[Ekaterina] Most say they recall their first flight, I don't!
[Ekaterina] I was quite confident that I was ready to fly
[Ekaterina] And I think I was pretty quick to fly solo
[Ekaterina] And it was in that very situation that I had a malfunction
[Ekaterina] The whole control system failed
[Ekaterina] The only way is down!
AVIATOR GIRL
[Ekaterina] It just turned out that I was lucky
[Ekaterina Alekseeva Aerobatic pilot] I stomped the left pedal, and the plane rolled
[Ekaterina] Then I began the approach, it was a challenge
[Ekaterina] I landed smoothly: made it in one piece with not even a scratch
KATYA
[Ekaterina] Have I always dreamed of flying? Well, yes, but not always
[Ekaterina] In high school, the idea once hit me that I wanted to travel the world,
piloting a plane myself
[Ekaterina] And that idea kind of got stuck inside me, and that was it!
[Ekaterina] After school, I had a chance to learn to fly
[Ekaterina] Yes, for some reason, I really wanted to fly a plane myself
[Ekaterina] How? I had no idea, so I just went!
[Ekaterina] We started training on gliders
[Ekaterina] Gliders were very helpful
[Ekaterina] I mean, gliders help you learn control quickly, and to feel the landing
[Ekaterina] At first, we studied theory, then
they took us to airfields at weekends to fly
[Ekaterina] Get in with an instructor…
and take off, they show how to handle it and give you control
[GEO] Usman Airfield 80 kilometres away from Voronezh
[VO] A glider or sailplane is an unpowered aircraft
that maintains flight with aerodynamic lift…
… which pushes up on the wings with airflow. For a
glider to achieve free-flight, a small tow-plane is used.
[Anton Permyakov Member, Russian Aerobatic Sports
Federation] It's a good school. We start training at 13
[Anton] And by 16, they're able to fly solo,
they're not kids anymore, they're sportsmen
[Anton] They've learned, they do what the pros do, but with an instructor
[Anton] Emergencies, tech failure, landing, they have it all
[Ekaterina] We lived and studied here, then we had more advanced training
[Ekaterina] We learned circuits, touch and goes, different zones
[Ekaterina] At first, I had about 30 hours in gliders, and because they have no engine,
you always feel the moment of landing. You even hear the wheels touch the grass…
[Ekaterina] It was all so new and exciting, of course, I wanted to keep going
[VO] DOSAAF Aviation clubs of the USSR, which later became DOSAAF of Russia,
were the only opportunity young women had to become full-fledged sailplane and
aerobatic pilots. Until the early 2000’s, all doors to mainstream aviation had
been closed to them, because it had always been seen as a strictly male profession.
[Ekaterina] I started at 19 and flew a glider for a year,
and I was about 20 when I began to learn in a Yak-52
[VO] The two-seat Yak-52 became the only singe engine light aircraft in the world
suitable for aerobatic training at all levels from total beginners to advanced pilots.
[VO] It was mass produced for 20 years, from 1979 and 1998.
[Ekaterina] I'd wanted to fly a plane from the very beginning
[Ekaterina] You start with an instructor until you improve and they think you're safe
[Ekaterina] Then you fly solo and learn aerobatics
[Ekaterina] For two years, I mostly flew with an instructor
[Ekaterina] In League 3 you fly with an instructor, it's for beginners
[Ekaterina] The manoeuvres are basic; loops, rolls and spins…
[VO] Until 2009, competitions in Russia used the concept of ‘leagues’ to
define the level of difficulty. The Russian classification is similar to
international counterparts. The only exception being the Yak-52 competitions.
Most aerobatic pilots trained and still train on the exact same aircraft type.
[Ekaterina] In League 2, you fly solo as much as possible,
and more manoeuvres are added like stall-turns and flat spins
[Ekaterina] After a glider, it's a lot easier
[Ekaterina] You're accustomed to everything you might feel in flight
[Ekaterina] In fact, gliders have the same controls as planes
[Ekaterina] They're similar but planes have engines
so, more to think about, otherwise it's the same, so you can adjust to a new plane
[Ekaterina] A move might be hard if it includes lots of spins
g-force usually depends, let's say it's a stunt...
that needs a lot of speed, you pull back hard
first, and that's when the high-g kicks in
[VO] When performing dead loops, rolls and other aerobatic stunts,
pilots can be subjected to as much as 5 g, which means their
bodies weigh five times more than usual! They can experience
blackouts and it becomes harder for them to move their arms.
It also can place considerable strain on heart. Good
health and physical fitness are mandatory for all pilots.
[Ekaterina] Many doubted me at first, 'You're such a little girl', 'You can't fly'
[Ekaterina] Yup, I just thought, 'OK'!
