Small aviation of Russia: planes, helicopters, airfields, development prospects

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Small aviation of Russia (airplanes, helicopters) is a source of real pride for all citizens of our country. Most are used to thinking that such a technique is extremely complex and expensive, only a select few have access to it. In fact, this industry is not as closed as stereotypes say. Let's take a closer look.

General view

If you ask a child what he dreams of becoming, it is likely that he will remember astronauts, athletes and pilots. Indeed, for many, being a pilot is a real childhood dream that does not let go even in adulthood. Many do not even know that they have talents in this area, because they have not tried to go to school. And there is only one reason for this - it is generally believed that it is very difficult for an ordinary person to become a pilot. In fact, everything is not so problematic. Many modern citizens can get the right education, practice and start flying aircraft of various sizes. Moreover, you can even become the owner of your own helicopter and start flying it, having acquired all the necessary skills.

BCurrently, the area most accessible to the average person is the small aviation of Russia. Light, ultra-light varieties of flying equipment - these are the units that an average person can get, and for a relatively modest amount. The laws prevailing in our country are such that the activity of small aircraft has relatively few restrictions. Some are convinced that the requirements are too high, but they are incomparably more tolerant than those accepted in many other developed countries.

Possibilities and limitations

However, do not compare Russia and New Zealand, where ultra-light units for air travel are used by the broadest circles of the population. As statistics have shown, the frequency of use of funds is gradually approaching the one that shows how often the population uses personal cars to travel on ordinary roads. On the other hand, according to many, the fact that the current system of laws allows private flying is already a significant step forward compared to many powers on the planet.

The laws in force in our country allow the use of light aircraft for private purposes almost throughout the country. Exceptions in the operation of small aircraft in Russia are the capital, some specialized facilities. Mostly these are secret areas. If a regime is defined for some object, if the area is under government control, then private flights over it are closed. However, there are relatively few such sites.

How to do it right?

Planning to usesmall aircraft in Russia, you need to arrange your trip. To execute a flight, a notification must be sent to the authority responsible for this. You do not need to obtain any special permits, just send a notification request. It specifies where the technical device will take off, where it is planned to land. There are no such authorities that could prohibit the flight.

Although the use of small aircraft in Russia is not a particular problem, flying outside the country is a completely different story. First you need to make a request and issue a documentation package. It is mandatory to obtain permission to cross the border of the state. Formally, this seems to be a relatively simple procedure, but in practice, according to people experienced in this aspect, delays are typical. Some are convinced that officials deliberately drag out procedures artificially. It is almost impossible to legally issue a permit within a reasonable time frame. When planning to fly across the border of a state on your own air equipment, you need to stock up on patience and time. This is the only way to expect success in obtaining a permit in accordance with the letter of the law.

Rights and norms

The flight rules for small aircraft in Russia regulate not only aspects of the process, but also the specifics of obtaining permission to drive such a vehicle. There are specialized educational institutions that train pilots. At the end of the program, you can get a flying license. manage without themaviation technology is strictly prohibited - just as you cannot drive a car without having ordinary rights for this. A flying license is a complex concept that includes several categories of permits. To get them, you must first make a sufficient number of flights, accompanied by an instructor. For example, to become officially an amateur, admitted to driving equipment, you will have to fly 50 or more hours, accompanied by an instructor. If you want to become a commercial pilot, then the minimum flight time, accompanied by an instructor, is two hundred hours.

It's even more difficult to get permits to become a line pilot. Such a person can work in a company engaged in international flights on a regular schedule. Here the conditions are special, even more difficult. However, in any of the options, the number of hours with an instructor is not the only requirement. You also need to pass inspections, get certificates. The most important examination is performed by doctors. The conclusion that the doctors give is special, designed specifically for the person who will fly.

Maximum responsibility

In our country there are many places equipped for air transport. Many have heard, for example, about the Oreshkovo airfield. The importance of airfields cannot be overestimated. Aircraft is not a simple machine. You can not stop the plane, helicopter at any convenient moment to be distracted by something. However, it also works in the other direction - during the flight, no one can stop the vehicle in order to make surethe pilot has rights and everything necessary for the flight. It is known from practice that sometimes people who do not have sufficient skills and knowledge take over the management of the vessel. Usually these are people who want to save money on working with an instructor - they firmly believe that they can handle the helm.

On average, the cost of one hour of flight costs about 15 thousand rubles. From the above information on how to become a small aircraft pilot in Russia, it is clear that not every person has enough free funds to pay for 50-200 hours of flying, accompanied by an experienced instructor.

About violations

From practice, there are also such cases when a person sat in the pilot's seat while drunk. The more widespread air technology, the more people get access to it, the more accidents occur, the more such cases lead to catastrophic consequences. The only way to ensure the safety of those on the ground is to develop pilot awareness. The people who take control of aircraft are responsible for those who fly with them as passengers, as well as for all those over whom the car flies. The issue of verification limits the possibilities of inspections, so the only option is to form a responsible and conscious generation of pilots.

There are rights: what's next?

To gain access to airfields intended for small aviation in Russia, you need to purchase your own device. At presenttime on sale there is a huge variety of different products from the ultralight category. The easiest way is to purchase the unit directly from the manufacturer. There are dozens of companies manufacturing small cars for private flights. The company can sell to the client a fully prepared for flight means, can supply a kit. Using the instruction accompanying it, the person himself assembles his own aircraft. Another option is to buy a used car.

