In 1991, at the Kubinka Air Base a new Russian Air Force aerobatics team was born: the Strizi ( Swifts ). Pilots at Kubinka had been flying since 1984 in close 6 aircraft formation, but they were officially recognized on May 6, 1991, when they carried out a demonstration under the name Strizhi. The aerobatic performance demonstrator team flies the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum. The Strizhi aerobatic team has conducted 50 demonstration flights on an annual basis since 1991. Its pilots have visited in excess of 28 foreign states. The team traditionally participates in Tushino air parades and Zhukovsky air shows. The team’s pilots have repeatedly carried out demonstration flights during numerous celebrations, devoted to anniversaries of various cities, including the 850th anniversary of Moscow. This video present the story of these amazing pilots.
This is some great footage from the 2005 Moscow Military Parade. Must have been quite a sight. Stars of the event were the Sukhoi Su-27s and the MiG-29s belonging to the Russian Knights air display team and the Strizhi ( Swifts ). Great in cockpit footage showing formation flying and approach to the parade. Best of all is the Big Diamond formation consisting of five Russian Knights Su-27s and four Strizhi MiG-29s.

