High performance jetfighter flying takes place at Zhukovsky Airbase located in a small town located about 40 km southeast of Moscow - which has been the center of Russian aviation since 1947. The town is named after Nikolai Zhukovsky - the renowned scientist known as the father of Russian aviation.

All of the key aviation research centers in Russia are located at Zhukovsky. One of them is the Gromov Flight Research Institute (known by its Russian acronym "LII"). Established in 1941, the Institute has made significant contributions to the improvement of combat aircraft performance as well as the development and testing of new and updated aircraft.

Currently, LII is regarded as the premier test center for aviation engineering research in Russia. By conducting flight tests on planes, helicopters, flying test-beds and models - in addition to participating in factory and State testing - the Flight Research Institute plays in integral role in solving the numerous problems which face new aircraft and aviation equipment development. For example, the great deal of flight testing performed at LII made it possible for the Ilyushin Design Bureau to construct an air tanker IL-78 which is capable of refueling all types of in-flight aircraft.

The Institute has a large and unique airfield capable of testing every type of aircraft available in Russia. The airfield has two concrete runways, runway #1 and #4. Runway #4 (122 NW, 302 SE) is the longest in Europe. This particular runway is 120 meters wide, 5.4 km in length and has no weight limitations. (It was on this runway that the carrier Aircraft "Mriya" achieved a successful take-off and landing while "carrying" the Buran orbiter at a total weight of 600 metric tons!).
Runway #1 was closed in 1982 when Ramenskoe buildings came to close to its approach and take-off.

The airfield boasts an aerial flight test zone of 400 x 100 km. The Automated Air Traffic Control System, which includes aerodrome and surveillance radars (PAR), communication (COM) and radio navigation airs (NDB, ILS, MLS), serves to reliably control day or night flights with a high level of safety under virtually all meteorological conditions. The system is augmented by trajectory measurement as well as a real time experimental data processing system.

Throughout your visit at the Base, you will be able to see some of Russia's - and the world's - most famous high performance aircraft: the MiG-21, MiG-23, the high speed record holder MiG-25 as well as the internationally acclaimed MiG-29 and Su-27. There is also an extensive array of transport aircraft at the base, including the Il-76, Il-86 and the "Russian Concorde" - the Tu-144. In addition, you may see helicopters such as the Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-24, KA-32, the world famous "Hind" Ka-50 and the world's largest helicopter, the Mi-26.

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