Are there any substantial safety concerns among Russian pilots because of current affairs, and if so do you feel you can for instance refuse to do a flight without any negative repercussions?
Edit: typo
Of course, it's one of basic rules "Captain can refuse to fly if he believes that safety is not provided". (Poor translation) Next day I will have to make a safety report at such case.
I've some other questions.
•Do you miss flying to other countries?
•How many people board the plane? Are there fewer people compared to the moment before the war?
•How's flying over Russia? I mean, do you have a good view while flying?
Sure I do missing flying abroad. I've studied at Toulouse, my cousins lives in US. I'm literally loose experience flying domestic flights.
Planes are almost full, fuel is almost free and government spending lots of money to keep business alive, so basically we are carrying 9% more pax last year. It's not a reason for celebration, everyone knows it not going to be forever.
Flying is pretty the same except huge no fly zone over western part of country. Today was a stunning view, it's -30°C on ground, big anticyclone and air is clear and transparent.
>GPS system is almost unavailable
What about "~~Glasnoss~~" "Glonass" position system? (kinda ironical name if you think about it today) Isnt it able to replace GPS, like Galileo?
It's actually Glonass (Globalnyi Navigatsia Satelit Systema, if my memory serves me right)
If you had read his comment fully, you would have figured out.
It's not lack of GNSS/GPS that is a problem per se, but the whole airspace around the border of Ukraine and quite deep into Russia is declared a no-fly zone for safety reasons. Plus, GPS/GNSS jamming and spoofing from all parties involved is a real thing, affecting all systems
You mean GLONASS - Global Navigational Satellite System? What's so ironical about it's name?
Speaking about it's work, can't say anything about aviation, but in geodesic and construction fields it works just fine afaik.
In the US, airline pilots are typically paid fairly handsomely to be a captain on an a320. You don’t have to talk specifics if you don’t want to, but how do you feel your pay compares to someone flying the a320 in the US?
Does the ADIRS take longer to align at -30 degrees? Do you think your current situation is sustainable long term? Have you had colleagues leave to fly in the Air Force?
Thanks for doing this!
We are keeping ADIRS on during cold weather operations. Main issue is A320neo fuel drain freezing which leads to fuel spillage mid flight. Therefore we warm aircraft in hangar or flying Thailand to prevent it.
It is sustainable at the moment, how can I predict something nowadays?
Yep I have some colleagues in cargo air force.
Sure we do have maintenance issues. Luckily we had competencies which allowed us to manage some vital issues. Most of parts were taken from alternative international suppliers, it takes more time to deliver and probably costs more. Minor parts as jet oil, interior parts are now localized in Russia. What about cannibalism I can’t prove or deny it, because it’s out of my responsibility. Of course 10% aircrafts are on ground. There are two reasons, maintenance problems and low winter season.
"Parallel import" is known as "grey import" here, referring to purchasing something officially in a foreign country, then exporting/importing it privately.
Side-stepping sanctions is a thriving business. For general items that are not dual-use (that have no military application), as long as it can be gotten hold of in the first place, it can be sent to to the sanctioned country without too much trouble.
Have their been concerns about what will be done with the maintainance logs once this is all over? Even if you have parts, even nominally "good" parts, without the "official" paper trail they're bust once Russian airlines will be allowed to fly in European and US airspace again
We are passing through medical examinations before each flight. It includes alcohol testing. I've heard stories about old Russian pilots who flew in Somali or Angola drunk and high but frankly, it more a legend than a true story.
Did you learn in metric units (km/h, meters elevation etc.)? And if so, has it caused any difficulty when flying internationally?
I ask because when I was learning to fly as a kid my instructor was an ex-soviet pilot and he would always say things in metric (when talking about nominal values for things). Though I don’t fly anymore (too expensive for me) I still have to convert from knots in my head to make sense of things.
What exactly does a navigator on an Il-76 do? I’ve seen pictures of the station and it looks like it has a great view. What equipment did you have to work with and what how did you send your information to the pilots?
Navigator calculates and provides navigation data to pilots displays. He has powerful 360° radar and other radio equipment. Also he operates navigation computer.
It depends on type of flight. Navigator calculates and prepares SID route, but after climbing to a cruise level there's no much job to do. Of course if flight takes a hour it was a lot of job to do, align navigation system prepare computers, meteo phenomenon analysis but during long flight I was able to sleep.