[Ekaterina] I'm a sport pilot, I train a lot
[Ekaterina] That's the main thing
[Ekaterina] I get up at 5.30
[Ekaterina] At 6, I leave Voronezh, by 7.30, I'm here
[Ekaterina] At 10 o'clock, I fly
[Ekaterina] So, let's spin the prop
[Ekaterina] Mum and Dad are doctors, Granny
teaches literature, Russian language and history
[Ekaterina] Grandpa's an engineer. They found it strange that I chose this career
[Ekaterina] They didn't know about it, or how it works
[Ekaterina] They weren't against it, they said, 'Go and try' and didn't interfere
[Ekaterina] And now... We're all happy and they're quite proud
[Ekaterina] It's vital not to worry too much, controlling your nerves does a lot
[Ekaterina] Once I began to control myself better, I started to win first places
[Ekaterina] I took 3rd place in the All-Russian competition, I got 6th before that
[Ekaterina] Then I took 1st place in the Moscow
Region, and 1st in the Russian Championship
[Ekaterina] I've probably achieved so much thanks to the support from my coach
[Ekaterina] I see him much more than my family. Every day
[Anton] Actually, it starts with model aircraft, then from models to gliders
then, gliders to planes or aerobatic gliders and then big aviation, or the Air Forces,
or they can become engineers or weekend pilots. There are lots of options
[Anzhelika] Anzhelika Shaitarova, 3rd year cadet, almost a graduate
ANZHELIKA
[VO] Nowadays, the quickest way to get into civil aviation is through a Flying School.
[Anzhelika] For all three years, we had complicated theory classes
[Anzhelika] The programme is designed to teach general subjects
and learn in a basic trainer aircraft in the first year
[Anzhelika] So, after year one, we've had practical
training and should know how to fly a plane
[GEO] Sasovo Civil Aviation Flying School 430 kilometres from Moscow
[Anzhelika] We start flying after the first year
[Anzhelika] Under the programme, we don't have summer holidays, like normal people
[Anzhelika] I mean, we get 5 weeks leave but
the rest of the time, it's real work experience
[Anzhelika] The first 45 hours give us a Private Licence to fly a Cessna
[VO] This is the most-produced aircraft in the general aviation history.
Since 1956, over 44,000 units and more than 25 modifications have been built.
[Anzhelika] In the second year, we study general theory – the plane, engine and so on
[Anzhelika] And in year 3, we choose a 'graduate
class', the aircraft type we want to learn
[Anzhelika] Some chose and train in a Diamond, others the L-410
[VO] Diamond Aircraft Industries and Russia’s
Ural Civil Aviation Works signed an agreement to
produce a number of models for the local market.
By early 2021, a hundred DA42 units had been
built in Russia. The L-410 series of aircraft
is popular in more than 50 countries on five
continents. They are in the most demand in Russia,
Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe and South America.
[Anzhelika] They're very different, but have a common factor – twin engines
[Anzhelika] I want to learn the L-410 so I have backup job options later
[Anzhelika] With no conversion training or
contract, you can co-pilot that plane right away
[Anzhelika] With Diamonds, it's different, they don't fly commercially here at all
[Anzhelika] I saw some job ads in Dubai but you need God-level English!
[Anzhelika] People learn in the Diamond, because it doesn't have a yoke,
but a joystick, more like the Airbus
[Anzhelika] The L-410 is, well let's say, it's a Soviet-breed aeroplane!
[Anzhelika] It teaches different things, so it's all about priorities
[Anzhelika] I'm the happiest person in the school, it seems. My dream is now so close
[Anzhelika] Yesterday, I passed my latest exam and in
fact, it's sad, very sad that cadet flights are over
[Anzhelika] From now on, it's just work!
[Anzhelika] That's good because life goes on, you move on but it's sad
[Anzhelika] Here, it's all so warm, cosy, home-like
[Evgeny Smolnikov Director, Sasovo Civil Aviation
Flying School] At some time, we had no girls, only guys
[Evgeny] It was written in the rules that only young men could join
[Evgeny] And there was an age restriction of 21
[Evgeny] Entrants needed to show they had a military service record
[Evgeny] Attitudes to girls were negative not
positive, piloting was seen as a male profession
[Evgeny] Girls in aviation were very unusual
[Evgeny] Yes, women flew in WW2, and joined
DOSAAF, but none at the Civil Flying School...
