Prime Minister Vladimir Putin spent three hours at the International Aviation and Space Show, MAKS-2011, in Zhukovsky near Moscow.
Putin flew to the air show directly from Astrakhan where he was fishing with President Dmitry Medvedev. His Il-96 landed near the main exposition.
After landing, Putin spoke to some visitors at the air show. He promised that by the next air show they will see a new national aircraft industry centre near the airfield and that Zhukovsky will become the home to leading aviation institutes and engineering companies.
"This centre will become the basis of the innovative core of the domestic aircraft industry," Putin promised, adding that it would also make sense to have a museum of aviation history here in Zhukovsky.
Putin did not speak at length, apparently looking towards the air show at hand.
The fifth-generation T-50 fighter flew into the skies over Zhukovsky before the general audience for the first time. This was not a big event for Putin who had already seen T-50 test flights.
Putin stopped briefly at the foreign displays – the A-380 and the Boeing Dreamliner – then went straight to the pavilions.
"Russia contributes about 20% of the content of the new Boeing plane. We supply titanium and also spare parts," Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov told Izvestia proudly.
In the foreign pavilion, Putin stopped by the (French) Safran stand, where the landing gear of the new Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional airliner was displayed.
However, it was a man in camouflage gear with a rifle that attracted his attention. Putin immediately approached him and started asking about his gadget. Ivanov told Putin that the soldier was demonstrating the latest optical sight.
Putin also saw the Mi-34C1 civilian helicopter. He took the pilot's seat and was presented with an aviation helmet upon leaving the stand.
"We know you fly a lot, so you'll find our present useful. This is a genuine combat helmet," the stand's owner told Putin.
Putin thanked him and went on but was suddenly stopped by the chief designer of a fire helicopter company. The engineer enthusiastically began persuading Putin to change his route and look at his helicopters because they were vital for Russia. Putin listened to him patiently but didn't follow him back to his stand.
He stopped on seeing ice cream. A young go-getter who sold beverages and food in a kiosk cried out: "Mr Putin, we have ice cream here!"
Putin smiled recalling how he had enjoyed the ice cream at the previous MAKS show and decided to keep the tradition.
"What ice cream do you have?" he asked.
"Cones and fruit ice bars," the salesman replied.
"Take a cone – it tastes better," the Izvestia correspondent advised.
"Well, if it's tastier, let me have three cones," Putin said and paid for them with three one hundred rouble bills.
The young man immediately produced three strawberry waffle cones. Ivanov and Rostekhnologii CEO, Sergei Chemezov, received one each. Putin had to pay for Ivanov who had no cash.
"Now I owe him 60 roubles," Ivanov said.
"Mr Ivanov is a tightwad. He got paid yesterday but still doesn't want to pay," Putin joked, throwing away the cone's wrapper.
Before leaving, Putin visited the Roscosmos pavilion, one of the biggest at the air show. The latest space capsule was displayed there. Putin sat in it for about 15 minutes, while Roscosmos Director Vladimir Popovkin told him about the capsule's technical points.
All in all, Putin spent three hours at the air show and left with regret.
Anastasia Novikova