This year’s 25th edition of The Malta Air Show displays world record-breaking aircraft in Malta for the first time. The special guests are the much-awaited Saudi Hawks, representing the Royal Saudi Air Force, and the Turkish Stars from the Turkish Air Force.
For the whole family, and all aviation lovers, are being truly spoilt with this weekend’s show, which features 65 planes on static display and 25 in flying displays, from many countries including the USA, the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
The bright green and silver striped aircraft of the Saudi Hawks display team, inspired by the Saudi national flag, truly stand out in the static display with the team performing their most iconic manoeuvre known as ‘The Logo’ – the largest sky drawing – for which they hold the world record. The talented Turkish aerobatic team are also performing in Malta for the first time.
Interestingly, a British pilot of Maltese descent, Graham Muscat, brought over a Hawk T2 that has never before been displayed in Malta. “Yes, my grandfather was Maltese and I always used to visit here”, he confirmed. “So when HQ said we could support this air show, I knew I had to come,” he told this newspaper yesterday.
The British pilot is now training pilots himself after an impressive career in the Royal Air Force, during which he flew in Afghanistan and Libya.
“Today I’ve brought the Hawk T2, which is different to the Hawk T1 because it’s more modern. We use it for training pilots so that they’re ready for the Eurofighter Typhoon,” he explained.
Malta Aviation Society president and air show manager Joe Ciliberti (above) told The Malta Independent on Sunday that the true aim of the air show was to educate young children. “It is not common at air shows for adults and children to be allowed into the cockpit and to have an opportunity to speak to the teams. But here it is interactive and so more memorable for the children. Our hope is that these children will become interested and later in life seek a career in aviation.”