Without them, the air group will cease to exist
"Rus" was created in 1987 on the basis of the DOSAAF aviation center in Vyazma. From the very beginning, the Air Force command worked closely with the aerobatic pilots, supporting them even in the most difficult times for the army. In 1996, and then in 2000, L-39 aircraft were transferred to Vyazma “to carry out flights in the interests of the Air Force.” The cars are old, bought by the USSR in Czechoslovakia 30 years ago. Both of these states have long since sunk into oblivion, but it turned out that our modern aviation still cannot do without their L-39s - recently the commander in chief, now not the Air Force, but the Aerospace Forces, ordered them to be taken away from Vyazma “in order to supplement” them with the Krasnodar pilot school .
Are things really so bad in the Aerospace Forces that future lieutenants have nothing to fly at all? "MK" decided to find out the details of this strange story.
In 2008, under Serdyukov, planes were already taken away from the Rus air group. Then MK also intervened in this story, and common sense, in the end, triumphed. The L-39 was left to the Rus group.
And now six years have passed. Serdyukov has long been gone from the Ministry of Defense, but his work lives on. To begin with, a little background.
During the Soviet Union, the DOSAAF Aviation Training Center (UAC) in Vyazma, where the Rus aerobatic team is based, was created to train reserve pilots. 17-year-old boys started flying here. They were given 100 hours of flight time, then, as a rule, they went to flight schools, entered the Moscow Aviation Institute, while in the military registration and enlistment offices they were listed as an aviation reserve and every 3-5 years they came to Vyazma to maintain their flying level. According to the plans of the General Staff, during the so-called threatened period, they were subject to conscription into the Air Force, and after a little additional training, they could sit in the cockpit of a combat aircraft or engage in its maintenance.
In the 90s everything changed. All the country’s mobilization plans were covered up, and no one allocated money to DOSAAF for these items. They were not given to the army either: the pilots did not have enough fuel, spare parts, aircraft... Lieutenants left the schools with less than 100 hours of flight time, and to get 3rd class, you need to fly 350 hours.
The youth had to be brought to their senses already in units. But getting flight hours on complex combat vehicles was expensive and unsafe. In these difficult times, the Vyazemsky Center offered its assistance to the Air Force in additional training of officers.
In Vyazma there were training L-39s, transferred to the Ministry of Defense for temporary use. Not new (otherwise they would not have been given to DOSAAF), but they could be flown. And most importantly, the UAC had ace instructors. Only here they were still teaching young people how to pull a plane out of a spin, although the Air Force had long ago imposed restrictions on this exercise - there weren’t enough specialists.
The UAC and the Air Force Command quickly agreed on working together. Moreover, military financiers have calculated that “the cost of one hour of flight in Vyazma on an L-39 is 8-10% lower than in Air Force training regiments.” And in one of the reports addressed to the Minister of Defense, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Zelin cited the following figures: “training Air Force pilots at the Vyazemsky UAC at the expense of the federal budget (money allocated to support DOSAAF aviation - Author), saves the budget of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in the amount of 113 .8 million rubles.”
The joint work continued until March 2008, until a directive from Minister Serdyukov appeared, demanding that DOSAAF (at that time ROSTO) seize all military equipment that the Ministry of Defense had ever transferred to it. This also applied to training aircraft of the Vyazma UAC.
While military equipment DOSAAF already looked more like scrap metal. The Ministry of Defense, in general, did not need it - they had enough of their own in abundance. Serdyukov’s directive was needed as a means of putting pressure on the leadership of DOSAAF, which was required to change the status of the organization. The military wanted it to transform from a public one into a public-state one, becoming completely controlled by the Ministry of Defense.
In the end, the military achieved their goal, and everyone immediately forgot about Serdyukov’s ill-fated directive. Now the Ministry of Defense has legal grounds to transfer funds from the state defense order to DOSAAF for the training of specialists for, and to provide equipment for these tasks.
In October 2009, a decree was even issued stating that within three years, 52.2 million rubles would be allocated from the federal budget for the training of Air Force pilots within the DOSAAF structure. The funds were sent to the Ministry of Defense, and from there they were supposed to go to the contractor. And the only such executor, by personal order of the President of Russia, was to be the Vyazma UAC.