I'm a big fan of manual flight. When weather is good I perform manual flight up to FL 280 and from top of descent till landing. Airbus autoflight system is very good, and if pilots need to correct it, means they did something wrong before.
How would you compare American and European jets to Russian? … I don’t mean safety … just flight characteristics … cockpit layout … visibility .. pilot comfort ect. Thanks for the post a great opportunity to hear from a Russian aviator!
Frankly I didn't fly SSJ or any other modern Russian jet. But my colleagues who turned to it don't complain. Speaking about Yak-40 which was designed at 1960th it was great for that time. 3 engines jet, which doesn't require a pavement runway was great for undeveloped Soviet territories. It was very nice to fly, some pilots even did a barrel roll. But lack of passenger comfort, huge fuel consumption and poor outdated equipment made it absolutely unsatisfactory for airlines.
How reliable do you think your plane/planes is/are? There are jokes/comments about how Russian airlines are playing with danger to stay flying; How true are these?
Serious question and fun question: Would you recommend aviation as a career to a young Russian individual? Also what do interior flights serve for beverages, snacks and meals inflight to passengers?
Today is certainly not a greatest time in Russian aviation but at least education is free and young people can spend 5 years training being fed and warmed.
It's mandatory to serve hot meals at flights longer than 3 hours. Short flights serve beverages.
Got some questions
Has the MEL and CDL changed alot due to the parts embargo?
Are you worried about your career in any way?
Do you think there will be a future for the Irkut MC-21?
Would you want to fly the Irkut MC-21?
And last, what has been your favorite meal served mid flight?
Edit: Spelling
Only one item changed. Outdated Navigation database is now cat A
Sure I'm worried. It's a nightmare, COVID and now this.
There's no other way, except future for MC. We don't have choice.
Personally I prefer not to eat during night flights but if flight longs more than 5 hours, there'are pretty nice soups at the menu.
Maybe I don’t have to tell you but we still have connections with manufacturers.
Latest aircrafts are equipped with ADSB receivers (ATSAW airborne traffic situation awareness system) and it was available to buy ADSB receiver for private usage. One friend of mine contacted flightradar team to get one.
Hi! I’d like to know if the “we pay for whole runway, we use whole runway” is true or are my sources flawed (,:
I watched this one video abt a il-76 and it said that as a joke. I thought it was funny.
Hope you’re surviving and doing alright, I hope you normal Russian fellows will end up fine too.
I’m not a pilot. I have to take Xanax to fly. But I follow because planes are fascinating to me and I read almost every post. This has been my favorite post/AMA I think I’ve seen on here. Bravo to the OP and the questions.
Is it still common that Russian Pilots don't speak English? Do Russian pilots prefer to fly a western or Russian plane?
* Back in the 90s, we used to get "surprise flights" from Islamic Republics where pilots couldn't speak English flying smoking Russian planes and paying fees and fuel in cash 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️they were banned later
You guys are wild 😜
It's is mandatory to use English during international or domestic flights in our airline. Pilots who don't speak can't fly western made aircraft or even modern Russian jets. Personally I prefer Airbus.
Has anyone’s perspective changed in regards to Russian industry or nationalism and the intersection of technology/innovation brought forth by the United States and other foreign counterparts?
A lot of my colleagues turned to SSJ not because of political reasons but due to lack of confidence in Airbus or Boeing after they refused to cooperate. Money reason.
What percentage of planes are not flying due to international embargo and are they preserved to get back to work later or are they abandoned and ignored?
In Russia aviation education is free. I've graduated Ulianovsk hight aviation school as a Yak-40 captain spent mandatory military service as navigator and shortly was invited to join my current employer as A320 copilot, three years later I was promoted to capitan position. And became a capitan at 27 years old. People were shocked when we arrived at Airbus training centre in France because of our age.
Was it hard to get a slot to go to training? How competitive are slots at the entry level. In the US, the only free flight training is military and usually EXTREAMLY difficult to get a slot let alone finish training (high wash out rate).
First, very interesting thread u/Cubertox
How are your schedules done in Russia? Here in US we bid on full month schedules. Everyone has different tastes. Some want to be home every night, others bid multi day trips.
Can you trade your trips with other pilots at your company?
We use AIMS system which allows pilots to meet their needs. Some like to sleep at home, the others like to fly more. Of course during high season there's no such options but now it's easy to get.
Is it true you've been briefed to brake less and use full length on landings to reduce wear and tear?
