Posted on 11/24/2005 12:52:04 PM PST by struwwelpeter
Original Title: Who ordered the destruction of 'Rus'?
Russian aces ask help from the president of Russia
Soon the precision flying group 'Rus' - one of the best in the world - may be deactivated. Is this a NATO plot? Or the army's slackness?
V. Troyanov, who crashed our Su-27 on Lithuania, did it out of inexperience: this year the combat pilot had only 14 hours of flight training.
Our aerial borders are watched by NATO aces who have 2-3 thousand flying hours. Compared to them, our Russian combat pilots are but 'green horns'.
We have an excellent flight school in Vyazma, which can train pilots as good as NATO's, but it is all wrecked by the government's indifference. Pilots of the precision flying group 'Rus' are being ruined on the ground. They demonstrate their aerial mastery in Russia and overseas, flying on 'socialism's wings' - on Czech L-39 flight trainers. These days, only two aircraft are flight-worthy: the rest have had engine parts removed. The cost of a major overhaul - 100 million rubels (3 million dollars). This is but one private residence in the exclusive Rublevka neighborhood. The pilots at the Vyazma flight training center, where 'Rus' is based, have no resources of their own. The fact of the matter is that for 15 years 'Rus' has not received a kopeck from the government treasury, nor has there been funds for training new pilots for the Russian air force. Money for 'holding up their pants' - demonstration flights of the 'Rus' flight group - they earn themselves.
Engine overhauls can prolong the life of an L-39 by ten years. That means that a minimum of 300 pilots can be trained.
'Rus' has collosal experience. In existance for 45 years, the Vyazma air center ROSTO (formerly DOSAAF) is the last of the 27 centers built up during the heat of the Cold War, and has trained over 5000 pilots for military and civil aviation.
At the end of a program called 'Rusichi', they demonstrated a landing called 'the drunk pilot': the aircraft takes a height of 8-15 meters, shakes it's nose and tail up and down, while at the same time turning the fuselage to the left and right. It is not a sight for those with weak nerves.
"Poor and skinny, but we survived, not getting a single kopeck from the government. They let us earn our keep - if in the interests of the Russian defense ministry and the security of Russia.
"For the last two years we've been tasked with training young pilots from the Russian air forces. In order to sit down inside a combat aircraft, one needs about 200-250 hours of flying. To fly combat aircraft such as the Su-27, MiG-29, etc. it costs 12-15 thousand dollars. Our L-39 can do all sorts of combat maneuvers for only 800 dollars. Can you feel a difference?
"Now Russian air force captains come to us for training without any qualifications. It's clear that there's no way they should be let near combat aircraft. They are sort of like pilots, but without any combat skill."
Soloist from the precision flying group 'Rus', instructor pilot and master of sport, Valeriy Sobolev (age 43): "I've been in aviation for 20 years, 14 of them on the 'Rus' team, I'm already a flying retiree. On the flying team 'Patroule de France', a pilot only flies for 5-6 years. Specialists indicate that 3-4 years of precision flying causes many psychological problems. But we keep flying until 'the sands run out of the hourglass'. We've got no one to replace us. Who would join us? For such a silly salary, 300 dollars a month?
"Today they send us to the grave, and tomorrow - 'Strizhi' or 'Russkie Vityazi'? We're buying used aircraft and Boeings. Don't be surprized if pretty soon you see foreign mercenaries at the helms of passenger aircraft. They'll fly the Russian skies, while Russian pilots fall to their native earth. The pilot of the wrecked Su-27 was a good guy! He knew to fly the aircraft out of the city. But what if he didn't?! It wasn't his fault that he ruined the aircraft. It was the fault of his commanders, of those who gave the orders. But they simply don't have any other pilots!
"Who would hire us in civil aviation?" he concludes. "Who would we trust with our lives in the air?"
Kazimir Tikhonovich continues: "On civilian aircraft the commander sits in the left-hand seat - he is a wise, experienced pilot who has flown for a long time, but he's already old. There could be a health problem in flight: a stroke, a heart attack, or heaven forbid, diarrhea. Then the second pilot takes over. But what if he's a 'green horn'?
"A pilot with little flight training is more dangerous than a terrorist on board! In the last 20 years, almost no pilot in (Russian) civil aviation has received instruction in in-flight emergencies.
"That's why I fly on civilian aircraft only with trepidation. And when the aircraft shakes or the pilot makes an unprofessional maneuver, I wonder if I should go break into the cabin."
Vladimir SVARTSEVICH,
Vyazma - Moscow
From the print version of the monthly, 'Arguments and Facts', and the article for some reason is absent from the web version. I'll send a scan of the original to anyone interested.
The article states in one paragraph that 'Rus' was formed 8 years ago, while in another it states that a pilot was with them for 14 years, and that for 15 years they haven't received funding. Other than this confusion with dates, it's an interesting article.
I guess they did not want to perform the short show......
Ronald Reagan your the man
I'm sorry, but this could not possibly be true. Well, he did say almost and there's a lot of wiggle room in that.
Since the old and experienced pilot could have "...a health problem in flight: a stroke, a heart attack, or heaven forbid, diarrhea" - he should be flying while sitting on a flushable toilet, and with his pants down. This will address the problem mentioned by Kazimir Tikhonovich.
P.S. "voe to those who are bunking next ..."
Go to the website and check out the videos. Well worth it.
The article quotes the pilot as stating: "v poslednie 20 let letchiki grazhdanskoy aviatsii pochti ne prokhodyat podgotovku po povedeniyu v ehkstremal'noy situatsii" and that could translate to 'in the last 20 years pilots of civilian aviation almost do not pass through training in conduct in an extreme situation' which I cleaned up to 'in the last 20 years, almost no pilot in (Russian) civil aviation has received instruction in in-flight emergencies'.
Perhaps there's a nuance I'm missing.
Sad.
Jurgis and his Su-26 put on quite a show. I liked the 'hazards of airshows' ;-)
Cool stuff!!!
L-39s of Team 'Rus', Zhukovskiy 2001. Copyright Hugo Mambour/AviaScribe 2002
Russian Knights display team, Zhukovskiy 2001. Copyright Hugo Mambour/AviaScribe 2002
Russian Swifts display team, Zhukovskiy 2001. Copyright Hugo Mambour/AviaScribe 2002
The only nuance your translation is missing is the misplacement of the word "almost": it is not "almost no pilot...", but rather "almost no training". It should have been: "During last 20 years the pilots in Russian civil aviation have been receiving almost no [better would be "next to no"] instruction on the handling of in-flight emergencies."
ping
Hi ya Mr. PE :-)
Say howdy to the clan for me, if I was at home I could post some nice L-39 & MiG-29 pics.
Ah the joys of having to work on a holiday
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Antonov 124
The pilot brought the engines to full power, released the brakes, and get into the air in one an a half aircraft lengths. The pilot was very skilled, flying figure 8s over the airport at about 800 feet. He just rolled quickly into a 50 - 55 degree bank, did the loop, got to the cross over point and rolled the other way, 100 - 110 degree rolls. No change in altitude, engines sounded about half thrust. A very few bobbles caught immediately. Dangerous and very impressive.
That pilot would be in his fifties nowadays.
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