But Vyazma never saw the money. Defense Ministry officials ignored the president’s instructions. As a matter of fact, who was to cook? By that time, Serdyukov had already reformed the military education system so much that enrollment in flight schools had stopped altogether - the problem of a small number of cadets had disappeared by itself. The UAC order to train pilots for the Air Force was canceled.
Vyazma began to survive as best it could. It was necessary to maintain the remaining ten L-39s in working order - all produced in 1985-87, of which only six flew. The Belarusian military helped by concluding a contract with the Vyazma center for the training of pilots from the Congo who studied at the Belarusian Military Academy. Thanks to this, Vyazma rose a little, the Belarusians helped with spare parts, the UAC and the Rus group got out of debt, and were even able to invest 12 million rubles in the maintenance and repair of their L-39s (although they were still registered with the Ministry of Defense).
Vyazma pilots say:
In 2016, we planned to invest another 14 million rubles and restore all 10 aircraft. But in September 2015, officers from the training regiment in Michurinsk came to us. They did not have any written orders with them, but they said that they had a verbal order from the commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces Bondarev: to take the planes from us. It is necessary, they say, to implement the directive of the Minister of Defense of March 2008. The same Serdyukov one, which has now lost its legal force, since it was written when DOSAAF was still in the status of a public organization.
The guests from Michurinsk stayed in Vyazma for two weeks and flew away. They were not given the planes. But in November they arrived again, this time with a directive from the commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces, which stated that the L-39s were needed by the Aerospace Forces “in order to complete” the fleet of the Krasnodar pilot school with them. However, the L-39 was again not given to them at the UAC, since this automatically implied the liquidation of the Vyazma center and the “Rus” group.
But as soon as it's over new year holidays, the leadership of DOSAAF received another letter, the second in a row, from the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, demanding the urgent return of the L-39. Officers from Michurinsk flew to Vyazma for the third time, where they are sitting now, waiting for the final decision. When they were asked: where does such persistence come from? Why do you need our old planes? They answered: we ourselves don’t understand why, but this is an order from above.
Are things really so bad in the Aerospace Forces that officers have to assemble old, thirty-year-old aircraft around the world? I asked this question to one of the active military men who was familiar with the situation (I won’t give his name for obvious reasons). And this is what he said:
In Michurinsk, there should be 275 L-39 aircraft at the state storage base. In fact, there are almost a hundred more of them. All are gradually being repaired at the aircraft factory in. The plant can overhaul no more than 30 aircraft per year. That is, it will take 10 years to put all L-39s on the wing. But then why take away planes from the Rus group if their turn comes only in 10 years? And this despite the fact that the technical condition of many L-39s in Michurinsk is much better than those of those machines that fly in Vyazma. The L-39s of the “Rus” group have also been demilitarized - all military equipment has been completely removed from them: sights, electrical circuits for dropping missiles. These are absolutely sports aircraft. To restore them as military, you need a lot of money. In addition, the Vyazemsky L-39s have a characteristic coloring, that is, they must be repainted in the colors of the VKS, and this is another $7-8 thousand for each aircraft. I don’t understand why the commander-in-chief would go to such expense?
DOSAAF is equally perplexed. They assume anything. It is even rumored that General Bondarev, now the commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces, at one time served under General Retunsky, who headed the DOSAAF Air Force department. Maybe the generals once did not share something in their service, and now, out of old memory, they are measured by the size of the stars - who is cooler? If this is truly the case, then it’s time to forget old grievances and think about business.
Now, after the reforms of Serdyukov, who stopped recruiting cadets to aviation schools, there is a catastrophic shortage of pilots in combat aviation - they are coming to the regiments new technology, and there is no one to put on it. The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces even proposed to return those who, due to thoughtless cuts, were forced to leave the army and are now working on civilian airlines. True, there isn’t a line of people wanting to return yet, but how Vyazma’s experience would come in handy in this situation!
The Vyazemsky Aviation Center trained more than 4,000 pilots for the USSR and hundreds for the Russian Air Force. And now, just like that, with one stroke of the pen, destroying it is certainly not in the interests of the state. Moreover, the experience of recent reforms shows that after we destroy something, six months or a year passes, and suddenly it becomes clear: we were in a hurry. Then they again begin to allocate budget money for the creation of a similar structure - a process that is extremely beneficial for officials: if we cut it, the money flows, if we create it again, it flows again. The main thing is to make sure that you don’t miss your pockets.