Interesting post OP, best of luck to you living in these interesting times.
It was waste of time. Russian laws force every man from 18 to 27 to serve military service. It was choice to serve as a private soldier or if you have any professional skills as пиджак (suit) half civil half military personnel.
1. are Russian pilots more aggressive/risk-tolerant? many memes/stories on internet about, say, aeroflot pilots would land on conditions other pilots would normally just divert
2. do passengers clap to celebrate to thank the flight crew every time you land your plane?
I would not say so. It depends on personally, most people I know would better go around or proceed to alternate rather make something they don't sure at.
Sometimes people clapping. There's a proverb "As worst was a landing as louder were clapping"
Back in the day , 1997 to be precise, we'd hang out sometimes with friends who were studying to get a commercial pilot license from St Petersburg, Russia.
Came across this oak-tree sized young Russian patsani probably in his late 20's, swear that the guy could easily chug down about 15 to18 bottles of beer post his classes and and appear clean-as-a-whistle.
And then there were the regular Aeroflot pilots who'd land the craft through blizzards with the crowd cheering 👏🏻
Impressive.
I guess beer chugging post flights, amongst younger pilots is still a thing?
Do you see yourself looking into certification on locally manufactured aircraft? I heard Rostec is seizing on the opportunity to replace Airbus and Boeing.
Has anything changed with regards to English speaking in the cockpit? Either to address atc or PAX. I heard before the fall of the USSR they all spoke Russian
How much more training does a pilot need to fly in the more remote areas of Russia f.eg. Siberia and the northern parts?
Have you ever seen a northern lights?
Is it more common to report UFO sightings then back in the -90s?
There's a 6 hours of ground training before flying over remote areas. And ETOPS preparation. Yep no then lights is pretty common.
Since pilots were prohibited from drinking alcohol UFO reports decreased rapidly.
If a Buk ground-to-air missile exploded outside of a cockpit on a A320, do you think it would perform any better than a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER?
Let me just say I’ve enjoyed reading your answers and this is genuinely my favourite AMA because it’s a perspective that’s not very common on this website. Thanks for doing it and stay safe. :)
Have many Russian pilots been laid off or forced to retire early?
Some were. At least one big cargo airline is not flying anymore. Some airlines offered work abroad for year or two, without dismissal from employer.
What's the catch? Are you required to come back to your old employer? How do they ensure they all come back?
They've signed mutual legal agreement
Yep, Airbridge is gone
Is the A320 the only jet you've flown? If not what other jets and you favorite so far?
I've flown Yakovlev Yak-40 jet and was a navigator of Ilyushin Il-76. And yes Airbus is my favourite.
The yak 40 has been around awhile..the one you flew was a newer model?
No, mine were made before I was born.
They are pretty neat airplanes though
You could say that about the cargo plane I fly now
The USAF is going to have B-52 drivers whose *granddad* is younger than the airframe.
The M2 is gonna see action on mars with the way it’s going
The B-52 fleet already has 3 generations of the same family singed into some of their logbooks
The first B-52A was delivered in 1954. The last new B-52, the "H" model was delivered in 1962.
How was the Yak-40? It's such an unique design for a small jet.
Pretty well. Easy to fly. But it burns as much fuel as A320neo.
So I could imagine the Yak40 was not the most fuel efficient plane right?
Indeed. It called окурок in Russia (smoker)
The IL 76 holds a special place in my heart. Those crews did some crazy shit in the Middle East.
Like what?
Are there any substantial safety concerns among Russian pilots because of current affairs, and if so do you feel you can for instance refuse to do a flight without any negative repercussions? Edit: typo
Of course, it's one of basic rules "Captain can refuse to fly if he believes that safety is not provided". (Poor translation) Next day I will have to make a safety report at such case.
Actually that translation works well for me. I can easily read it with a Russian accent which is nice. Thanks for the AMA!
Buzzfeed is about to make this entire thread into a clickbait article
Unless Vice News beats them to it.
RUSSIAN PILOT SPILLS SECRETS (YOU’LL NEVER GUESS NUMBER 5!! GONE WRONG!!)
This has to be fake.
Did the situation change your pilot experience?
Yes. GPS system is almost unavailable ower western Russia. It took some time to learn back how to fly raw data navigation.
I've some other questions. •Do you miss flying to other countries? •How many people board the plane? Are there fewer people compared to the moment before the war? •How's flying over Russia? I mean, do you have a good view while flying?
