A highlight of the Malta International Airshow over the weekend must have been the Dutch F16 fighter plane, flying across the sky at almost supersonic speed and leaving a thunderous rumble in its wake.

With a grace and skill that defied the massive machine, and, of course, gravity, Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot Ralph Aarts pirouetted, turned 360 degrees and let off flares in an 11-minute performance that caught the full attention of the hundreds of people watching the show.

Painted orange, Holland's traditional colour, the F16 was hard to miss and was one of the two highlights of the 17th edition of the air show.

Still high from the adrenaline rush after dominating the skies, Capt. Aarts described flying as a "blast". However, he admits, there is a lot of hard work behind those 11 minutes. Among other things, the pilots must master concentration techniques and learn special breathing skills to keep the blood from flowing to the legs while flying at that speed.

In his last European flight before a new demo flight team is formed, the young Dutch pilot will move on to flying combat fighter planes.

The famous French Breitling Jet Team was, however, the star of the show and brought it to a close with its formation of seven L-39 advanced trainers that performed stunts to a musical accompaniment.

Apart from the huge crowds that watched the planes from the runway, others parked their cars in the main roads leading to the airport and camped out on the roundabouts and pavements.

Jointly organised by the Malta Aviation Society and the Malta International Airport, society president Joe Ciliberti described the airshow as a huge success.