Former commander of the Rus group, Colonel Kazimir Tikhanovich, who, having completed his service in Russian army, went home to , says:
There, the military is forced to count money, and therefore all initial flight training is carried out at DOSAAF. At the Bobruisk Club, cadets - both helicopter pilots and pilots - are first put on gliders. After 20 hours of flight time, their professional suitability is determined - whether a person will be able to fly at all, or whether it is not given to him. Then future pilots are put on the Yak-52, and helicopter pilots on the Mi-2, which are distributed among flying clubs. And only then, in senior years, they trust the L-39, and then combat aircraft. This way, flight training is much cheaper and more effective, although it is conducted according to the same documents and standards as in. What about in Russia itself? Here, “zero”, unprepared guys come to the 1st year of college. For the first three years, while they are taught various sciences, they do not fly. Then they immediately put us on a training plane. Many immediately have to be written off for being unfit for flying work. But why then were they taught at state expense for 3 years? If the military had used the capabilities of DOSAAF, this would not have happened. But here DOSAAF aviation inevitably turns into commercial aviation, since it is forced to earn its own living.
We can agree with this. After all, now we only remember on holidays that the initial task of DOSAAF aviation is patriotic education youth in the interests of the armed forces, not to mention the fact that such an aviation center as in Vyazma is a full-fledged military reserve structure with experienced combat personnel - both technical and flight. But who is interested in this in the High Command of the Aerospace Forces?
The DOSAAF aviation department said that they had already sent two letters to Commander-in-Chief Bondarev with a request not to take away the planes from Vyazma, thereby not destroying the famous “Rus” aerobatic team. The answer was silence.
Well, okay, the planes will be taken away from Vyazma. Will a dozen old L-39s, of which only six are flying, solve the problem of training VKS cadets?
But we ask the military, - they say in DOSAAF, - this year you were going to recruit almost 700 cadets to the Krasnodar Institute. Did you dial it? No. Although, they didn’t do anything! Even the “Russian Knights” and “Swifts” performed aerobatics in the sky, and meanwhile on the ground they were agitating the guys: who wants to be a pilot, look how beautiful it is, sign up! Well, how many people were willing? Few. Boys don't become pilots until they've tried to fly. We offer: we currently have more than 400 Yak-52s in our flying clubs. We are ready to give them an initial raid of 1000 boys every year. This is excellent material for training future pilots in Krasnodar. But from the VKS headquarters there is only one answer: give up the planes.
On the other hand, the military can also be understood. They have practically no aircraft for initial flight training. New Yak-130s, precisely because new ones, still often break down (which is indicated to the manufacturer, and he is currently working on it). In addition, the Yak-130 is a rather expensive and difficult machine for a beginner; it is already a combat training aircraft. For the first flights you need a simple, cheap, reliable aircraft, such as the Yak-52.
It is not for nothing that the VKS has now ordered a new Yak-152 from the Yakovleva company - an improved version of the Yak-52. But until it is made, tested, received... What should we fly now? So future pilots gnaw on the granite of knowledge during their first three years on earth, as in the joke: until they learn to swim, we won’t pour water into the pool.
Only the old, proven L-39s remain. But there is a problem with spare parts. They must be ordered from the manufacturer, that is, in the Czech Republic. But how to do this if you are imposed with sanctions from all sides? DOSAAF is still somehow spinning - restoring its cars, taking advantage of the fact that the word “public” still remains in the name of the organization. Otherwise, the Vyazma aerobatic pilots in the Czech Republic would not have been given a single squib for a catapult.
It is strange that in these difficult conditions the Aerospace Forces and DOSAAF cannot come to an agreement. At least to take advantage of each other. Is it really easier to take away, divide and destroy than to come to an agreement? And then, when the “roasted rooster” pecks, trust in the “good king”?
And now Colonel Tikhanovich says with hope:
I have always divided people into builders and destroyers. Serdyukov was a destroyer, but Minister Shoigu was a builder. Not only because he started his work history from the construction complex, or built a whole new ministry - . He is essentially a builder. And, of course, we hope that if decisions on the aircraft of the Vyazma UAC are made by him, then DOSAAF will hear the arguments and understand the situation. Destroyers must be removed from solving this problem. Enough is enough, everything has been destroyed for too long. And always in someone's personal interests. Now it's time to build. In the interests of the state.