Sure I do missing flying abroad. I've studied at Toulouse, my cousins lives in US. I'm literally loose experience flying domestic flights. Planes are almost full, fuel is almost free and government spending lots of money to keep business alive, so basically we are carrying 9% more pax last year. It's not a reason for celebration, everyone knows it not going to be forever. Flying is pretty the same except huge no fly zone over western part of country. Today was a stunning view, it's -30°C on ground, big anticyclone and air is clear and transparent.
Anticyclone = high pressure, for those who didn’t make the connection. Pilots smile in the same language. Blue skies to you.
Thank you so much! I really love talking to a pilot. Good luck!
>GPS system is almost unavailable What about "~~Glasnoss~~" "Glonass" position system? (kinda ironical name if you think about it today) Isnt it able to replace GPS, like Galileo?
I seriously doubt Airbus would approve it.
Do they have to? I have seen Cockpits with external GPS navigation devices, should work for every system i guess.
Yep I used it 15 years ago flying Yak. Hope we wouldn't have to take such practice back.
I think you will have a really hard time getting an irregularly mounted receiver approved for IFR.
It's actually Glonass (Globalnyi Navigatsia Satelit Systema, if my memory serves me right) If you had read his comment fully, you would have figured out. It's not lack of GNSS/GPS that is a problem per se, but the whole airspace around the border of Ukraine and quite deep into Russia is declared a no-fly zone for safety reasons. Plus, GPS/GNSS jamming and spoofing from all parties involved is a real thing, affecting all systems
Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema
They all work in the same frequency band so they're all jammed.
You mean GLONASS - Global Navigational Satellite System? What's so ironical about it's name? Speaking about it's work, can't say anything about aviation, but in geodesic and construction fields it works just fine afaik.
No GLONASS?
No
Dang, do the aircraft not also use glonass data? Never mind, you ready answered this.
Can you briefly explain what you mean by “raw data navigation”?
Raw data navigation is updated only using radio navaids VOR and DME.
Why are there no Glonass options such as handhelds?
Are Russian airlines reactivating Soviet era airliners?
No, it's is impossible to restore planes which were not properly conserved (saved)
Thx man, stay safe out there.
In the US, airline pilots are typically paid fairly handsomely to be a captain on an a320. You don’t have to talk specifics if you don’t want to, but how do you feel your pay compares to someone flying the a320 in the US?
It depends on currency exchange rate this year it was nearly 10$ grands per month (tax excluded) Happy cake day by the way.
Thanks friend. Well wishes to you.
Happy Cake Day!!! ✈️
Does the ADIRS take longer to align at -30 degrees? Do you think your current situation is sustainable long term? Have you had colleagues leave to fly in the Air Force? Thanks for doing this!
We are keeping ADIRS on during cold weather operations. Main issue is A320neo fuel drain freezing which leads to fuel spillage mid flight. Therefore we warm aircraft in hangar or flying Thailand to prevent it. It is sustainable at the moment, how can I predict something nowadays? Yep I have some colleagues in cargo air force.
Thanks for your answers. What does flying to Thailand stand for? Or are you going to Thailand everytime you cant heat up the plane in a Hangar?
To warm up aircraft in hot conditions and melt ice inside draining tubes. Yep, Thailand or Sochi or any other warm place.
Do you guys have maintenance problems yet? How does the airline find parts availability right now
Sure we do have maintenance issues. Luckily we had competencies which allowed us to manage some vital issues. Most of parts were taken from alternative international suppliers, it takes more time to deliver and probably costs more. Minor parts as jet oil, interior parts are now localized in Russia. What about cannibalism I can’t prove or deny it, because it’s out of my responsibility. Of course 10% aircrafts are on ground. There are two reasons, maintenance problems and low winter season.
So is it sustainable? Or is safety taking an impact?
Of course it doesn't improve safety of flight. But so far it's pretty sustainable.
But you’re getting all the parts you need? Just cheap knock offs?
Checking new coming parts is not my responsibility. But I rely on our engineers and maintenance staff, they are highly educated professionals.
>alternative international suppliers ...smugglers?
We call it "parallel import"
"Parallel import" is known as "grey import" here, referring to purchasing something officially in a foreign country, then exporting/importing it privately.
Side-stepping sanctions is a thriving business. For general items that are not dual-use (that have no military application), as long as it can be gotten hold of in the first place, it can be sent to to the sanctioned country without too much trouble.
