The beginning

I was born in 15 years, and 5 minutes after the historic Victory Day Parade naked and screaming, like all normal children of Leningrad. My mother was an English teacher, and my dad military representative of the Navy. He tested submarines in the Baltic Sea.
In vain my dad said that I turned away from the Navy. I have always had almost reverential attitude to sailors, especially for submarines sailors. In my understanding, my dad is encyclopedic developed and there is an example of the naval officer.
I have never had a creative torment in choosing a profession. But my mother said that I wanted to fly in only at the age of 3.
Maybe I wanted it before, but must have been secretive, and now do not remember.
In the seventh class form, after my adventures in all kinds of sections I finally grew to  flying club. I was allowed to attend classes in the Junior pilot section , but to jump with parachute in that time allowed to 15 and to fly from16
We were the young aviation enthusiasts and we were 50. The medical examination passed only 12. I was very proud that already belonged to that 12 and differed from them only long and lanky, for what I had received the name "hose".(shlang)
We were taughted the Yak-18A and parachute D-1-8U. I have passed all the exams and waiting for a summer when we'll finally see the alive planes and jump with parachute. The jumping in Lisy Nos started in 4 hours, so we spent the night at the airdrome, had wrapped in the old dome. We are this twins Aleksey (Commander of the Tu-154, now Airbas), Aleksander (Commander, flew on  Mi-8 Tajikistan and then was unemployed when Yeltsin had decided that our country did not need the army, and then fly back to Mi-8  and now flies with  a businessman), Boris, commander of the Tu-134, An-148, Volodya was the chief on helicopters in Piter. He died in 2008.
It was a joy. In the morning, if it did not rain we stacked the parachutes but as long as we have them stacked  the  rain started and all our hard work went down the drain. And it lasted every day By the lunchtime pretty hungry we went home. I went to my grandma in Sestroretsk to return again.
All the June 1975 was rainy. At last I turned 15! Now I could not worry about my age. The weather at the end of June became better, and our twins jumped twice. I really did not luck- that was not the reserve parachute, that the shoes were not the same, and my father did not had anything with aviation.
Unable to withstand son absence in the night, my parents went to find out what I was doing there and making sure that nothing terrible slightly calmed down, and my dad even went to the chief flying club.
- Can not you give him a kick?
... I  had already little chance to jump. The next day, the sportsmen were leaving the camp and went in Kohtla-Jarve. But I still went to the airfield. I went alone. The night was coming, and I decided to spend the night on the parachute tower. It was cool in the night on the tower, and I had only one option: imitate and becoming warm. I was shaking for a long time, but somehow never got warm and decided to whirl of a wheel. But set the legs bad, and on the top of the loop one leg was ready to fall out.
Fortunately, Valera, two-time champion of Leningrad in aerobatics, had a lovely habit of smoking tobacco at night and that his wonderful habit may have helped me get out of the situation reversed.
I did not know Valera yet. Then he gave me his flying fur jacket, and I fell asleep.
In the morning I visited a doctor, put on a helmet, parachutes (main and reserve), and in such a form had waiting for. It was on July 16. While sportsmen were training jumping from 1000and 2000 meters. I was waiting and was sweating. I was sweating 3 hours!
I remember that I was scared to think that I get scared. The only thing I did not want: to jump the first.
Probably, I was already steaming and finally I was noticed. After the checking my ammunition, and connecting to my device on the reserve parachute, I was allowed to take place at the AN-2. Finally, I'm in the air. We are rapidly (Joke. An-2 "Colt" biplane) gaining altitude. We were at height of 800 meters less than 30 minutes and the instructor politely open the door for me.
They say that I was separated from the aircraft well, without kicks and persuasion. I flew down and the rest up. I was flying alone, 3 seconds before the release of the main parachute. As just thought for a long time is not disclosed and in the same time parachute opened. Further as taught - Sat back, tightened the suspension system, turned off the device mandatory disclosure reserve parachute. Everything has done. You can see on the ground.
The unusual silence.  Only 500 meters until  An-2, but she is not  heard! The land is so fluffy, and everything like a toy and the bay so blue! Beauty! Yes, I was also warned about the shashlik...