[Evgeny] In 2005, I started as the director here
[Evgeny] And in 2006 I remember, 1, 2 or 3 girls enrolled at our flying school
[Evgeny] Then we had 6, then fifteen, girls kept coming, lots of them
[Evgeny] They had their reasons, some liked the
uniform, but the first ones really did love the sky
[Ekaterina Malchenkova Student Pilot, Sasovo Civil
Aviation Flying School] Yeah, I really thought
the first time would be scary
[Ekaterina] I don't know, I was nervous, but anyway...
when you get into a plane, excitement suppresses the fear completely
[Ekaterina] So, you just fly and enjoy the flight
[Ekaterina] I don't know, you have to try, I can't describe it, you have to feel it
[Ekaterina] Your insides spin round, it's unlike anything else
[Ekaterina] As I said, you have to try it
[Anzhelika] It's hard for girls to find jobs in light aviation,
because working conditions can be brutal
[Anzhelika] Some girls say, 'I won't climb the wing to refuel in minus 30'
[Anzhelika] It's physically quite problematic, not every girl could do it
[Anzhelika] But we fill up the L-410
[Anzhelika] I know I can refuel in minus 30, I've done it!
[Anzhelika] We had a harsh winter this year
[Anzhelika] My hands remember but as soon as I use my head, it's gone!
[Anzhelika] I've been here for 3 years, and
it's flown by like a day, a fun and busy day
[Anzhelika] There was always something to do and never a day when I got bored
[Anzhelika] You're always learning, or doing something
[Anzhelika] Pancakes are really easy, if you don't know what to do, do pancakes!
[Anzhelika] Because cadets are always hungry
[Anzhelika] In the evenings, we get together to study,
and you have to set the table, right?
[Anzhelika] Pancakes always save us!
[Anzhelika] Actually, when I enrolled here, my
God I was so happy; the smile never left my face
[Anzhelika] I thought, 'Am I here? Is it really happening?'
[Anzhelika] Because I always saw pilots as kind of superhuman,
or demigods, almost like astronauts, they just had everything!
[Maria] I didn't go to flying school, because they didn't take girls
[Maria] I mean, it wasn't a school, it was a flying club
MARIA
[Maria Trunina Pilot in Command] I was 31 when I started learning to fly
[Maria] That was the first step, I didn't plan to become a pilot
[Maria] I just wanted to learn to fly a plane
[Maria] And then, I wanted to fly solo, to do that, I needed a Private Pilot Licence
[Maria] When I got that, I realised that I just loved flying
[Maria] After a while, because of my PPL...
[Maria] I could move on to a bigger plane
[Maria] It was a great experience. After my, what's called an introductory flight
[Maria] The instructor said this, I think he said it to all the girls...
'Masha, remember, a plane doesn't care who controls it, man or woman
[Maria] Competent control is all that matters
[Maria] By whom? Who cares!'
[Maria] You must realise, without character
in aviation, let alone flight, you go nowhere
[Maria] If a girl is going to get her dream job as a co-pilot with a big airline
she has to work really hard
[GEO] SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Moscow
[Maria] You must be able to set goals
[Maria] You must be patient, your goals are so
far off, make sacrifices, yes, set priorities
[Maria] Ivan, hello! [Ivan] Hello
[Ivan] Good to meet you
[Maria] Likewise
[Maria] So, how are you, feeling OK? [Ivan] It's all great!
[Ivan] It's good, super! [Maria] Great
[Maria] Our cabin crew will be here soon [Ivan] Yes, they're not here yet
[Maria] It is, of course, quite demanding, physically
[Maria] One day you fly at night, then by day, then early morning
[Maria] You never sleep enough
[Maria] I once had an early night, my phone rang...
[Maria] I see it's Katya, 'Hello?'
'Mum, where are you?'
[Maria] So, lying in the dark, I realise I can't answer the question
[Maria] I can't! Because today I've been here, there, there
[Maria] Up at 4, fly to Sheremetyevo, you don't
go home but on to St. Petersburg, and then home
[Maria] I really drove home in a daze
[VO] Now the pilot in command of a Boeing 737,
Maria Trunina has worked hard to get into the
profession, she’s sacrificed comfort, basic
needs, and many aspects of a normal personal life.
But working for a major airline is a lifelong dream for
many girls who’ve devote their lives to flying the skies.
[Maria] Of course, I wanted to work for Aeroflot
[Maria] I went to the St Petersburg University of Civil Aviation,
and I had some experience
[Maria] Putting all that together, I applied to Aeroflot and joined as a co-pilot
[Maria] For almost 4 years, I flew second seat for Aeroflot, and then
only after that...
did I become a suitable candidate to be put in command
[Maria] Well, for me it was, 'This is it! My dream came true'
[Maria] You pass the tests, and become pilot in command!
[Maria] Your licence says you're a captain
[Maria] More than 50 girls fly for Aeroflot,
9 or 10 of them are, I believe, pilots in command
[Maria] No other airline in Russia can boast of employing so many
[Maria] They hire girls, nurture them and put them in command
[Maria] Our team has three, with a fourth on the way
[Maria] Of course, we all find our way. It's not a job, it's a life
[Maria] Naturally, the romance doesn't fade
[Maria] You can be on a night flight thinking, 'Damn! When will it end?!'