Now the most popular models are the second and third of the AN line. Some say that the Yak-52 belongs to the number of aircraft that have no equal. It is believed that this model of aircraft will not have a sufficient competitor for a very long time. There are, however, those who assemble their own unique model at all. Such persons buy parts for various devices, draw up a drawing and assemble the device themselves according to it, on which they then make private flights. On average, an ultralight model of aircraft can be purchased for 20-100 thousand US dollars. As you can see, the price is comparable to the cost of a good car. Do-it-yourself aircraft assembly is sometimes cheaper for craftsmen, but in some cases the final device costs more than the average market price. This applies to cases where the owner wants to create a unique and powerful device from the best parts and details. The choice in favor of an airplane or a helicopter is made based on the rights received, financial opportunities.

It's official

Whatever techniquechosen by the buyer (be it the Yak-52, AN-3 or any other flight machine), in any case, care must be taken that, together with the unit itself, the person receives a full range of official documentation accompanying it. The most important document is the technical passport. Many drivers know how important and indispensable this passport is for a simple car. For a helicopter or aircraft, it is even more significant. There is no doubt that any check will definitely ask for this document for review.

An equally important aspect of registration is getting a tail number. Having gone through all the registration procedures and having confirmed his qualities as a pilot, the owner of the unit receives a special certificate indicating that his car is fit to fly. Such official permission can only be issued by RosAviation. Every 50 hours spent at the helm, you must confirm your fitness for such actions.

Technical moment

Not everyone has the opportunity to use the strips of the Oreshkovo airfield for their own personal purposes. However, whether the owner of the equipment wants it or not, any machine must take off from somewhere. It is equally important to have an adequate place to land. Helicopters in this regard are less demanding, aircraft need more space. In either case, the private flyer usually uses an airfield owned by a private individual. Usually these are relatively small sites. There are several lanes near Moscow. All of them are equipped not only with high-qualityroad surface, but also have hangars where the equipment is. It has everything you need for the maintenance of the machine and the organization of the flight. There are opportunities for accommodating citizens, there are conditions for recreation.

By planning to use Russian airports designed for small aircraft, the owner of the aircraft unit gets access to a wide variety of benefits. For example, the equipped territory is convenient, completely legal, and all information about such an institution is in specialized registers implemented for air traffic control. When submitting a flight request, a person specifying a legal aerodrome as a start and end point has less problems, since the minimum information about the route is required. True, it was not without drawbacks. To rent a place where the plane will stand, you will have to pay for it. On average, tariffs are about three thousand rubles a month. For each takeoff and for any landing, you will have to pay at least another five hundred rubles.

For myself and for others

Using the airfields of the Moscow region (Myachkovo, Oreshkovo and others), you can make flights for which there is a license. Private movements in air transport are fundamentally different from commercial ones, and the owner of the transport must take this aspect into account. If a certain person acquires an aircraft in order to provide services of a commercial nature, he is required to register as a pilot of the appropriate status. The transport itself will also have to be issued ascommercial. In practice, as you know, some neglect this rule. Very often, unlicensed pilots are engaged in irrigating fields, transporting customers on their helicopters, like in a taxi. Some offer walking flights to those who wish. In fact, most hobbyists involved in this industry do not have the rights to do so.

The reason for this prevalence of illegal commercial flights is the severity of laws and restrictions, the conditions for obtaining the correct status. The requirements for commercial flights are much more stringent than for private ones. As many illegal immigrants explain, it is extremely expensive to formalize everything according to the law, so you will not be able to get any benefit from the activity. As a result, the main part of the business in the field of light aviation is shadow. However, the prospects for the development of the sphere are great, so many believe that the situation will change in the near future.

New Features

Time flows, everything changes. The development of small aviation in Russia also does not stand still. AN-2, considered one of the most successful models, has gradually become obsolete, and today a new machine is being offered to replace it. So far, it is only preparing for mass production. The model has already been presented to the public as TVS-2DTS. The manufacture of equipment was entrusted to an aircraft factory in Ulan-Ude. Presumably, at least two hundred units will be manufactured in 2025. The main audience for whose demand the production is designed is a Yakut company engaged in small-scale air transportation. Already signed an agreement with the regionalgovernment that regulates such mutual work. The government of the state is offering a subsidy that will make it easier to certify the new model.

New prospects for small aircraft in Russia, opening up with the release of TVS-2DTS, are regarded by the government of the state as especially important. According to experts, the development and mass production of a new unit indicate that the light aircraft sector is recovering. In addition, the aircraft factory, which is currently in a crisis situation, will finally be able to stabilize its position. Equally important is the introduction of a new model for the Chaplygin Institute, whose workers designed a new device. The private initiative is especially noted: there was no state order for the development of the device, everything was initiated by responsible persons who understand how much the country needs new units.

About helicopters

In the framework of small aviation in Russia, helicopters occupy a particularly important place. In our country, this sector is considered the least developed, so many experts say that prospects will open only after mastering the latest technologies in helicopter construction. There is a state enterprise "Helicopters of Russia". It is it that manufactures aircraft of this class both for civilian needs and for the transportation of various cargoes and passengers. Among others, they design special-purpose vehicles, military and combat. However, according to experts, in the field of civil helicopters, the prospects are still more than uncertain. The company specializes in military products andspecialized technology. Machines designed by us are successfully sold abroad. The domestic market, however, is poorly covered, as no attention is paid to the design of units that could satisfy the demand of citizens.