Norther of the airfield there was a field, and something was growing on it. And this something was tied with sticks not to let wind throw it down. So the name - the shashliks. Who falls on this stick becomes shashlik! Very unpleasant! But the shashlik were behind far away !
I tried to control and made sure that the D-1-8U (D- Oak in Russian) controlled the case, as taught. (Oak -  is oak). I was approaching to the forest when they shouted from the land about position of the hands and feet.
The landing on the forest, this is a special case, and hands should be crossed and your feet together and your feet must be always parallel to the ground. In short, I was shouted about it, worry, and I continue to fly down on the forest, waiting for landing any second. But catch the distance before the land  is difficult..
I see a small clearing on course of my landing . That would have to land there! I'm trying to pull the front slings and landed very gently, as if in a feather bed. But that was my impression. I sat down on the meadow, but the dome lay on birch and pine.
An-2 circling over me pointing my place, flew away. I knew that I was looking for. but I did not know what to do: whether to go towards our fellows, leaving valuable parachute unattended, whether to remain in the dome and wait for. Suddenly, the leaves rustled, and out of the brush with a crash came two old ladies. I really do not know what they're looking for.
- Are you  from sky or what?
- Yes, that's - I tried boomed.
I explained the situation and dashing Old ladies understand the situation.
I went to meet our guys. I go and yell, they say, I'm here. At first the guys did not answer, but grannies tried to it not giving me to know the direction. But, in general we found each other. Pine and birch had to cut.
The dome was awful - the slings interspersed with branches, let someone  forgive me the that who collected this parachute after me!
In the 9 class , I still continued to go to the flying club, but  all forces were sent on the finishing school and preparation to the entering . Alosha and Sasha  jumped, and  Boris jumped and broke his leg. Since that time Boris hated parachute. Sasha jumped  about  600 times He stopped jumping in 1998.
I was told on the medical commission do not try to be fighter pilot. I did not try.
 The question was only about of flying profession. For me, it was clear. On the small plane to fly as the pilot, and if on the large, then  as the navigator.
The Aviation Academy was under the nose and the desire to fly on the large planes as far as possible surpassed
The choice has been made. On the open day I accidentally met with Victor. He was already on the second course and was for me  a real airman.
-- 4 in mathematics? - He looked suspiciously at me,
- Yes, here is rejected only by the color of the eyes, to enter  in Irkutsk better , it would be calmer.
I gave the necessary documents. On the second day there were 10-15 people in place!
Thanks  mom and dad. They decided that I should to go to Irkutsk.
Victor met us in the airport with my mother and took us to his place.
I was already in the selection committee the next day. The competition was small. 10 people on one place. In that 1977 the new higher flying school in Aktubinsk  was opened and that reduced the competition in Academy.
There were three such clever citizens from Leningrad . Serge and I tried to enter to the Academy, and Gregory in Aktubinsk flying school. Serge had finished to fly somewhere in Igarka, and when the wind of democratic changers had blown and the North with the pilots, and with all the rest no longer needed, he returned to St. Petersburg and start to sell mops. If you buy a mop, look if Serge  sells it. If he do it ,you should buy. He would not sell a bad  mop. I do not know about Grisha, but his  son-in-low was very valuable.
I began to pass a medical examination . I went through all experts but the eye doctor found that the focal length of the right eye was limited and she could not take a decision as the final authority. I was offered  ATC ( air traffic control , the controller ), but not on the Air navigation. And she said that I may change  department in air navigation , if I it is not like it later. Then she told to my mother that her son had crashed on the AN -12 a couple  years ago and my mother , of course, started to convince me  to enter for ATC. I agreed. After the medical examination the contest was already 1 to 5.
We had to pass the math written , orally , physics, and write a composition. It's great and I quickly wrote a math and checked it  several times and was assured that I would get 5 .(highest mark)
But got only 4 . Some action , easy for me  have been made in my mind  and the teacher did not understand it and reduced the mark. I have to explain  and the teacher realized his mistake . Such was never happened  and so I wrote about it. Then everything was easy. Orally mathematics and physics I passed quickly and easily , because I was not a fool and was from Leningrad. This is not empty bluster. Leningraders were really liked everybody. Later I understood why, but that's another story.
