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Source: izvestia.ru
Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhailov believes that the non-stop flight by a Russian SU-30 fighter along the route of the legendary Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov repeated by Russian pilot Anatoly Kvochur will make it into aviation's history.
Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhailov believes that the non-stop flight by the Russian SU-30 fighter along the route of the legendary Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov repeated by Russian pilot Anatoly Kvochur will make it into aviation's history. "Our domestic aviation has many pilots like him but Kvochur has unique non-stop flight experience, he flew non-stop to India, for example", said Commander-in-Chief.
"He conceived the flight along Valery Chkalov's route already two years ago but first he wanted to go via the North Pole. The fact that Kvochur did it to demonstrate the capacity of the SU-30 engines is invaluable, this is a remarkable flight which will certainly leave its mark in Russian weaponry flight trials", Vladimir Mikhailov added.
The fighter was flown by the aircraft commander, the Hero of Russia, honoured test pilot of the USSR Anatoly Kvochur and the second test pilot, Recipient of the Order of Courage, Sergey Korostiev. The SU-30 took off Zhukovsky airfield in Moscow area last night. The Assistant to Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel Aleksandr Drobyshevskiy said earlier that IL-78 military flying tankers accompanied the SU-30 in its non-stop flight lasting about 15 hours.
The non-stop flight route went all across the Russian territory to Udd Island on Kamchatka where the legendary pilot Valery Chkalov landed his plane 70 years ago. According to the flight plan the SU-30 fighter took off Zhukovsky airfield while IL-78 flying tanker started from Vorkuta airfield. After the first in-flight refuelling over Igarka the planes continued the flight together. The second in-flight refuelling took place to the south of Yakutsk.
Further on the SU-30 passed Chkalov Island in the estuary of the Amur River with two orbits over Chkalov’s memorial. The next in-flight refuelling took place over Neryungri area in Yakutiya. The flying tanker then landed at the military airfield in Irkutsk region while the SU-30 continued flying for Moscow. The second military flying tanker IL-78 flew towards it from the long-range aviation airfield in Diaghilevo, Ryazan region, refuelling the SU-30 near Tomsk and returning to Diaghilevo. The SU-30 continued the flight and landed in Zhukovsky, Moscow region, at Ramenskoe airfield.
According to the Russian Air Force, the total distance of SU-30 non-stop flight was 12,417 kilometres, four in-flight refuellings were made, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Source: izvestia.ru
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