Air Show by Kaivopuisto park 4.6.

Finnish Air Force’s Hornet multi-role fighter and the FAF’s aerobatic team Midnight Hawks as well as the Finnish Army’s NH90 transport helicopter put on an air show by Kaivopuisto park on 4 June at 1050-1130 hours.

While observing the Hornet multi-role fighter in a close pass, the audience witnesses how the fighter moves and which types of manoeuvres it makes, including awe-inspiring head-on turns also at low altitudes with the flight level limit at 500ft above the surface.

Equipped with top-notch technology, the NH90 transport helicopter equals a versatile and combat-efficient aircraft. As part of its flying display, the transport helicopter, among other things, flies past slowly, makes a chandelle climbing turn and a steep approach as well as hovers. The crew comprises two pilots and in maximum two maintenance experts. The maximum take-off weight of the transport helicopter is 11000 kg and its strategic measures include the length of 19,5 m and the width 16,3 m as measured from the rotors’ outer diameter. The average flight speed is approximately 260 km/h and the maximum speed is estimated 305 km/h.

As Finland celebrates its centenary, the Finnish Air Force’s aerobatic team Midnight Hawks celebrates its own 20-year-long existence. For the past 20 years this aerobatic team, whose members have been selected from the then teaching staff of the Training Air Wing at Kauhava and now of the Air Force Academy at Tikkakoski, has been performing in air shows both in Finland and abroad.

The objective in designing the programme for this year’s air show in particular has been to increase the awe-factor by utilising versatile flight formations. However, rolling out the close diamond formation with the distance between the fighters being only 2 m still continues to be this detachment’s internationally acclaimed trademark.

Now, in honor of Finland’s centenary, the Midnight Hawks has developed a close swan formation which the audience will be able to witness also on 4 June. As part of this swan formation, two aircraft form the neck of the swan and another two aircraft portray the swan’s wings. While performing, the flight speed of the aircraft is approximately 500-800 km/h, and the pilots endure the strain of 6 G forces on their body. Dependent on the cloud altitude, the air show contents require in minimum the cloud altitude of 300 m, and the most optimal circumstances for displaying the contents of the air show prevail when the cloud altitude is at two kilometres.