Every time I attend an aerobatic team performance, everything follows the same scenario: they
appear out of nowhere, quickly perform graceful aerobatics, other elements of their program and disappear without a trace, giving the audience a reason for admiration and taking up gigabytes of information on their flash drives. Where? Where? How? I have always been interested in these questions and what happens before and after the performance - what kind of work precedes the performance and what, in general, is going on there - behind the scenes...
The stars aligned so that my wish came true and I visited the Rus aerobatics team.
almost immediately after their performance at the 100 Years of the Air Force air show. So my great desire is to stick my nose in
behind the scenes came true :)
Aerobatic team"Rus" was created in 1987 on the basis of the Vyazemsky DOSAAF aviation center. For the past
Over time, the group's pilots conducted more than 300 demonstration performances in Russia and abroad.
1. Pilots perform on the Aero L-39 Albatross. Arriving at the airfield, the first thing I did was run to see how the planes were being prepared for flight: 
2. The aircraft of the aerobatic team members are now being repainted in accordance with the new design style: 
3. Drops of dew have not yet had time to evaporate from the wings: 
4. A device that creates vacuum and pressure simultaneously to check instruments indicating altitude and speed: 
5. Then the engines began to warm up, it became impossible to talk and I retreated. I went for a walk and
see what else is interesting in the area: 
6. Aero L-29 “Dolphin” - predecessor of the “Albatross”: 
7. Previous coloring of aerobatic team aircraft: 
8. Refueling followed: 
9.
10. Let L-410 “Turbolet” was also prepared for departure: 
11. Private aircraft are also based at the UAC: 
12. Vyazemsky Aviation Training Center provides piloting training varying degrees difficulties,
demonstration flights of the aerobatic team "Rus", group aerobatics, familiarization flights with
video filming, parachute jumping, cargo and passenger transportation, repair and maintenance work on aviation
technology.
One of the classrooms. I went in during a break between classes so as not to disturb anyone. It was a day off and
there they conducted classes for those who wanted to either just make a demonstration flight or learn to pilot: 
13. 
14. I caught one of the Rus pilots - Nikolai Alekseev: 
15. Climbed up and went out into the open area: 
16. I put on my TV and looked at the military unit: 
17. A device that measures the height of clouds. Consists of a transmitter and receiver: 
18.
19. In the gazebo I found another pilot of the aerobatic team, Nikolai Zherebtsov: 
20. After getting acquainted with the classrooms, I went back to the planes. When it is under maintenance,
the main controls are locked with keys like this so that there is no possibility of accidentally pressing or
include something wrong. Before the flight, all checks are accordingly removed: 
21.
22. L-410 is preparing for takeoff. Today it is piloted by a student: 
23. Following him, one of the L-39s taxis onto the runway to conduct a training flight: 
24.
25. Quietly leaked to the control center to observe the work of the dispatcher: 
26.
27. After this, start spotting at the beginning of the runway and film the landing of the Albatross, standing almost at
the strip itself: 
28. His landing caused positive vibrations in my body:) 
29. After him, the L-410 passed over the runway, indicating the possibility of landing and flew on: 
30. While waiting for the landing of the second L-39, flying with a tourist on board, I crossed the runway to shoot “in the sun”: 
31. And here he is: 
32. Continuous video recording is in progress :) 
33. 
34. An interesting plane that UAC employees saved from being sawed up by taking it out of MPEI. This is a modification of the MiG-21MT
(multi-fuel), of which only 15 copies were produced. Characterized by a huge “hump” on top,
which is an additional built-in tank of 900 liters. Could only be used for solo aerobatics,
because in certain flight modes this modification became unstable in flight. In general, this model
did not gain popularity due to deterioration in flight characteristics in exchange for an increased flight range: 
35. It was my turn to fly. First there was instruction, which included familiarization with instruments and organs
control of the L-39 aircraft. After this, safety instructions, training in sitting in a chair and
ejection on a special stand. When practicing ejection, the chair is thrown up a meter
with almost the same overloads that would occur during a real ejection: 
36. In conclusion - honey. inspection and permission to fly. They helped me put on a helmet and sit in a chair (this is also necessary
do the right thing) to the instructor’s place and literally tied to him. 