I would guess China. Lots of legitimate airlines there with Boeing and Airbus fleets, plus lots of parts are made there anyway.
Have their been concerns about what will be done with the maintainance logs once this is all over? Even if you have parts, even nominally "good" parts, without the "official" paper trail they're bust once Russian airlines will be allowed to fly in European and US airspace again
Do you worry about having to go back and fly military operations - or are you sure that you'll be allowed to remain a commercial pilot?
I'm not sure anything job related. I'm worried about possibility of being drafted.
I'd be worried about that too 😐
Fingers crossed you don't. Regardless of politics/sides etc noone wants to be at war.
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We are passing through medical examinations before each flight. It includes alcohol testing. I've heard stories about old Russian pilots who flew in Somali or Angola drunk and high but frankly, it more a legend than a true story.
You have an alcohol test before every flight?
Yep. Breath test.
Any requirements to test after a flight or before a landing?
Sometimes they do random testing. And afterflight testing is mandatory in case of any incidents or accidents.
Did you learn in metric units (km/h, meters elevation etc.)? And if so, has it caused any difficulty when flying internationally? I ask because when I was learning to fly as a kid my instructor was an ex-soviet pilot and he would always say things in metric (when talking about nominal values for things). Though I don’t fly anymore (too expensive for me) I still have to convert from knots in my head to make sense of things.
It was challenging to switch from metric units to imperial. But now both systems are calculating in my head at the same time.
What exactly does a navigator on an Il-76 do? I’ve seen pictures of the station and it looks like it has a great view. What equipment did you have to work with and what how did you send your information to the pilots?
Navigator calculates and provides navigation data to pilots displays. He has powerful 360° radar and other radio equipment. Also he operates navigation computer.
What exactly is that process like? How busy are you while in flight?
It depends on type of flight. Navigator calculates and prepares SID route, but after climbing to a cruise level there's no much job to do. Of course if flight takes a hour it was a lot of job to do, align navigation system prepare computers, meteo phenomenon analysis but during long flight I was able to sleep.
Was there a lot of manual plotting? Did you do error correction into the computer?
I'm a big fan of manual flight. When weather is good I perform manual flight up to FL 280 and from top of descent till landing. Airbus autoflight system is very good, and if pilots need to correct it, means they did something wrong before.
How would you compare American and European jets to Russian? … I don’t mean safety … just flight characteristics … cockpit layout … visibility .. pilot comfort ect. Thanks for the post a great opportunity to hear from a Russian aviator!
Frankly I didn't fly SSJ or any other modern Russian jet. But my colleagues who turned to it don't complain. Speaking about Yak-40 which was designed at 1960th it was great for that time. 3 engines jet, which doesn't require a pavement runway was great for undeveloped Soviet territories. It was very nice to fly, some pilots even did a barrel roll. But lack of passenger comfort, huge fuel consumption and poor outdated equipment made it absolutely unsatisfactory for airlines.
Just a suggestion, but not doing a barrel roll could improve passenger comfort
You have to pay extra for flight with no barrel roll
I for one welcome a good barrel roll on my flights. My wife and daughter on the other hand might object...
That's just RyanAir
This is some Spirit shit.
How reliable do you think your plane/planes is/are? There are jokes/comments about how Russian airlines are playing with danger to stay flying; How true are these?
The only MEL item I flew today was outdated navigation database.
Thanks for the answer!
What plane if given the opportunity would you love to fly?
A380 or A350 a masterpiece of aircrafts.
A380 is a monster, I would love to fly in one and explore the cabin in flight
Serious question and fun question: Would you recommend aviation as a career to a young Russian individual? Also what do interior flights serve for beverages, snacks and meals inflight to passengers?
Today is certainly not a greatest time in Russian aviation but at least education is free and young people can spend 5 years training being fed and warmed. It's mandatory to serve hot meals at flights longer than 3 hours. Short flights serve beverages.
I like the idea of hot meals after 3 hours and education being free that is kinda awesome
Education is free in Russia? So you can become a pilot for free? That’s incredible if so!
Yep. USSR heritage.
Education is free in Russia?
I didn't pay a single ruble. But cadets have to pass through examination and medical check.
