The Russian aerobatic team "Russian Knights" launched its first aerobatic show in Zhangjiajie, Central China's Hunan Province Friday afternoon.

A SU-27 fighter jet took off at 2:55 p.m., followed by four Su-27 fighter jets. The performance lasted for about half an hour.

The five Su-27 fighter jets buzzed over the airfield in various formations and displayed stunt flying techniques including swooping down, flying head to head, mid-air rolling or flying backwards.

The display attracted about 20,000 aviation enthusiasts at the airfield and thousands of spectators at a nearby park. Many locals also tried to get glimpses of the aircraft from the roof of their homes.

The three-day air show, staged by the stunt flying team from the Russian Air Force, included performances by 10 Russian aircrafts including SU-27 fighter jets, SU-30 fighter jet, IL-78 re-fueling tanker and Yak-52 sport plane.

The aerobatic performance in Zhangjiajie is in celebration of China's Year of Russia, which includes a wide range of cultural and economic exchanges between China and Russia throughout the year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2006)