37. While there is time, I inspect the controls: 
38. And I turn my head around: 
39. Two handles in the middle - ejection (they need to be squeezed and pulled towards you): 
40. Taxiing has begun: 
41. The pilot has rear view mirrors: 
42. Taxiing is completed, permission to take off has been received: 
43. A short sharp takeoff and the plane takes off into the air: 
44. I don’t have time to turn my head around and use burst shooting :) 
45. The industrial zone of Vyazma floats below: 
46. 
47. What can I say about the sensations - incredible, half-forgotten, some kind of childish delight from flying, that
the one that only happens at all times at a young age when the world is still clearly divided into black and white and feelings with
emotions do not yet differ. 
48.
49. Turn over the airfield: 
50. The speed reached 500 km/h, the height was 2 km. 
51. I don’t know what the overloads were, but during one of the climbs, I couldn’t keep the camera on
outstretched arms - she suddenly became very heavy and, together with the hands clinging to her, seemed magnetized
plopped on my chest :) 
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58. And in general, it was interesting to watch the clouds quickly flying past you: 
59.
60. Managed to take a photo of myself :) 
61. The helmet absorbs all sounds so much that there was not even a hint of engine noise - only crackling
radio broadcast and sometimes - the voice of the pilot when he communicated with the dispatcher or addressed me. 
62.
63.
64. Passage between the clouds: 
65.
66. This is inside a cloud - zero visibility :) 
67.
68.
69.
70. All good things must come to an end - landing approach: 
71. Landing gear touching the ground, jogging and taxiing from the runway: 
72. Technicians roll the plane into the parking lot: 
73. The most valuable acquisition for me was not the flight, but the gifted badge... 
74. And a booklet with autographs of "Rus" pilots: 
I express my gratitude to Andrei Zhuikov for organizing the visit and to Nikolai Alekseev - he was the one who piloted
plane with my carcass on board :)
Official website of the aerobatic team.
TASS DOSSIER. Thirty years ago, on August 18, 1987, at the Tushinsky airfield in Moscow, the first performance of the aerobatics team of the Vyazma Training Aviation Center (UAC) of the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy (DOSAAF) of the USSR took place.
Currently this group is called "Rus".
History of education
In 1982, the Vyazemsky UAC DOSAAF USSR (Dvoevka airfield near Vyazma) switched from domestic MiG-17 fighters to Czechoslovak-made Aero L-29 Delfin training aircraft. Only individual pilots were engaged in aerobatics at the center; attempts to perform group flights were prohibited by the command as a dangerous amateur activity.
However, in 1987, by the decision of the Central Committee of DOSAAF of the USSR, the Vyazemsky UAC was entrusted with the preparation of an aerobatic team consisting of ten aircraft to participate in the aviation sports festival at the then existing Tushinsky airfield in Moscow. The group was led by the head of the center, Farid Akchurin. During the training, it turned out that the L-29, due to the design of the fin with a high-mounted stabilizer, was not suitable for work in an aerobatic team - some of the aircraft were pushed out by wakes from the wings of neighboring vehicles.
It was decided to use the Aero L-39 Albatros, for which the center's pilots retrained in March - June 1987. In May, ten “albatrosses” were transferred to the Vyazemsky UAC from the USSR Air Force, and already on June 3, 1987, during a training flight, the group moved in formation of nine aircraft. This day is considered the date of creation of the Rus aerobatic team, although it received this name only in the first half of the 1990s.
The group's first public performance took place on Aviation Day, August 18, 1987, at the Tushino airfield. The group under the leadership of Akchurin performed in front of 800 thousand spectators passages in full formation with a climb, changes and turns; Pilot Nikolai Pogrebnyak performed a solo program. The group members also showed a simulated dogfight between two pairs of aircraft.
"Rus" after the collapse of the USSR
On May 12, 1992, a government decree was issued on the disbandment of all educational aviation centers, then - the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Pavel Grachev dated July 2, 1992, according to which the funds of the former DOSAAF UAC were required to be transferred to the Armed Forces. However, the head of the Vyazemsky center, Kazimir Tikhanovich, re-registered his institution as a flying club and refused to give the property to the military, fearing for the fate of the aerobatic team (subsequently, in an interview with the media, Tikhanovich stated that 26 other Russians who came under the jurisdiction of the UAC Ministry of Defense were “destroyed in three years”, and their property "stolen"). "Rus" continued training and performing.
