Roaring boldly through the smog, French air force pilots performed spectacular aerobatic maneuvers yesterday in a goodwill gesture from France marred by Hong Kong's filthy skies.
The Alphajet training fighters passed in formation above Victoria Harbor in pollution so bad that much of the skyline was obscured, then they flew to the somewhat cleaner south side of Hong Kong Island for their aerial display.
The eight jets performed loops, fly-bys and one stunt where they soared up in formation then scattered, with red and blue smoke trailing behind in a pattern that resembled fireworks.
Two jets used more smoke to make a heart shape in the sky, drawing applause from dignitaries in a VIP viewing area even though the pattern was left a bit murky by the haze.
The Patrouille de France pilots got rave reviews from Hong Kong residents who watched the show.
"It was spectacular, but the one imperfection was that the air pollution was really serious," said Ken Wong, a 46-year-old construction company executive.
Gary Lai, 35, a logistics worker, agreed.
"Their coordination is superb," Lai said, who also noted the smog.
The demonstration comes a week after French President Jacques Chirac stopped in Hong Kong on his way home from a visit to China's mainland.