The performance by the Russian aerobatic team, the Russian Knights, came as a surprise at the 2025 Dubai Airshow. We saw them landing in the dark as we were leaving the show on the first day, and it wasn't immediately clear to us what kind of aircraft they were. To be honest, they didn't impress; the guys clearly haven't had much practice. As a plane spotter, however, I was satisfied, since I saw them for the first—and possibly the last—time.
Dubai Airshow. With my school Russian I managed to lure the ubiquitous agents aside. The plane is interesting overall, but you can't go into detail. The rough visible welds, the mismatch and gaps in the doors, the runny paint, all this speaks of the quality of the Russian workmanship.
Not necessarily the best airshow that I've attended but certainly the most memorable, was the Russian Air Force 100th Anniversary Show at Zhukovsky during August 2012. One of those memories was the only time that I've seen the mighty Antonov AN-22 'Cock' in the air. Equally memorable was the fantastic noise produced by its contra-rotating props.
