Watch a F/A-18F Super Hornet Fly Really Close to Skyscrapers in Australia

People in Brisbane are looking forward to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft putting on a show every year in the Queensland capital. And each time, there are plenty of amateurs trying to get the best shots of the military aircraft seamlessly making their way through the city skyscrapers.

This year, the Super Hornets were the stars of the show, and footage from their final rehearsals shows just how close to the buildings they were supposed to get – gliding at just 70 meters (229 feet) away from them.

Of course, behind the seemingly effortless maneuvers of this powerful fighter jet, lay weeks of training and preparation. Reserve Super Hornet Pilot Flight Lieutenant Matthew told ABC News that the pilots had to study the terrain carefully for the flyover.

The Super Hornets would fly past the South Bank at 600 kph (373 mph) and increase their speed to 900 kph (559 mph) as they made their way down, past Eagle Street. This took place on Saturday evening, followed just minutes later by a flyover from the MRH-90 Taipans and EC655 Eurocopter Tigers, Australian Aviation reports. This year was a premiere because Riverside typically closed the Festival, while this time it opened it.

The experience is thrilling for those who are watching as well as for the pilots, who are flying low and at a lower speed. Normally, the Super Hornet can go as fast as 2,000 kph (1,240 mph), powered by two F414-GE-400 turbofans that generate 21,605 lbs (9,800 kg) of thrust each. But that’s when there are no skyscrapers in the way.