Sky. Its endless blue beckons and calls us. Poets write poems about it, artists paint pictures, romantics admire its mysterious beauty and endless depth for a long time, make wishes when they see the white stripe from the plane. But there is a category of people who are especially in love with the sky, for whom it is their dream, life and work - these are pilots.

Which school to choose - military or civilian?

Almost every boy dreams of becoming a pilot as a child, but as they grow older, their views change, new preferences appear, and by the time they graduate from school, many children already know exactly what education and future profession they will choose. There remain a considerable part of those who did not change their childhood dream, planning to devote their future to aviation, and after school they entered a flight school. Each of them faces natural questions:

1. Which aviation should you connect your life with - military or civil?
2. Which area has more prospects for development and career growth?
3. Which educational institution to choose for studying?
4. How to enter a flight school?
5. What are the basic conditions for applicants?

The first is the choice between military and civil aviation. Each direction has its advantages and certain disadvantages.

For those who have dreamed of blue epaulets all their life, understand perfectly what “iron discipline” is and are ready to connect their lives with the army, it is worth choosing to enroll in a military flight school. It must be taken into account that a military man is a person who obeys an order, so one must be prepared for constant changes of place of service and residence, as well as for the strict fulfillment of any task.

Another significant problem for future military pilots will be a big competition, because in Russia today there is only one educational institution of such specialization left - the Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots named after Hero of the Soviet Union A.K. Serova. After graduating from college, graduates receive the rank of lieutenant and the qualification of a pilot according to the specification, as well as the civilian specialty of an aircraft operation engineer.

Where to become a pilot?

It is much easier to enroll in a flight school to become a civil aviation pilot; this can be done in one of the five schools operating in the Russian Federation:

All of them provide free training, a high educational level and training as a pilot. Some schools provide the opportunity to obtain the coveted profession of “Aircraft Flight Operation” on a commercial basis. When choosing a school, the main determining factor is territorial affiliation - applicants traditionally choose what is closer to home.

What is required for admission?

After deciding on the choice of educational institution, questions arise: how to prepare for admission, what selection criteria exist, and what documents are needed for this?

The main requirement for future pilots is health. They must be in excellent physical shape, have one hundred percent vision, a strong nervous system and resistance to stress. Moreover, if a cadet’s health suddenly deteriorates during his studies, he may be expelled.

Upon admission you must:

• provide medical certificates required by law;
• undergo a special medical examination at the educational institution itself;
• undergo an interview with psychologists to determine professional suitability;
• pass physical fitness standards.

A flight school applicant must pass the following Unified State Exams:

• Russian language,
• mathematics,
• physics.

Documents for admission must include:

For military pilots, more stringent requirements are put forward than for civilians. They are provided for by special order No. 455 of the Russian Ministry of Defense, here is a short list of them:

• 100% vision and correct color perception;
• blood pressure within 105-130 at 60-80 mm Hg. Art.;
• body weight with an index of at least 19;
• height within 160-186 cm;
• leg length from 80 cm;
• arm length from 76 cm;
• in a sitting position, height should be between 80-97 cm.

As you can see, the requirements are quite strict not only for health, but also for physical parameters, which significantly complicates admission to a military flight school.

What prospects await a flight school graduate?

After entering the flight school and successfully completing it, cadets receive the cherished profession - “Aircraft Flight Operation” or another, no less in demand specialty “Flight Operations Engineer”. Both professions are prestigious and highly paid. The flight crew enjoys a number of advantages:

• provided with a full social package;
• preferential (extended) leave;
• possibility of early retirement;
• big discounts for families on air services.

Graduates of Russian flight schools enjoy the well-deserved respect of foreign airlines and they have every chance of getting a job abroad.

Do you want to connect your life with the army? Do you know what discipline is? Are you ready to strictly follow orders and complete any task? Then go to military flight school.

What is needed to enter a military flight school?

Prospective students should consider their decision carefully. The profession of a military pilot does not tolerate any doubts. Review the following points:

1. A military pilot must have excellent health. This point, unfortunately, does not allow everyone to become a fighter pilot or navigator.
2. You must have a high score in all general education subjects. Particular attention is paid to mathematics and physics. These subjects are very important for the future military pilot, so do not ignore the exact sciences during your school years.
3. Being a military pilot is a dangerous job.. Pilots and navigators are exposed not only to physical stress, but also emotional stress. In this regard, they must have high resistance to stress.
4. A professionally completed task is the work of not only the pilot, but the whole team. Military pilots can be people who are capable and ready to work in a team, to hear and understand their partners.

