PLAAF at Aviadarts-2018 international flight skills competition

The “Aviadarts-2018”, an international flight skills competition among aircrews, took place at Dyagilevo aerodrome in Ryazan (Russia) from 29 July to 11 August 2018. The aircrews of fighter, bomber, attack, army, long-range and military transport aircraft participated in the competition. For the first time ever, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Н-6 and Y-9 aircraft joined the contest representing long-range and transport aviation of China. The Chinese team used Russian aerodromes of Tolmachevo (Novosibirsk) and Koltsovo (Yekaterinburg) as stopover airfields on their way from the permanent airbases in China to the competition site and back under special control of the State ATM Corporation and its air traffic controllers who interacted with the Russian Air Force/PLAAF air control joint staff.

From 19 to 21 July, the Novosibirsk Air Traffic Control Centre personnel of “Western Siberia Air Navigation” branch together with the air control joint staff and PLAAF flight control officers handled a total of 25 movements of various types of combat and transport airplanes operating their flights from Tolmachevo airfield to “Aviadarts-2018” venue. The way back to their homeland airbases covered the period from 12 to 14 August. The return flights coincided with airport’s peak summer period of operations. However, the PLAAF flights did not affect the scheduled operations thanks to robust air traffic services provided at Tolmachevo airport.

All in all, over 60 aircrews from four teams of China, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia took part in the competition. As part of the contest, the pilots demonstrated the level of physical fitness and tested their skills in aerial reconnaissance, flying technique, air-to-ground firing. The Russian team became the champion of the “Aviadarts-2018” with four wins out of seven nominations. By now, all the participants have returned to their home bases.

• 
• 
•