Are there any female pilots in Russia? Of course! At first glance, this profession seems quite romantic, but it is not. Women in this area are very difficult for many reasons. But what? Let's figure it out.
Our service is both dangerous and difficult.
Modern girls can easily conquer the sky, having received the education of a stewardess. And if you want more? Height, sky, beautiful shape - these are the first associations that come to girls’s minds when they hear the word pilot. But all the pitfalls associated with this profession are not always taken into account. A professional female pilot in Russia needs to undergo special training, to be fluent in a foreign language, to be a responsible and attentive person, because human lives are at stake.
Why aviation?
There are more and more women pilots in Russia every year. This profession is gaining popularity - the fair sex is eager to realize their ambitions in the same way as men. It often happens that the little daughter of a pilot, looking at dad, dreams of following in his footsteps. The growing popularity of aviation in our country is obvious.
How can a woman become a pilot?
It no longer surprises anyone that a woman is an airplane pilot in Russia. Recently, in our country, there has been an acute shortage of personnel in transport and military aviation. In this regard, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that it is necessary to increase the number of places in educational institutions for future female pilots in Russia. Teachers at aviation clubs and flight schools say that women are not very suitable for military aviation due to high workloads. But for transport aviation - quite.
Pilot training
First you need to go through a special medical commission - because the pilot must have excellent health. Then you need to choose an educational institution. Now in Russia for women pilots there are a huge number of aviation clubs and training centers, which provide training for aviation personnel. After passing the theory, which, according to the standard, takes 220 hours, you can begin to practice. A flight book is started for a newly-made pilot, which reflects flight tolerances, general flying time, and verification of the theory and technique of piloting. It is better to start flying in autumn or winter - it will not be so hot in the cockpit, and the cold will not be felt due to an excess of adrenaline. They are not allowed on a solo flight immediately - only after 9 hours with an instructor. And only after that beginners are released on a free flight without an instructor. On average, a practical course lasts about 50 hours.
Non-female work
It is believed that aviation is an exclusively male sphere. It is difficult for a woman for several reasons. Firstly, it is certainly heavy physical activity, intended more for the male body. Secondly, in order to successfully work in aviation, a woman must think in a manly way, which not everyone can do. And thirdly, do not write off work in the men's team. On the one hand - help and support, and on the other - condescension and, sometimes, arrogance. A female pilot in Russia must have an iron temper and a strong character.
Pilots and war
An outstanding wartime pilot was Marina Mikhailovna Raskova, who in 1941 took the initiative to create a female aviation regiment. Even before the war, hundreds of women received education along with men in flight schools, so there were already 3 regiments who wanted to. Colonel G. Rozantsev led the recruitment of pilots. After some time, the 586th, 587th and 588th women's aviation regiments were formed. Brave women guarded the area of ​​Stalingrad - the most important strategic object of military operations. Women's aviation regiments participated in the liberation of Crimea, the North Caucasus, and Poland. Sometimes the regiment flew out on a mission without additional equipment and parachutes. Instead, the aircraft were equipped with even more ammunition.
Nobody is forgotten and nothing is forgotten
The Germans called the aviation regiments of our pilots "Night Witches." Brave women terrified the German soldiers, the best representatives of the German army were sent against them.
Among the female pilots in Russia, it is worth highlighting the legendary aviator Polina Osipenko, who became famous for her unusual history. The girl worked in the dining room of the flight school, where K.E. Voroshilov once arrived. Gaining courage, Polina asked to enroll her in an educational institution, which, to everyone's surprise, he did. Polina Osipenko set several world aviation records; her life was tragically cut short during a flight in 1939. Many female pilots regiments tragically died defending their homeland. Streets in some cities are named after such great pilotesses as P. Osipenko and E. Bershanskaya.
The first women in aviation
The first woman in the world to conquer the sky is traditionally considered Raymond de Laroche (aka Eliza Derosh), who in 1909 first climbed to a height of 6 meters and flew about 300 meters. This act was the starting point for women in aviation. Eliza became the first aviator in the world, set several world records. Before the advent of aviation in the life of this woman, she was an actress. Eliza died in a plane crash. The pilot was a man, and Eliza was sitting in the passenger seat.
The first woman to officially receive a pilot’s certificate was Beryl Markham. This is the first girl to fly on the African continent with rescue missions. In 1936, Markham was the first of the women to fly a solitary transatlantic flight from east to west from England. He is the author of memoirs and various manuals on aviation. Among other merits of Beryl, it can be noted that she was the first woman who had a license to teach riding in Kenya, which at the time of restricting the female half of humanity in rights was a very significant achievement. Beryl Markham died at the age of 83 in the city of Nairobi.
The first female pilots in Russia
Officially, the first pilot in Russia is Domnikiya Illarionovna Kuznetsova-Novoleynik, who, having only theoretical knowledge about the structure of the aircraft, picked it up, but, unfortunately, could not hold it and collapsed to the ground. By the way, Domnikia’s husband was a pilot-aviator Pavel Kuznetsov, who later became a flight instructor.