I have already had three exelent marks and my mother was proud and happy. She bought me  ice cream and I was happy too.
Ahead was a composition. Mom and Dad, and one girl Sasha from our class wrote their well, but I could not. However, once I wrote a little bit and mom and dad helped me so I was worried, but not too much. In addition, my mother helped me make cribs and I have completely stopped worrying.
I still ate ice cream a little bit and went for a walk. The house where we lived was close to small mountain. From the mountain was a dirt road. On this dirt road went a man with a bicycle. I remember that I was very surprised.
- I'm sorry, but would you be so kind as to give me a bicycle - I began.
- On it, scram, but mind you - the weak brakes.
If I wrote this compositions as I can ride a bike - I thought.
A few seconds later, I had already raced on the dirt road, easily and seamlessly into all twists and turns and jumping through all the fosses and holes. The old bike like remembered it own youth. I was already almost at the foot when the road began to make a left turn and walk along the fence. The rate increased. I tried to brake, but it is not braked. I tried once, but it still did not brake. On the right and on the left there was a field, and the prospect to break someone else's fence I did not like. In short, I made the only right decision in the falling down...
I came with a sore throat, temperature, broken face, hands and knees on the examinations.
The teacher came and pulled out an envelope with the topics. The teacher asked us who is the most successful on the stream. The stream pointed to me and another guy, who also received best marks.
But my face and modesty did not fit the image of a successful, so I hid modestly, and the themes from the envelope was pulling my competitor. He pulled out what I need. I chose the topic which was written by myself and therefore I knew it by memory.
I took a cribs and have nothing to fear, to copy the motto " The most precious thing for the person - that's life. It is given once and to live it should …" And being always honest men, lost all prudence. Her I was caught! I was robbed everything and put  on the front row ...

(“The most precious thing for the person - that's life. It is given once and to live it should so as not to be excruciatingly painful for the wasted years that are not burning shame of a mean and petty past, and that dying was able to say all of life and all the powers given to the most beautiful - struggle for the liberation of humanity.” Nick Ostrovskiy)

I do not know how, but I wrote an composition with  only one mistake and got 4. But a competitor got 2 and did not enter to the Academy...
19 points for the exams and 4.5 for the certificate. I even  might  to enter to the Institute of Soviet Trade.(It is a joke! I hated the trade. I think they organized empty stores and put and end USSR)

I am  in Leningrad. September 13th I was re-medical examination and it was found fit to fly in the first column. From year to year the requirements to the health are reduced and the column were increasing .
The report is addressed to Vasin, the chief of our Academy, was written on the same day. It was the mistake  that was not my fault.
I had a big  rating . On the math I helped write several jobs to several fellows.
But the first outfit out of turn I received from foremen of course for the fact that he hung up on the math sign "Change the vestibular apparatus on the moonshine."
On the first course we worked a lot on the vegetable store, road construction, etc., and we studied items even in a free time .
We started friends with Nicky. We have common problems and had one great aim: we both wanted to fly. Nick graduated from the Academy. He went to Petrozavodsk and we did not see for 20 years. When we saw began together again. During this time, Nick worked flight director in Petrozavodsk and then went to the Northern Fleet, where he flew on all the types of the planes the Northern Fleet had, except for IL-38 and Tu-142. And when we do not have potential enemies, thanks to the tireless care of our politicians, Nick went to computer service.
The answer from our head of the Academy came  soon "Refused because there are no places on the  specialization Air Navigation"
I did not pull down the hands. My dad even went to Moscow to the Main chief of the schools of Civil Aviation. The fact was that the people who would very much like to fly, but for various reasons  could not do it and had to enter to ATC. The competition there is a little less, so the navigation was stronger than the ATC.
