15/04/2006. Remarks by Bernhard
C. F. Klein: "This aircraft belongs to the Russian aerobatic team "Russian
Knights". The team was formed on April 5, 1991 and flew their first show abroad in
September 1991 in the UK. The team also toured Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Slovakia, the Netherlands and the USA.
Returning from another Malaysian air show, three aircraft were lost on December 12, 1995.
While approaching the Cam Ranh airfield (Vietnam) in adverse weather for refueling the
aircraft (two Su-27Ps and one Su-27UB) flew into a mountain, with the loss of live of
four pilots: Col. Boris Grigoryev, LtCol. Nikolai Grechanov, LtCol. Nikolai Kordyukov
and LtCol. Aleksandr Syrovoy.
A new "Russian Knights" team was formed in early 1996 and it preformed its
first airshow at Gelendzhik in September 1996, flying four Su-27s in a new bright colour
scheme. In 1997 another two aircraft were added and since then the new team has flown
abroad again and performed shows in Austria, China, France and Slovakia."