AIR SPORTS FESTIVAL WELCOMES GUESTS

MOSCOW, April 20 (RIA Novosti) - Some 20,000 pilots and air sports amateurs will be attending the International Kubanskaya Riviera aeronautics festival, which is set to take place in the suburbs of Abinsk, Krasnodar territory, from April 30 through May 2, yuga.ru Web site reports.

In 2002, the first air sports festival gained much popularity with its participants, guests, sports organizations and media.

The spectacular show of balloons fantastically flying in the sky has become a part of the spring events traditionally held in the region.

Over ten balloon crews, dirigible and light aircraft pilots from Ukraine, Belarus, Germany and other countries, as well as aircraft schools from southern Russia will participate in the coming festival. However, air sports amateurs can attend the spectacular show staged at 20 hectares of the landing field.

After the first Kubanskaya Riviera festival in 2002, the Aeronautics Federation took part in the Caucasus Predgorye (piedmont) extreme sports festival held in Goryachy Klyuch and in the Air Brotherhood festival in Feodosia, Ukraine.

The Kubanskaya Riviera traditional festival, the Caucasus Predgorye extreme sports festival and Russia's Aeronautics Championship in Velikiye Luki, Pskov region, were held in 2003.

The Federation also participated in the Warsteiner air sports festival held in Germany in 2004.