Nicholas, a professional artist studied on the our course, thanks whom ATC became better than Navigation on groaning printing . And it last Nikolai wrote a portrait of the Minister of Civil Aviation BP Bugaev , which enthralls of Boris Pavlovich , and then Boris Pavlovich asks Nikolai, if he wish to fly. Nikolai said yes, and  after studying the year he had gone to the Navigation. I had a very good reputation everywhere, from the company commander to my colleagues - the audience that I was even nicknamed Nugget ( of all Russian land ) , because I was on the editorial board . But in general, my actions were something similar to the actions of Father Fyodor "12 chairs" . I again passed a medical examination and certificate for  flying.  On the second year of studying I could pass the second column. I could not enter on the first course." Going away, going away immediately ... " - and I was taken on second course. It was happened September 13, 1978.

"12 chairs"  very funny book by Ilf Petrov
And at last I was on the navigation specialization.  I was put in the room with Pete, Bill and Gene K.
In the room the Spartan furnishing nothing more. In the center of the wall hangs a picture of the Politburo and personally with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union, a well-deserved champion of the world, four times Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, Leonid Brezhnev and Gene K.
 hanged his own photo on his right side.
Bill looked at me and held out his hand and said, "Bill." we met.Bill was longer than me. He was without a jacket and his trousers were shorter than legs on 10-15 centimeters and ended with boots (creeping) size 45. Bill was silent. He was silent for five minutes, and then said, "Let us change a new altimeter WD-10 (the two arrow altimeter dial 10 thousand meters) on your trousers."
- Come on - if to be honest, I have not had such a valuable instrument for measuring height.
I measured the depth of the subway. The whole day went to subway and measured because nothing had been  tall.
In that time Bill was measuring my pants. They were  too short for him, and in the evening Bill demanded his altimeter back. Bill graduated from the Academy, he went to Alma-Ata and was flying on the Il-18, Tu-154 and IL 86, and when the USSR collapsed, he had escaped to Russia and now works in the department of certification here in St. Petersburg 
I quickly passed all examinations and began flying on the simulator IL-14. Everything was secret in the USSR and we were young and stupid, so were flying over Spain in a route Santa - Sofia -  Badajoz  - Valle de - Santa.
In the mornings in any weather conditions we did our morning exercises. The people grumbled Fucking Peter the Great found fucking place in order to cut the window  through to  the Europe . Then we had breakfast, then radio-charging, where we were at the hearing to take a lot of character code. At 9.15 began the lectures. Some subjects we loved some we did not love like all normal students.
The most ferocious was a professor of mathematics Panteley. Anecdote even lay down about him  :
Panteley meets listener after graduating from the Academy and asks him
- Well, if you hand higher mathematics in the life?
- Oh yeah, comrade professor. The other day I had a French door lock was closed, so I opened the door using  wire in the form  of integral.
When we were passing exams  on the  first session, he put about 200 people about 100 pairs(the lowest rating) and he was  even called to the dean's office. It is wrong. I had had good mark in that time. But on the second semester we first dug a hole and then I was put an outfit the night, and I was prepared to answer, but I asleep. I was woke up. And not to fall asleep again I had painted the exam list by the planes. Panteley felt  offended by me and became to interrogate me.
But the most important was the Department Chair of the Air Navigation -No 13 (DAN -No 13 .) There are  the old, experienced navigators which were on the last war and  they had found the time to tell us about it . For example, where I learned how to choose a wife. For those who do not know, I inform that the wife should be a lady on the street, a cook on the kitchen and in the bed, well, you can guess . ... And one friend  of our teacher fell down from 6,000 meters without a parachute and was alive and then, after the war he married , and his wife was not behaving as it should, but quite the contrary . So ... even his friend had died ... So I decided not to marry . But I was only 18.
The old and experienced navigators usually had all their judgment and sometimes things were called in their own way: for example, a simple calculator (they only appeared) they called as The Little of the Electronic computer
not less. We were taught to fly across the ocean. And the lessons we have learned on the celestial night sky in ancient Greek legend.
All subjects were certainly good. There were interesting stories to tell about each but for some reason the memory case came to aeronautical meteorology which otherwise , as a pseudo - science, our students were not called . Of course, there are some strict laws such as after a cold will be warm , but I have been flying for so many years , I know only that in the night thunderstorms are just the warm front, and better not to meddle in them , how not to meddle in the storm at all. Personally, I was the favorite pupil  of AM Baranov - authority in the field of aeronautical meteorology and because of its stunning laziness, written essay , not to take the exam  and it was very successful .