The first female civil aviation pilot in Russia by the name of Zvereva, Lidia Vissarionovna, was the first officially recognized pilot in our country. In the flight school, she found not only her vocation, but also her husband - aviator Vladimir Slyusarenko. By the way, Lidia Zvereva was the first woman to graduate from a specialized aviation training institution.
Everyday life of modern pilots
How many women pilots of civil aviation in Russia? Today this question can be answered precisely - clearly more than in the USSR. In the Land of Soviets, women aviators were not very fond of. In the whole state there were only 4 places for training women in this profession. Currently, the list of women pilots of civil aviation in Russia is much larger than, say, 30-40 years ago. Often, looking at the photos of women pilots in Russia, it seems that these women do not have a life, but a romantic dream. Behind the scenes are separation from relatives and friends, lack of sleep and constant tension. And even despite these important factors, the list of women pilots in Russia is constantly updated, more and more new beauties are trying to conquer the sky.
Beauty that conquered even the sky
Russian military aviation in peacetime and wartime has always been at a high level. As for civil aviation, it is in no way inferior to military aviation; the pilot profession has always been shrouded in the spirit of romanticism and prestige. And how many women pilots of civil aviation in Russia! You may notice that extremely strong and beautiful women work here. What is the secret of their beauty? This is definitely a gleam in the eyes, which appears only when a person is busy with his favorite business. When you are close to a dream, the world plays with new colors. Below are videos and photos of women pilots in Russia that amaze not only with determination and fortitude, but also with beauty.
Maria Fedorova is the youngest female pilot in Russia
At the age of 23, many women are not able to control not only the plane, even the car! How many female pilots in Russia at such a young age sat at the helm of an airplane? Looking at this fragile girl, you will never think that she can land a multi-ton airliner with the usual movement of her hand. Maria Fedorova is the youngest pilot of the Aeroflot company.
When asked about the reason for choosing a profession, Maria modestly replies that her father always dreamed of becoming a pilot, she didn’t have such a dream. We can say that the father’s dream came true in her daughter’s. In order to get closer to her goal, Mary had to go a difficult way.
After graduating from an aviation school, Masha flew for several months as an intern, trained on simulators, and studied theory. Interestingly, Maria prefers not Boeing for her flight, as her colleagues, but the Russian Superjet. When asked about the reason for choosing the Russian manufacturer, Maria replies that it is much more convenient for her to fly a domestic plane, especially since his quality is excellent.
Looking at the photos of women pilots of civil aviation in Russia, we often see adult women. Maria refutes the prejudices that age affects the professionalism of the pilot. According to her, even greater demands were placed on her than the rest (again, due to age). But she managed to pass all the degrees of preparation and verification, at the moment she is a full-fledged co-pilot. Despite the tight schedule, Mary, according to her, has time for her personal life. True, sometimes, according to her, the schedule is too busy.
Aeroflot pilot Maria Uvarovskaya about her work
The list of female pilots in Russia totals about 30 people. In 2009, Olga Gracheva received the proud title of aircraft commander. After 3 years, a concept such as "pilotess" appeared. Maria Uvarovskaya received this proud title in 2014.
Initially, young Maria wanted to be an architect. The understanding that she wants to connect her life with aviation came by chance during a free aviation training at DOSAAF. Then the hobby grew into a goal - to become a professional pilot. The path to the dream was thorny - I had to work out my flight hours myself (which is very expensive), practice on a small six-seater airplane, while working as an architect.
After graduation, they did not immediately take the girl to Aeroflot, they offered to practice at another airline, which she did. After all the efforts, Maria Uvarovskaya nevertheless fulfilled her dream and was accepted into the ranks of the Aeroflot pilot company. According to her, it was not difficult for her to change the company, because the pilot’s work implies retraining on another technique every 3 years, therefore, a change of places is not the most difficult in this work.
As always, in cases where the pilot flies the plane, passengers are very surprised when they hear the greeting of the female pilot. But contempt or panic fear, according to Mary, she never noticed. As for work in the men's team, she quickly got used to such an environment. Uvarovskaya claims that when you work in men's work, then over time you begin to think like a man.
Not once did Mary notice either contempt, nor condescension, or rudeness toward her. But there is, of course, the assumption that the male part of the Aeroflot team is discussing pilotess (in the good sense of the word).
Women at all times have made their invaluable contribution to the history of Russian aviation. In wartime and peacetime, the fair sex controlled the helm of the aircraft at a high level, not at all inferior to male aviators. In the twentieth century, society actively got rid of gender prejudices that dictated to a woman what to do and how to live. Now, thanks to this, women are full members of society, making their full contribution to the development of the global economy. And in our time, the fair sex can be a doctor, play football, drive a car and even fly a plane. And this will not cause ridicule and misunderstanding, because a woman who has chosen such a profession is an example of a mature, strong personality that is worthy of respect and admiration.