In 1992-1999, a maximum of seven aircraft flew as part of the group. According to the recollections of the team members, in some years the group consisted of only three aircraft.
In 1996 and 2000, the group's aircraft fleet was replenished with L-39s produced in 1985-1987; they were transferred by the military department "to carry out flights in the interests of the Russian Air Force."
In 1997, as a sign of gratitude for the group aerobatics shown, specialists from the Czech company Aero Vodochody (the creator of the aircraft) developed a special design for the Rus aircraft with a predominance of white, blue and light blue colors and painted all the group’s aircraft for free. In 2012, on the 25th anniversary of the group "Rus", appearance The cars were updated - the planes received a new black and gold livery.
Current state
"Rus" is a regular participant in aviation festivals, air shows and international aerospace salons. IN different years the group's pilots demonstrated their skills at air festivals in Tushino, international aerospace shows in Zhukovsky (Moscow region), at the air show "Legends of World Aviation" in Monin (Moscow region), at an air festival in honor of the 60th anniversary of the victory in Kursk Bulge(2003), at the air show in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Fleet (2010), at international naval shows in St. Petersburg, at music festival"Invasion" in the Tver region. etc. The group performed at various events outside the Russian Federation - in Belarus, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia.
In 2007, the Rus group was awarded an honorary diploma from the International Aeronautical Federation.
In 2017 the group performed at festive events in Tolyatti (Samara region), Novosibirsk, Zhukovsky, Volgograd.
Current composition of the group
As of August 2017, the group consists of seven pilots - leader Anatoly Marunko (head of the Vyazemsky UAC since 2011), wingmen Nikolay Zherebtsov, Mikhail Kolle, Vasily Kogut, Konstantin Timofeev, Nikolay Alekseev and soloist Igor Dushechkin. Most are qualified as instructor pilots first class, with flying experience various types aircraft more than 1.7 thousand hours.
The group is based at the Dvoevka airfield (Smolensk region, 9 km southeast of the city of Vyazma).
Accidents and disasters
Over the years of activity of the aerobatic team, three pilots from the “Rus” team died as a result of accidents.
On June 7, 1991, at the Dvoevka airfield, while performing a flight mission, the L-39, which was controlled by the head of the center, Colonel Yuri Bykov, collided with the ground and collapsed. The pilot died. This was the first disaster in the history of the training center.
On June 26, 1992, the second disaster in the history of the aerobatic team occurred at the same airfield. While practicing a new element of aerobatics, an L-39 from the Rus aircraft collided with the ground. Pilot Vladimir Arkhipov died.
On June 10, 2001, at an air show in Levashov near St. Petersburg, two L-39 groups collided in the air. Both pilots ejected, one of them, Sergei Maksimov, died. The cause of the disaster was the mistake of the pilots, who incorrectly calculated the speed of exit from the aerobatics maneuver.
I like airplanes. There is something alluring and unattainable about them. The Rus aerobatic team came to perform at the opening of the seventh International Naval Show in St. Petersburg, and I wanted to tell you more about this unique aerobatic squadron.
1. Any journey begins with a harsh checkpoint: concrete blocks, a caponier with a machine gun and, as the last frontier, a rolling barrier with spiked teeth capable of stopping at least one. Somewhere in the distance, hiding behind a hill
2. Mi-8, Mi-24 helicopters of the Russian Air Force, as well as the 20th aircraft repair plant of the Russian Defense Ministry are based at the Pushkin military airfield.
3. From the very morning, helicopters take off from the airfield and fly to the planned exercise area.
5. We were invited to the filming of the aerobatic team "Rus", to meet the crew and look at the planes on which
The squadron was formed in 1987, on the basis of the Vyazemsky Aviation Training Center. The Vyazemsky DOSAAF Aviation Training Center was founded on June 2, 1960 to train flight and engineering personnel of the Armed Forces. Many honored pilots and cosmonauts, including Svetlana Savitskaya, were trained at the Center.
To perform at the traditional parade in Tushino, the DOSAAF Center was given ten L-39 light aircraft. The pilots made their first performance - a formation of 9 aircraft - on June 3, 1987, and this day is considered the birthday of the Rus aerobatic team.
