Stunt pilots from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force exhibited their superb flying feats yesterday, dazzling 11,000 viewers with spectacular acrobatic performances at Nanyuan Airport in the southern suburbs of Beijing.

The pilots, part of the "August First" Aerobatics Team, performed two dozen flight manoeuvres in a half-hour stunt show, staged to commemorate the centennial anniversary of aviation for human beings.

After the air show, 27 male and female parachuters with the PLA Air Force, arranged into seven groups, thrilled the onlookers with their mid-air performances.

The air show started with six F7 EB fighter jets skimming over the rostrum in a tight formation, with only 5 metres in between the wings.

One of the most breathtaking feats was when two jets flew in a head-on course from opposite directions.

They were only 30 metres apart when they passed each other in mid-air at a relative speed of 1,300 kilometres an hour.

The F7 EB jet is an improved version of the domestically produced F7 fighter plane. With a maximum speed of Mach 2 (roughly 2,400 kilometres an hour), the one-pilot jet may reach an altitude of 18,300 metres.

The "August First" Aerobatics Team was established in 1962.

During the last four decades, it has given stunt performances for VIP guests from 100 countries and regions, without a single accident.

The team and the parachuters have already performed in Tianjin, Nanjing and Shanghai during the last month to mark the centennial anniversary of manned flight.

(China Daily November 4, 2003)