Many guys who want to become military pilots imagine themselves as a hero, soaring above the clouds and regularly carrying out all the orders of the commander. But in practice the situation is different. Military pilots must first undergo a difficult training course, completely devoid of romance. One careless action by a pilot can lead to the death of the entire crew, major financial losses and the failure of a military operation.

Therefore, you will be required to maintain harsh discipline and lack of initiative. All orders are given by commanders and are not discussed by personnel.

Military pilot - this is not a romantic profession, but a specialty that requires serious effort.

How to choose an educational institution and become a pilot?

Just a few decades ago in our country there were many schools where military pilots were trained. But gradually some of them were disbanded. This is not due to a lack of interest in this profession on the part of young people, but due to restrictions on funding from the state. To date navigators and fighter pilots are trained at the Krasnodar Military Aviation School named after Serov. After completion of training, graduates receive the rank of lieutenant, and they are also awarded qualifications in accordance with their specialization.

You can take a training course at a military flight school either free or for a fee. Before admission you will be asked to provide a health certificate. In addition, medical and physical indicators will be checked during admission by members of a special medical commission. Great importance is given psychologists' testimony . You must carefully prepare for this seemingly simple stage. Otherwise, you may be declared professionally unsuitable and not allowed to study.

What Unified State Exam subjects are needed?

As for the Unified State Exam, you should have results in mathematics, Russian language and physics.

Don’t forget about your birth certificate, military ID, school diploma, passport. You will need to write an application for admission, attach four to ten photographs in 3x4 format, as well as a description from the place of study.

It is worth noting that graduates of military flight schools are highly respected in society. You will receive a full social package, early retirement and can count on benefits.

Editorial "site"

There are many Earthlings, and we are all very different. But among all people, some are distinguished by a special character - an ineradicable desire for the sky, a thirst for flight. It is from them that the best civil and military aviation pilots emerge. But other applicants also come to the admissions committees of flight schools. Some people were simply drawn to romance, others saw lucrative prospects in a pilot’s license, others go along with a friend who is obsessed with the sky.

In any case, it is better for each of the future cadets to know in advance what awaits them upon admission to flight school and after graduation. Many points that should be thought about before sending documents to the school admissions committee may be important for a subsequent successful career.

Military or civilian?

The first thing a future pilot has to decide is which school to prefer, civilian or military. Military schools have stricter requirements, including disciplinary ones. They pay a small stipend, provide uniforms and housing (in the barracks). Upon completion, you will receive not only a higher military specialized education, but in addition the civilian specialty “Aircraft Operation”. The main problem in obtaining the specialty of a military pilot is that in Russia today there is only one higher military aviation educational institution left in Krasnodar, and enrollment there does not happen every year. Accordingly, the competition is high and becoming a cadet is not easy. Education at a military school is free, a referral can be issued by the military registration and enlistment office. There, applicants will be able to get up-to-date answers to all questions related to the career of a military pilot.

There are much more opportunities to get the coveted civil aviation pilot qualifications. But here you should first decide why these very crusts are needed, what are your career aspirations and ambitions. To fly a light sports aircraft you do not need a higher education, but to work on large civil aviation airliners you need not only a higher education and a diploma as a line pilot, but also many hours of flight time.

Training in civil aviation educational institutions can be either budgetary or paid. There will be other costs associated with your studies. However, studying in a civilian school is a little easier, and the health requirements are a little more relaxed than in a military school.

What is needed for admission

• Good physical fitness and impeccable health. Applicants undergo a thorough medical examination, and even with excellent grades in the certificate and a high chance of passing the exams with “excellent” marks, they may fail due to health reasons. Moreover, if the student’s health worsens during his studies, the student may well be expelled.
• Age from 18 years
• Pass exams in the Russian language (exposition) and mathematics; for some specialties they also take physics
• Conclusion on professional suitability, which is issued after an interview with psychologists

What awaits a flight school graduate: career and prospects for professional growth

Like a driver's license, pilot certificates can be of different categories, and the opportunities that open up directly depend on the category. But not only the category is important: for example, graduates of higher educational institutions of civil aviation immediately receive a commercial pilot certificate, but this only gives them the right to fly as a co-pilot on most aircraft, and there are restrictions. This is due to the small number of flight hours.

And in order to become a line pilot and get the opportunity to fly on large airliners as an aircraft commander, according to Russian rules, at least 1,500 flight hours are required. Abroad, the requirements for the highest category of pilots are somewhat lower, and it is a little easier to get the coveted qualifications there.