6. The group performs on Czech-made L-39 Albatross aircraft.
These light aircraft are used by the Russian Air Force and in 30 other countries as trainers. The characteristics of the car are very modest: the wingspan is 9.46 m, maximum speed- 750 km/h, maximum take-off weight - 4700 kg. Now L-39s are gradually being replaced by more modern Yak-130s.
7. The group flew to St. Petersburg as part of five L-39s and an L-410 escort aircraft to perform at the seventh International Naval Show in the harbor of Vasilyevsky Island. The Rus aerobatic team performs at the opening and closing ceremonies of the salon.
8. The demonstration program of the group "Rus" is a colorful aerial performance consisting of the most spectacular elements of group and solo aerobatics. An invariable decoration of the program are such figures as the oncoming passage of a group of six and a single aircraft, the passage of the “five” in a diamond shape with a single aircraft performing a “barrel” around the trajectory of the “five” (“fan”), the passage of a pair with the landing gear extended, the leader in the return flight ("mirror"), "dissolution".
9. A unique calling card of the squadron was the execution of the figure of a “heart” pierced by an arrow plane. During the execution of some elements, the distance from wing to wing in the group is reduced to 1 meter.
10. We had the opportunity and hung the entire cabin with video cameras
11. Technicians are preparing the cars for departure.
13. in black and gold livery. One solo car was left in its original blue and white color.
14. The aircraft engine develops 1800 kgf. The protruding pipes are smoke support hoses.
16. The main source of funding for the group is piloting training, performances at holidays and rides for those interested.
17. In addition to the Vyazma “Rus”, “Swifts” on the MiG-29 and “Russian Knights” were invited to the opening of the International Naval Show.
18. "Swifts" and "Vityazis" constantly fly together and are based at the same airfield.
20. At 11:30 the Vityazis were the first to fly out.
22. We formed a formation and went towards the Harbor
23. “Swifts” are based in Kubinka, and next year, 2016, will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
24. A few minutes later the Swifts took off
25. The MiG-29 smokes quite a bit, almost like the Tu-134
26. Escort aircraft L-410
28. Preparation for the performance, final checks of aircraft technicians
29. The group includes: leader of the group - Anatoly Marunko, followers - Nikolay Zherebtsov, Mikhail Kolle, Nikolay Alekseev, Yuri Lukinchuk, soloists - Stanislav Dremov and Igor Dushechkin. All pilots of the group are qualified as first class instructor pilots and have more than 3.5 thousand hours of flight time on various types of aircraft.
30. All elements of the future program are repeatedly run on the ground
31. Round dance
32. And full immersion on a future flight. And what emotions!
34. Final brief
35. The plane is ready to take off
37. Pilots wear anti-g suits
43. Warming up the engines
44. For departure - there!
47. Group at the executive start. The haze does not allow you to cancel the takeoff.
48. Immediately after the group takes off, the Vityazis return to the airfield
49. Whirlwinds of burnt rubber curl like Dali’s mustache
50. After landing, the brake parachute is dropped and specially trained soldiers pick it up.
51. As of today, “Vityazi” has completed the program
52. Symmetrical tails
53. Return of the Swifts
54. Having completed the program, “Rus” also returns
56. Will you give me a lift?
59. Debriefing. Emotions again!
60. The future generation of pilots takes an autograph and phone number from squadron commander Anatoly Marunko
61. One of the spare MiGs is being dragged to the parking lot
63. The technicians are hanging up the overhead tanks, because it’s time for the group to fly home for the next performance.
You can find out the schedule of aerobatic team performances at
Last year, the Rus aerobatic team celebrated its 25th anniversary. I have long been invited to Vyazma, where the group’s aviation training center is based, and last Saturday I finally got there. On that day, flights were planned for the City Day in Smolensk, but due to bad weather the performances had to be canceled. The title photo for this post is borrowed from Sergei Mukhamedov , who managed to fly with Russia last fall for a holiday in Veliky Novgorod.
The oldest aerobatic team in Russia has a difficult fate. The Vyazemsky DOSAAF Aviation Center was founded in 1960, and in 1987 the Rus group was created on its basis. After perestroika, the Russian Federation issued a decree on the liquidation of aviation training centers from 27 formations Soviet era closed 26. The Vyazemsky center was the only one that appealed to the Constitutional Court to defend its right to exist and fly:
“The life of aerobatic pilots became a complete contrast: on the one hand, there was glitter in the sky, on the other, poverty on the ground. Instead of glorifying Russia, they were forced to think about survival. Each had ten acres in a field near a military camp, which were all planted with potatoes to feed the family. They had to fly on old fuel reserves. They earned their salaries by flying excursion flights for foreigners, storing fuel, and selling decommissioned equipment. Of the 27 aviation centers, only the Vyazma “Rus” survived thanks to the close-knit team. flying club, but the pilots managed to defend their right to the sky and continue their work."
