted the LTS-M mockup in his total.

Sour grapes and butt-hurt begin to dominate Western media.

Yes, we all heard this story before--sanctions, microchips, washing machines. What do ya know.

Aerobatic Teams.

An interesting point. There is no doubt that Russian Knights and Swifts aerobatic teams are ONE OF the best in the world. Certainly top 5-6. In terms of solos they ARE the best in the world due to maneuvering characteristics of MiG-29s (Swifts) and SU-30 SMs (Russian Knights). Now Russian Knights transitioned to a combat aircraft which generally defies aerodynamics--SU-35C. 

It is a massive upgrade and one can only imagine what those planes will be doing at the air shows. They will be stealing it. Go to around 6:20 (if you want to skip other mind-boggling maneuvers) in this video and prepare to pick your jaw from the floor. 

But having said all that, I, in full consciousness, can not say that Russian Knights are ultimately the best. One of the best? Absolutely! Probably even top-2. But I have to admit that as a team  (formation) flying Blue Angels deliver. Their, namely team, flying is so amazing, that it is impossible to deny. It is insanely clean and tight. 

 Here are Knights in Lima, Peru. 

Basically, top 5-7 teams in terms of formation flying are very closely matched: Thunderbirds, Swifts, Patroille de France, Frecce Tricolore etc. Plus, I hate all those fanboys' ratings of "top-10 best whatever", but in terms of formation flying the Blue Angels are probably the top team in the world. For now. And even this position is hotly contested by the number of superb aerobatic teams all around the globe and that is why I prefer a more neutral definition--one of the best in the world, because there is more than one. Let them all just give us all joy doing what they do best--beautiful flying.    

A Fighter-Writer.

I remember when Jeff Ethell died. My heart wasn't in the right place all day long. He was this real American--curious, sharp, charming and...well, what Americans must be. He was first to break through to Russian Air Force in its worst decade of rot and under-funding and he did a famous PBS show Top Gun Over Moscow. It was 20 years ago. It was then that Jeff stated this seemingly obvious thing (at 2:54), things changed dramatically since then:

I still love Blue Angels, I saw them doing flybys about 100 feet from my 32nd floor office in Columbia Tower in 1993. It was magnificent (and loud, even through thick glass). Today, they will be sued for doing this since... you know, too many people will feel uncomfortable, especially those metrosexuals. But, it is always a magnificent Eddie Van Halen's solo which gets you because...it is flying. Here are some Russian Knights on their brand new SU-30SMs in Malaysia several days ago:

  

But, of course, nothing beats the original;-) And yes, this damn guitar solo!!!