The Air Force is a special type of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. They were created to protect airspace from invasion, repel military attacks and conduct reconnaissance missions.
On August 12, 2012, Russia celebrated the centenary of the creation of the Air Force. The Air Force was officially founded on August 12, 1912. It was then that an order was issued and signed to create an aeronautical unit of the General Staff's Main Directorate. The holiday itself is young, it was approved by the decree of the President of Russia only on May 31, 2006.
The centenary of the Russian Air Force was celebrated throughout the country. However, the most ambitious event was held in Zhukovsky near Moscow. It took place for three days on the territory of the transport and exhibition complex "Russia". More than a hundred aircraft and helicopters took part in the Open Skies 2012 event.
The aviation holiday program began on Saturday 11 August. It consisted of two blocks. Restored aircraft from the First and Second World Wars took part in the first block "Legends of World Aviation". The second block "Common Sky" was held with the participation of modern aviation technology.
The next day, the air show was opened by airborne paratroopers, three out of ten held the flags of Russia, the Air Force and the Ministry of Defense. And immediately after their landing, six planes painted the sky in the colors of the state tricolor. After that, 21 Air Force planes flew over the spectators, lining up with the number 100.
On the second day of the holiday, viewers could watch the flight of retro planes. This part of the program was called "Winged Memory of Victory". During it, aircraft of the first half of the 20th century were demonstrated. The most rare, still functioning of them, was "Bleriot" in 1912. It is worth noting that the planes took off and landed directly on the ground, as was the case at the beginning of the last century.
In addition to Russian aviation equipment, aerobatic teams from Italy, Finland, Poland and Great Britain took part in the event and demonstrated their skills. In a single copy, aircraft from France and Israel were presented.
