That was quite a spectacle!

The whole action was going on within an imaginary hemisphere that was capping the entire waters of the Gelendjck harbor and the surrounding coastal vicinity.

These two planes were supposed to be the top-notch sights of the Gelendjck-98 'hydro-aviation' air show and fair. And they were indeed, for there was nothing second to the pair to catch the attention of visitors.

When they were flying in pair, they usually took a loose formation and patterned a kind of short racetrack, on an inbound leg of which the Beriev-12P-200 (the turboprop one of the pair) demonstrated its unique capability of waterbombing.

Here they are, descending from the side of the mountains, aiming their steeply angled glide paths towards the center of the harbour. They almost simultaneously reach the aiming point, where they timely (and wisely!) stopped further descent and commenced a low pass, - actually a speedy surface glide, during which they just gently touch the ripples on the water. In a second the white blazing trails of sparkles from under the aircraft bellies start outbursting. The whitewash is getting large as the keels are sinking deeper into the sea.

This has lasted for a minute or so. Then the aircraft break from the water, as if they've quenched their thirst and the crew's quirky wish to get an in-flight shower, and climb away to the open sea. But shortly after, they begin a right 'hundred-eighty', and as soon the maneuver is completed, the formation starts to descend to its 'something-under-100m' flyby altitude, heading this time to the point of show culmination.

This point hovers somewhere above the harbor, abeam the most crowded place on the airshow's concrete at the most reasonably close proximity to the sights of gazing people.

The Beriev-12 now detaches herself from the formation, and goes lower and lower. Within an instance to the point she releases the few-ton-contents of the onboard water tanks and the stunning sky waterfall of myriad droplets, already incapable neither to keep up with the plane, nor stay in the air, is flaring down onto the surface, turning into a heavy white cloud that is stretched lengthwise to several hundred meters. The Beriev-12, now rid of the burden, and in addition being shoved up to full throttle, is roaring above the rows of impressed spectators, now leaving behind another trail - the dark swirling exhausts.

Her companion, the A-40 amphibian jet, is slowly soaring by the scene at a bit higher, condescently viewing down at the crowd's enthusiastic wave. A few seconds later they make a smooth joinup and and turn another hundred-eighty above the slopes for one more round of show that is apparently going on. > Photo Page >

RELATED LINKS 1 - A collection of the Be-12 photos from one Russian web source. 2 - ROY'S RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT RESOURCE REPOSITORY

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