In short, one listener come to take the exam the third time on the aviation meteorology. He brought with him a pile of books and authoritatively said, pointing to them. Here is, he shows on his thinking apparatus, is the same as in this pile of a books.
- Well, well. What is an LCB (low cloud base).
- This is the distance from the earth to the sky.
We started to fly on the second course on the An-24. We flew in the direction of Archangel or to Riga from Rzhevka airport. We were flying for 6 hours and were very happy. We got up at 6 in the morning. Breakfast, the bus across all the town. We were given complimentary breakfast, which consisted of a slice of cheese, through which was possible to conduct visual orientation (an expression of our course), a couple of pieces of sausage and yogurt and maybe something else. In short, we did not have something to eat at arrival on the airport .
The bus was in breadcrumbs and it does not match the honorary title of the Soviet pilots. So we were thought by  the instructor and eventually even forbade us to eat in the bus. We quickly ate in the navigator room before the departure .
One time I decided to eat under the way to navigator room. in the sight of the passengers not scurrying away. The instructor was so angry! He took the bag of yogurt from me and so fiercely shook  that the bag broke down and pour yogurt of instructor from head to feet. The  yogurt was pity.
On the second course the big bosses decided to build a fence around the Academy. We were not happy of course,  but I had to dig a hole for the foundation under the autumn drizzle. Solid clay ...
There were holidays. On Saturday we were cleaning and going to dismissal
Serge and Valera went to the "beacon" to drink beer in the  main point  of the aviation city.  In that place were selling beer in the evening and there were dancing. Having drank beer the friends went away when they saw a hatch without cover and decided to cover this hatch. Near was lying  the  shield. Someone figured if they go back in the evening and someone necessarily come on this open hatch.
It is said one it is done. One took this shield in front and the other behind ... The roar and dust, not boiled expression. Whoever was behind all gone ... The shield was laid another open hatch ...
I did not remember what had be done by me on that week, but I had been sent  to scrub the dirtiest toilet ...
And I was so sad it was not possible to convey. "Would she knew what I was doing here."
Time is running out, and besides clever tips elders - nothing. There were no powder even . But I was on the editorial board, and quickly realized what to do. I took the white gouache and colored her dirty toilet bowl. Everyone was happy, even the foreman for a while ...
On the13-th on Friday  13 people on the bus number 13 went to the restaurant "Peace". Somebody said something and  somebody  did not like it and the fight began. It was  even the battle with the call  the police. We won. Since then, our course was called "A squadron of hussars volatile." ... And if you're a airman  you can fight with two or three and on Saturdays and Sundays even with five.
We had fellow -student with nick name Kisa on course . Kisa could sleep everywhere and anytime. And he could get intoxicated from the smell of alcohol. Therefore he never was taken in the taverns. But our Donetsk miner Shura decided to involve him to the "culture" and took him with him. All the day long our Kisa shaved and showered and did not even lay down to sleep preparing  and very worried.
At last his coming out happened. As soon as Kisa met with the girls and drank with them, the same time he felt a tiredness that he immediately fell asleep. Shura fussed in vain and the girls nearly performed a belly dance. Our Kisa fast asleep. Shura had to take Kisa to go home. It was on Sunday. I was returning "home". In that time I saw a taxi with Shura and Kisa. We took a sleepy and half-drunk Kisa and dragged him to the fence, which was built by us.
But we could not drag him through the front door! We  dragged Kisa to the fence. Kisa felt better and became to give us even smart advices . We climbed Kisa on the fence and ourselves  climbed . And we are in our hotel. Shura tells about new adventures with Kisa and everybody want to see Kisa and touch him . But nobody can see him. Nowhere Kisa in the hotel! We even worried and went out to look for him.  But though common sense told us that out of doors he can not be, because there he can not be there never! The distance from the fence to the hostel only  50-70 meters!
We found Kisa on the fence. He hang on it and slept.Now Kisa flies in Khabarovsk on the Tu-154 ...
(That was written in 2006.)