GELENDZHIK, Krasnodar Territory. Sept 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Over 120 Russian and foreign companies will exhibit their achievements in amphibious and deck aviation development at the Gidroaviasalon 2004 air show, a spokesman for the show's organizers committee told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"Gidroaviasalon 2004 will open at the experimental and testing facility of the Taganrog-based Beriev aircraft research and technical corporation and at the airport of the Russian Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik on Thursday. During the show, the A-40 Albatross, BE-200, BE-200ChS, BE-103, and BE-12P amphibians, as well as the KA-32S Helix, KA-27 Helix, KA-50 Hokum, MI-14PS Haze, and MI-26T Halo helicopters, and other aircraft will be exhibited both on the ground and in the air," the spokesman said.
Gidroaviasalon's flight program includes group water take- off and landing of amphibians, water dropping on a simulated fire epicenter, and parachute jumps. Participants in the air show will see the flight of TU-142 and IL-28 May anti-submarine planes.
"Gidroaviasalon will also involve ground-based planes and helicopters. Military pilots of the Russian Knights and Swifts aerobatics teams based in Kubinka outside Moscow will demonstrate their skills in the skies over Gelendzhik, flying SU-27 Flanker and MIG-29 Fulcrum planes," the spokesman said.
The air show will feature a research and technical conference on hydro-aviation. "It will be the largest and most authoritative conference since the start of air shows in Gelendzhik. The number of applications has already doubled as compared to that of the previous show, and applications keep on coming. The conference is expected to involve companies from Ukraine, Israel and Germany, as well as leading Russian aircraft building companies that specialize in developing amphibians and sea-based aircraft," the spokesman noted.