[Maria] And then the sun comes up!
[Maria] And if you see it rise over, say, Baikal...
or over some mountains or something
[Maria] In those moments, I really feel happy
[Ekaterina] I won't go into civil aviation, I have other interests
[Ekaterina] That's why I fly a Yak-55
[Ekaterina] Then I'll to go on to another plane, and try for 'Advanced'
[VO] According to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale the ,
‘Advanced’ classification is one of the most demanding categories
of aerobatic manoeuvres, which can only be achieved with the latest
performance aircraft, like, the Su-31 or highly manoeuvrable Extra.
[VO] Single-seat aerobatic aircraft designed by the
Sukhoi Company were the first in the world to sustain a
12 g load factor. They have proven to be consistent
prize and award winners in many aerobatic competitions.
[Ekaterina] And this is a Yak-55
[Ekaterina Alekseeva Aerobatic pilot] After the 52, you can switch to a more
complex plane, like an Extra or Sukhoi
[Ekaterina] The intermediate plane, between them, is the Yak-55
[Ekaterina] It's lighter than the 52, so it makes some manoeuvres easier
and once you've flown, 30 hours or so in it, you can move on to the Su-31, or the Extra
[VO] The Extra was designed by Walter Extra, a German aerobatic pilot,
and has long been a leader in sporting aviation— aerobatics in particular
[Life] How do you get in there?
[Anton Permyakov Member, Russian Aerobatic Sports Federation] The All-Russian aerobatic
competitions are now under way
[Anton] All leagues have started
[Anton] From Unlimited to League-3
[Anton] They're qualifiers for the Russian national team
[Life] Contestant 7, calling Judges
[Life] Contestant 7, Judges. The slot is free
[Life] Clear to begin
[Life] Four, zero
[Life] Sixth move
[Ekaterina] You can fly as well as you practiced
[Ekaterina] But if you're nervous, you fly worse
[Ekaterina] Get over that, and stay calm, and you'll achieve high positions, no problem
[Life] Go on, go on. Later!
[Life] Did you check his gear? - Thanks
[Life] This one?
[Ekaterina] I have a routine that I'll show on the first competition day
[Ekaterina] Then, every day, we add 'dark' programmes
[VO] The ‘Unknown’ or ‘Dark’ programme is made up on competition day and less than 12
hours before the display, so contestants never get a chance to practice the sequence.
[VO] All they have time for is to walk through the routine on the ground.
[Ekaterina] I took up painting recently
[Ekaterina] It helps clear my head,
[Ekaterina] You don't think about anything at all before and after the flight.
[Ekaterina] You start right away and you feel good
[Ekaterina] I remember I had an incident, yes, when a flap fell off
Moscow Region Championship, 2020, the 52 League, I was taking off,
and one of the flaps fell away, there were sparks and smoke
[Ekaterina] I thought there'd be a fire, and a cabin fire is a disaster!
[Ekaterina] You quickly look for a place to put down
[Ekaterina] But I made a quick turn, touched down,
all was fine. It turned out, there was no fire
[Ekaterina] I was a bit worried
because it's always...
[Ekaterina] That's always stressful
[Ekaterina] In that situation, nothing can save you. You're lucky, or you're not!
[Ekaterina] But I didn't feel all that stressed...
[Ekaterina] So then, in the end...
after the others, I took off again in another plane, not the one I'd practised in
[Ekaterina] And I can't have performed too badly,
[Ekaterina] I took first place
[Ekaterina] I didn't expect that. I just
thought, 'Fly as you fly', but it worked out OK
[Ekaterina] Could be worse!
[Ekaterina] When you fly…
it's not a normal environment
and there's a lot you can't control, so...
among pilots...
we're a bit superstitious. Personal superstitions. So, there it is!
[VO] And that’s no surprise because what they do can be extremely
dangerous. The pilots never use the word ‘last’ but instead talk about their
‘latest’ flight! They won’t sew on buttons or take pictures before a
flight and always greet their plane by caressing its nose or propeller.
There’s more too, often quite personal rituals
known only to one person — the actual pilot.
[Ekaterina] I have my own thing, don't talk much. Do your stuff. Let it happen
[Ekaterina] I love anime
[Ekaterina] Culture... it's something you can admire
[Ekaterina] This is from school
[Ekaterina] Things that fascinate me
[Ekaterina] These are obviously aviation related, an engine, my Yak-52
[Ekaterina] That's Arcus...
our photo
[Ekaterina] That's also to do with aviation. I want to get the another arm inked
[Ekaterina] And redo this one, it's a mess, I want an evolution theme
[Ekaterina] So, yeah! I have tattoos for all my hobbies