Hi from Russia!

Pilot? Student pilot? Future pilot? Interested in learning to fly? If you're reading this forum, you've got flying in your blood! SportPilotTalk is a great place to ask questions about this exciting new segment of (more) affordable aviation!

Moderator: drseti

Post Reply
Denis.gan
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:11 pm
Location: Moscow, Russia
Contact:

Hi from Russia!

Post by Denis.gan »

Hello everybody!
I am Denis from Moscow, Russia. Russian medical experts wants to see the real astronauts and it's the main problem on my way to pilots license. That's why I decided to become the sport pilot in the USA. Last January I passed the FAA knowledge test and soloed in Sling Flying Club in Torrance. Now I have 15 hours flying times, but I stopped my training because my English is not so good for ATC flight following. It seems a bit difficult for me at this moment. I will return for finishing my training and check ride next spring of course.
MackAttack
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:22 pm

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by MackAttack »

Welcome to the forum! Now you are somebody who really wants to get his sport pilot license, traveling all the way from Moscow to Torrance to do it!!! We look forward to having you on the forum - there is lots of good information here. How do you like the Sling? Why did you choose that aircraft?

Also, I'm curious to know more about general aviation in Russia - I've seen a few videos on the web, but your post makes it sound like it a medical exam is required and a challenge. Does Russia participate in the EASA for aircraft certification or does Russia do its own certification?

Thanks - I'm sure a lot of people here are curious to know what it's like to fly in Russia!

Cheers!
Denis.gan
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:11 pm
Location: Moscow, Russia
Contact:

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by Denis.gan »

MackAttack wrote:Welcome to the forum! Now you are somebody who really wants to get his sport pilot license, traveling all the way from Moscow to Torrance to do it!!! We look forward to having you on the forum - there is lots of good information here. How do you like the Sling? Why did you choose that aircraft?

Also, I'm curious to know more about general aviation in Russia - I've seen a few videos on the web, but your post makes it sound like it a medical exam is required and a challenge. Does Russia participate in the EASA for aircraft certification or does Russia do its own certification?

Thanks - I'm sure a lot of people here are curious to know what it's like to fly in Russia!

Cheers!
My parents live in Orange County and I looked for the flying school around their house. Closest school I found in John Wayne airport, but their prices was a bit expensive for me. Although, I have received the answer from SLing Flying Club at once and I had the experience of flight on the Czech NG-5 SLA in Russia - it's the similar plane like Sling. I like Sling aircraft. The plane have good proportional control and good equipped glass cockpit.

Russia have own way about a lot of questions.))
We have own organization for aviation certification - Interstate Aviation Committee. And our medical requirements is very hard - it's the heritage from the soviet times, then aviation was a closed sphere. For example, almost impossible to receive the medical certificate if you wearing the glasses or lens. Also, candidates who older than 40, needs to visit a proctologist. And more strange things.

Privet aviation in Russia develop is very slow. We have not enough airfields and light aircraft registrations connect with big complications.
MackAttack
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:22 pm

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by MackAttack »

Thanks - sounds like you flew a Bristell in Russia. They sell those here - fixed gear only. I am doing a demo on them next weekend! Glad you found a good spot for your training. I am not surprised to hear that aviation is one of the old Soviet hangovers. In some ways our FAA is not all that different in terms of the bureaucracy!!
SportPilot
Posts: 1060
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2014 3:39 pm

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by SportPilot »

.......
Last edited by SportPilot on Sun May 15, 2016 2:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nomore767
Posts: 929
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 8:30 pm

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by Nomore767 »

When I was at college a group of us did a ten day trip to Moscow. January 1972 still Soviet Union and Brezhnev was leader. It was seriously cold. A fascinating country and firkin cold. Did I mention the cold? Bitter snowy wind from Siberia the whole time and it was well into the minus F temps the whole time.

Amongst many things we got to visit an aviation museum and the guide talked about their training academy...bleak and ancient by western standards.
Just about everything was overshadowed by the Great Patriotic War (WW2) but fascinating to see the Red Air Force planes that defended Soviet Union during war and the bravery of the pilots against the Luftwaffe.