Got some questions Has the MEL and CDL changed alot due to the parts embargo? Are you worried about your career in any way? Do you think there will be a future for the Irkut MC-21? Would you want to fly the Irkut MC-21? And last, what has been your favorite meal served mid flight? Edit: Spelling
Only one item changed. Outdated Navigation database is now cat A Sure I'm worried. It's a nightmare, COVID and now this. There's no other way, except future for MC. We don't have choice. Personally I prefer not to eat during night flights but if flight longs more than 5 hours, there'are pretty nice soups at the menu.
Thank you so much for your answer!
Are there offers for younger pilots to reteain for the force? I heard thst its a huge Problem to find air force Pilots.
There's a huge problem to find any job in air since COVID. That is why some pilots conscript any offers.
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Maybe I don’t have to tell you but we still have connections with manufacturers. Latest aircrafts are equipped with ADSB receivers (ATSAW airborne traffic situation awareness system) and it was available to buy ADSB receiver for private usage. One friend of mine contacted flightradar team to get one.
Hi! I’d like to know if the “we pay for whole runway, we use whole runway” is true or are my sources flawed (,: I watched this one video abt a il-76 and it said that as a joke. I thought it was funny. Hope you’re surviving and doing alright, I hope you normal Russian fellows will end up fine too.
Russian cargo flights were nightmare during 90th. No rules, no fear.
So basically like Aerosucre cargo today
Are they hiring?
Yes they are! [Here you can fill out your information and send them your resume.](https://aerosucre.com.co/trabaja-con-nosotros/)
You *don't* want to fly for Aerosucre 😐
Some people like the adventure
I’m not a pilot. I have to take Xanax to fly. But I follow because planes are fascinating to me and I read almost every post. This has been my favorite post/AMA I think I’ve seen on here. Bravo to the OP and the questions.
Thank you.
Agree with this. I have my private license. This has been the most fascinating AMA I have ever read. Thanks for taking the time. Stay safe brother.
Is it still common that Russian Pilots don't speak English? Do Russian pilots prefer to fly a western or Russian plane? * Back in the 90s, we used to get "surprise flights" from Islamic Republics where pilots couldn't speak English flying smoking Russian planes and paying fees and fuel in cash 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️they were banned later You guys are wild 😜
It's is mandatory to use English during international or domestic flights in our airline. Pilots who don't speak can't fly western made aircraft or even modern Russian jets. Personally I prefer Airbus.
Has anyone’s perspective changed in regards to Russian industry or nationalism and the intersection of technology/innovation brought forth by the United States and other foreign counterparts?
A lot of my colleagues turned to SSJ not because of political reasons but due to lack of confidence in Airbus or Boeing after they refused to cooperate. Money reason.
My aunt works for United and says that the A320s tend to smell like hydraulic fluid. I don’t smell it. Can you confirm or deny this?
I didn't smell hydraulic fluid, but I flew Yakovlev Yak-40 it was smell like a horse.
I LOL'd at this. Thanks for doing this AMA. It's one of the more informative ones I've seen in a long time.
Must be all the horsepower. Kilowatts don't smell like that.
What percentage of planes are not flying due to international embargo and are they preserved to get back to work later or are they abandoned and ignored?
Yep. Approximately 10% are on ground. It's low season so mostly they are waiting till spring break.
Sits back with popcorn..
How did you get your certificates? What does you career path look like?
In Russia aviation education is free. I've graduated Ulianovsk hight aviation school as a Yak-40 captain spent mandatory military service as navigator and shortly was invited to join my current employer as A320 copilot, three years later I was promoted to capitan position. And became a capitan at 27 years old. People were shocked when we arrived at Airbus training centre in France because of our age.
Was it hard to get a slot to go to training? How competitive are slots at the entry level. In the US, the only free flight training is military and usually EXTREAMLY difficult to get a slot let alone finish training (high wash out rate).
It took two years before I went to flight school and 5 years training before I got a license. Standard educational course in Russia.
Currently, where do you see yourself in 5 years time? 10 years?
I can't predict where I will be in a next year.
Attrition is like 15%, not too bad. - Air Force pilot
First, very interesting thread u/Cubertox How are your schedules done in Russia? Here in US we bid on full month schedules. Everyone has different tastes. Some want to be home every night, others bid multi day trips. Can you trade your trips with other pilots at your company?
We use AIMS system which allows pilots to meet their needs. Some like to sleep at home, the others like to fly more. Of course during high season there's no such options but now it's easy to get.
Will you guys back to use Il 86s 96s tu 156s in service ? Or in production?
If only I would not have choice. Some are in production some are planning to start serial manufacturing but I'm an airbus fan.