Today Rus' is one of the ten best aerobatic teams in the world. During the execution of some elements, the distance from wing to wing in the group is reduced to 1 meter. Business card The squadron began to perform the figure of a “heart” pierced by an arrow plane. However, in addition to flying skill, Rus' is still forced to demonstrate “aerobatics” of survival. The group has no government funding and is not supported by the military. I support our aviation with all my heart and want to wish the guys a cloudless life in every sense.
Below the cut is a short tour of the Vyazemsky Aviation Center, ejection instructions and video...
Arriving in Vyazma, the first thing we did was walk through the training center:
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There is a training simulator for pilots near the window:
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Common room, many flowers and plants:
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Office of Anatoly Marunko, head of the Vyazemsky Aviation Training Center:
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Classes:
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After meeting, we headed to the airfield.
Rus' will compete at the Olympics in Sochi, their task is to draw the Olympic rings. While the pilots are training the flight unit, manager Vladimir is experimenting with coloring compositions of thick and rich smoke, with which the group will paint the Olympic symbol in the sky:
On the ground it doesn’t look very good, but in the sky the guys promise an excellent result:
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The reagents arrived from England:
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Training class at the airfield:
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Anatoly Marunko himself:
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Hanging on the walls different schemes flying figures. By the way, on the group’s website there is a section that schematically depicts the main figures that the Rusichi perform:
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At the top of the control tower is the control tower where flight control takes place:
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Interesting anti-glare technology:
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"Rus" uses Czechoslovakian L-39 Albatross jets. This is a light attack aircraft, it is one of the best aircraft in its class. In addition to six working aircraft, the aviation center has old ones, which are used as donors of spare parts:
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The control center has a balcony from which you can watch the flights:
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Map with transparent layers of shapes. Also used for flights:
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And this is an ejection simulator. Everyone who boards the L-39 for the first time is required to undergo instruction:
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In order for the simulator to work, you need to connect a special “battery” to it:
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Simulator NKTL-39, exact copy cabins The overload during ejection is 18G, that is, body weight multiplied by 18. The ejection process is fast, from the moment the handle is pulled out until the parachute opens, it takes five seconds:
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After the ejection command, the pilot pulls the handles, which start the whole process. First of all, the shoulder pulls are triggered, then the chair rises half a meter, the rocket accelerator fires and the chair flies 100 meters from the plane. During the process, a stabilizing parachute opens so that the seat is carried away from the plane and does not fall on its side. Then the main dome opens:
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It is important to press your head firmly against the chair and pull the handles without looking down:
The simulator has a special button in the headrest, which will stop the process if the head position is incorrect. In a real airplane there is no such button, and if you don’t press your head, the overload will break the ejector’s neck:
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By the way, the pilot will not leave the plane until the passenger ejects:
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Everything that is marked in red on the plane are emergency handles; pulling them during the flight is strictly prohibited:
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DOSAAF is unlaced as a Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy:
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Photo from the control tower. There is a military airfield nearby:
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Lisa - press secretary of the aerobatic team:
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Predatory face:
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Since, as I already wrote at the beginning, the Vyazemsky Aviation Center does not receive support from either the state or the military, the guys have several commercial proposals:
Introductory flights:
Flights take place every weekend at the Dvoevka airfield in Vyazma. During the flight, the basic elements of aerobatics are performed, some independently (under the strict guidance of an experienced instructor pilot). You can, and even need to, take a “support group” with you in the form of relatives and close friends. The entire process (medical examination, detailed instructions and the flight itself) takes about five hours. The flight can be issued in the form of a gift certificate. If desired, you can book a hotel.
The cost depends on the time. 30 minutes - 55,000 rubles; 60 minutes - 100,000 rubles. For those who want to feel the “wing of a comrade”, the opportunity to fly in a group is provided.
Pilot training followed by obtaining a flight certificate (recreational pilot)