No pictures...nothing much to do...except drink vodka at hotel and mingle with KGB assigned to monitor our group (they were funny)..babushka on each floor with room keys and 'only two to room'....visited Lenin's tomb, saw Gagarin's grave marker, went into Kremlin for Bolshoi Ballet performance at Great Hall...no photos...freezing cold...Ivan the Terrible's throne...questionable food at hotel...hard brown toilet paper...nobody smiled ever...queues for everything which arrived in small consignments and sold out so people could barter...young people coming up and offering US $$ for your jeans on the spot...Soviet badges for chewing gum...

Great opportunity to visit and see for ourselves. Russia aviation is bizarre...they make the most unusual looking planes but also extremely interesting ones. I assume the aviation situation in what is now Russia has to be vastly improved over what we saw. Our 737 had to have a Russian in cockpit to translate ATC apparently.

Did I mention it was cold?
SportPilot
Posts: 1060
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2014 3:39 pm

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by SportPilot »

.......
Last edited by SportPilot on Sun May 15, 2016 2:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Denis.gan
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:11 pm
Location: Moscow, Russia
Contact:

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by Denis.gan »

Nomore767 wrote:
Did I mention it was cold?
Since then Moscow became not so cold. Global climate change.)
User avatar
drseti
Posts: 7227
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:42 pm
Location: Lock Haven PA
Contact:

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by drseti »

Welcome aboard, Denis. Never flew in Russia, but I had a wonderful week in Moscow surrounding 4 Oct 2007 (50th anniversary of the Sputnik 1 launch). Guest of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and I was shown truly wonderful hospitality by my Russian colleagues. I look forward to going back (but preferably not in October!)

If we ever meet, I look forward to sharing stories and a bottle of vodka with you.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
MackAttack
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:22 pm

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by MackAttack »

But never within 8 hours of flying!!!

We really appreciate having sport pilots from around the world on this forum ... So thanks again for joining, Denis!

Cheers
HAPPYDAN
Posts: 390
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:49 am

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by HAPPYDAN »

Hey, Denis. Good to hear from you. I hope you are most successful in completing your fight training. It sounds like you have overcome many obstacles already. I and my wife were most fascinated by a bit of Russian flying history. Paul Allen (formerly of Microsoft) has a personal collection of historic aircraft maintained in flying condition at the Flying Heritage Collection at Paine Field in Everett Washington. There, he has a beautifully restored Polikarpov Po-2:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... R0m1IpErc=

These planes were crop dusters, pressed into service in WWII, flown by women combat pilots (Die Nacht Hexen) to great effect against the German invaders. Many of the women pilots were highly decorated for their actions.

So good luck and keep up the good work!
Wm.Ince
Posts: 1080
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2013 3:27 pm
Location: Clearwater, FL

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by Wm.Ince »

Welcome Denis and good luck with your flight training.
SportPilotTalk.com is a great place to share information and experience.
Bill Ince
LSRI
Retired Heavy Equipment Operator
Denis.gan
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:11 pm
Location: Moscow, Russia
Contact:

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by Denis.gan »

drseti wrote:Welcome aboard, Denis. Never flew in Russia, but I had a wonderful week in Moscow surrounding 4 Oct 2007 (50th anniversary of the Sputnik 1 launch). Guest of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and I was shown truly wonderful hospitality by my Russian colleagues. I look forward to going back (but preferably not in October!)

If we ever meet, I look forward to sharing stories and a bottle of vodka with you.
I will be glad to be your guide in Russia. Just let me know about number of your flight. I putted the bottle into the fridge already.))
Last edited by Denis.gan on Sun May 15, 2016 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Denis.gan
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:11 pm
Location: Moscow, Russia
Contact:

Re: Hi from Russia!

Post by Denis.gan »

HAPPYDAN wrote:Hey, Denis. Good to hear from you. I hope you are most successful in completing your fight training. It sounds like you have overcome many obstacles already. I and my wife were most fascinated by a bit of Russian flying history. Paul Allen (formerly of Microsoft) has a personal collection of historic aircraft maintained in flying condition at the Flying Heritage Collection at Paine Field in Everett Washington. There, he has a beautifully restored Polikarpov Po-2:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... R0m1IpErc=

These planes were crop dusters, pressed into service in WWII, flown by women combat pilots (Die Nacht Hexen) to great effect against the German invaders. Many of the women pilots were highly decorated for their actions.

So good luck and keep up the good work!
Fortunately, americans gave the second life for a lot of soviet classic planes. In Russia their destiny are slow death...((
Post Reply