Now we tell what was the air show MAKS looked like in 2011. Accounting the nature of the event, the whole thing has not changed dramatically.

During the air show every bush and crossroad in Zhukovsky is equipped with a policeman in a white shirt.

The airfield itself is not located somewhere in the settlements, but almost in the city. Drive through the park and you can see the construction that looks like a stadium, go into it and you are at the airport. There are few large old hangars, a large tail of the aircraft sticks out of one of them.

Securities check out your luggage and ask you to make a sip of lemonade you have. You’re thinking “What if to scream «No, no way! You’d better to kill me! «. We’re stuffing a vegetable tray with our cameras and peacefully following further.

Our photographer Volodya stopped everybody with a request:

— Are the raptors there? Girl, don’t you know is the T-50 already delivered? Ah, you’re searching also? Oh well…

The whole exhibition mostly is military. New fighters, old bombers, new drones, new helicopters, and something else, the name of which I do not know. A lot of rockets, anti-aircraft guns, missile launchers and rocket launchers. From simple profiteering forty-foot container stick tube C-300. Or even a C-400. I can’t define by eye.

This piece can be transported on public roads in the ordinary civilian tractor and everyone will think it’s watermelons. Although counterfeit watermelons, stuffed with potassium permanganate and nitrate watermelons, which scored in Moscow suburbs since every April, takes more lives than both C-300 and C-400.

There are a lot of foreigners, mostly Chinese. Liners and fighters can be seen outdoors, pavilions stuck up with a lot of other useful things — glaziers’ diamonds, quadcopters etc. Here and there in the crowd proudly and cheerfully strode pilots of «our Western partners,» among them are heavily decorated with Service Ribbon. Apparently, they are raising the level of democracy in the underdeveloped parts of the world.

We were told that we could go on new Boeing Dreamliner, which was one of the main events of the salon, but, as usual, we failed, because someone has not said to someone that we would come. But instead we got to a new Tupolev, however, unfinished one.

You can sit in cabin and twist the steering wheel. Aircraft hosts were very generous, but there was someone behind who shushes to us, «Do not touch the red button!».

We didn’t go on new Airbus 380 weren’t strong enough after a 5 hours on heat.

“That’s it! I’m full with aircrafts, no longer can. We need to change the subject. I’d like something like locomotives or what” — shared Volodya and I was a hell in solidarity with him.

We could find the only WC in the entire vast territory, until you get back from there you feel like to go again.

PepsiCo was a partner, so all the food stalls were stuffed with chips and cola. Lunch in the canteen called the restaurant has cost 1800 rub.: 2 soups, 2 meatballs, 2 garnishes, 2 compotes and 1 apple charlotte for the photographer (I saved on myself).

Souvenirs en masse were pretty poor: ugly hats, some plates, very stupid childish planes, more appropriate for the shop «all for 36 rubles» then for the air show. It is clear that most of the money made on combat missiles and meatballs, all rignt.

Raptor was never shown…