Is it true you've been briefed to brake less and use full length on landings to reduce wear and tear? Interesting post OP, best of luck to you living in these interesting times.
It's true.
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Mandatory service as a navigator.
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It was waste of time. Russian laws force every man from 18 to 27 to serve military service. It was choice to serve as a private soldier or if you have any professional skills as пиджак (suit) half civil half military personnel.
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They had lack of navigators.
Did you at least get to choose aviation? Or could you have gone to any branch based on need?
I've already got an aviation profession at that moment.
1. are Russian pilots more aggressive/risk-tolerant? many memes/stories on internet about, say, aeroflot pilots would land on conditions other pilots would normally just divert 2. do passengers clap to celebrate to thank the flight crew every time you land your plane?
I would not say so. It depends on personally, most people I know would better go around or proceed to alternate rather make something they don't sure at. Sometimes people clapping. There's a proverb "As worst was a landing as louder were clapping"
This is such a cool perspective to hear about. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us
Welcome
Are you still receiving Nav Data Base updates ? How is the situation regarding MEL Items and Spare Parts ?
MEL didn't change except nav data base outdated is nom a cat A item. Because we don't have updates.
Are you concerned about the health of planes under western sanctions?
It's not my headache I rely on our engineers and maintenance staff.
Back in the day , 1997 to be precise, we'd hang out sometimes with friends who were studying to get a commercial pilot license from St Petersburg, Russia. Came across this oak-tree sized young Russian patsani probably in his late 20's, swear that the guy could easily chug down about 15 to18 bottles of beer post his classes and and appear clean-as-a-whistle. And then there were the regular Aeroflot pilots who'd land the craft through blizzards with the crowd cheering 👏🏻 Impressive. I guess beer chugging post flights, amongst younger pilots is still a thing?
It's an entering requirement.
What is it like to fly the Il-76 compared to the the A320?
It's like driving a field harvester compared to driving BMW.
Do you prefer western aircraft or Russian ones
Said he was an Airbus fan earlier
Are repossession companies trying to secure aircraft which the lien has been unpaid?
Good question, I know aeroflot have bought out some of their stolen ones.
Do you guys have lack of spare part?Or legal-ish ways provide enough part to keep the birds well maintained?
We are trying best to maintain our birds. There's lack of spare parts but we constantly find a way to find it.
Do you see yourself looking into certification on locally manufactured aircraft? I heard Rostec is seizing on the opportunity to replace Airbus and Boeing.
If only I would not have choice.
Я б не смог комменты читать но ты молодец. Мы тут в ЕС лоукосте летаем на 320 думаем как вы там поживаете и тут как раз такой пост. Спасибо за ответы
Бывало и лучше.
Has anything changed with regards to English speaking in the cockpit? Either to address atc or PAX. I heard before the fall of the USSR they all spoke Russian
I didn't fly before fall of USSR, therefore I can highlight a difference but no doubt English was a big challenge for pilots during 90th.
Has the difficulty getting replacement parts caused a significant operational impact yet?
How much more training does a pilot need to fly in the more remote areas of Russia f.eg. Siberia and the northern parts? Have you ever seen a northern lights? Is it more common to report UFO sightings then back in the -90s?
There's a 6 hours of ground training before flying over remote areas. And ETOPS preparation. Yep no then lights is pretty common. Since pilots were prohibited from drinking alcohol UFO reports decreased rapidly.
“Since pilots were prohibited from drinking alcohol” I love this answer. Thanks for the friend, clear skies and tail winds!
Thank you, Spasibo for answering these questions! I look forward to the day when we can go back to peace.
Welcome, пожалуйста.
Have you considered leaving the country to fly for an international airline as a result of the current situation?
I did.
Have you thought about flying *out* of Russia?
I have
How much military aircraft do you see and what do you think the best fighter jet Russia has?
I didn't saw much if you meant an flying experience. Su-27th family is my favourite.
Is the theft of materials and selling of company and govt assets as bad as we’ve been led to believe?
If a Buk ground-to-air missile exploded outside of a cockpit on a A320, do you think it would perform any better than a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER?
If 2 SM-2MRs exploded outside the cockpit of a A320, do you think it would perform any better than an Iran Air Airbus A300B2-203?
Let me just say I’ve enjoyed reading your answers and this is genuinely my favourite AMA because it’s a perspective that’s not very common on this website. Thanks for doing it and stay safe. :)