However, the situation in Russian aviation is currently changing. Most pilots who received their specialty in Soviet times retire, and today's flight school graduates have much fewer opportunities to obtain the necessary flight hours. Therefore, many airlines are forced to reduce the requirements for the number of hours flown. Moreover, airlines are literally queuing up for graduates who have proven themselves well. Such pilots receive additional flight hours at the company’s training centers.

If you have no desire to make a career in the sky, and you only need certificates for flying for your own pleasure, you don’t have to waste time studying at a flight school. It’s easier to take courses at the nearest flying club. After fulfilling a number of standards and passing exams, you will be given a certificate as an amateur pilot, which will be quite enough to fly light airplanes and helicopters for your pleasure and join the “Flight Brotherhood” with a light heart.

Flight fraternity: what is it?

According to official sources, the “Flight Brotherhood” is a public organization created by graduates of the Kharkov Air Force Academy. In fact, the “fraternity of flight” refers to a special relationship that binds everyone involved in aviation. These relationships are based on friendship and mutual assistance. For example, in the old days, a pilot, finding himself in a hopeless situation in any city, could approach any unfamiliar colleague and ask for help - money, accommodation, etc. And get what you ask for. The debt was repaid strictly - by simple postal order or by mutual favor. “Flight brotherhood” meant exactly this - trust, readiness to come to the rescue of a fellow winger.

Unfortunately, all this is now a thing of the past. Some schools and flying clubs have their own traditions of “initiation into the Flight Brotherhood,” but these are rather exceptions than a widespread custom. “Flyers” simply communicate in their environment, helping their own as best they can - as happens in other communities united by a common passion, one hobby.

What about the girls?

But no one covers the girls’ path to aviation with roses. Until recently, no civil aviation academy accepted women into flight professions, until in 2007 one of the applicants sued the educational institution and won the case. Today, girls can also enter the flying profession, but airlines still prefer to hire men.

However, the growing shortage of personnel is forcing airline management to treat female pilots with increasing reverence. The leaders of the Sasovo Flight School even say that their graduates can outshine any male pilot.

The Last Frontier: How to Convince Your Parents

If parents believe that the pilot’s profession is too dangerous and not promising enough, and that it is better to choose more mundane and less adrenaline-fuelled professions, they need to be worked with and convinced. And you need to start as early as possible. The conversation should be conducted not on emotions, but with facts at the ready. For every argument of worried parents, there should be a whole volley of counterarguments, with facts, statistics and mathematical calculations.

The list of common objections is always approximately the same:

• “The profession is unpromising.” Nothing like that - very promising! In recent years, the country's aircraft fleet has been increasing annually by several dozen (or even hundreds) of aircraft, which will soon have no one to fly. Soviet-era pilots are retiring, and there are few new ones. The annual demand for pilots is about 2 thousand people, and flight schools graduate no more than 500 people.
• “Low salary” is not true! Pilots' salaries are more than decent, and increase in proportion to professional growth. Even a co-pilot can receive about 200 thousand rubles soon after graduating from school. In addition, there are pleasant bonuses: long vacations, early retirement, a good social package and big discounts on air tickets for the family. There are also excellent opportunities to work abroad: many airlines are happy to hire Russian pilots.
• “Planes crash, it’s dangerous” - what if we compare it with car accidents? There are countless more accidents on the roads and while driving cars on earth. Driving a car is much more dangerous than driving an airplane, but no one stops driving a car because of this.

In addition, many flight academies have military departments, which saves the graduate from military service.

How do cadets live?

For those who are admitted to government-funded places, the state provides full support: uniforms, food, hostel for visitors, and a stipend. Cadets are also provided with all teaching aids and materials. Cadets of paid groups provide themselves with everything.

Discipline is strict inside the campus and within the walls of the school or academy. However, it is not as strict as in a military school, and with good motivation, cadets do not experience negative consequences from disciplinary requirements. And slobs and slobs have nothing to do in the sky.

Living conditions depend on each specific educational institution, as well as internal regulations.

Duration of training and cost

The training time for a flight specialty on the basis of secondary education (11 years) is 34 months (basic level)..

The cost of paid education is determined by each educational institution independently. For example, at the UVAU GA in the current academic year, training in the specialty “Flight Operation of Aircraft” will cost almost 90 thousand rubles for the theory. Correspondence education is noticeably cheaper: 35,500 rubles. As for the cost of practical flights for future pilots, for those studying on a commercial basis the amount starts from $140,000.

Becoming a pilot is not easy. This profession requires complete dedication and special education. Before deciding to enroll in a particular educational institution, it is worth studying the list of flight schools in Russia. In the institutions presented below you can get high-quality and affordable education.

Ulyanovsk Higher Aviation School of Civil Aviation

Higher flight schools in Russia are chosen by those applicants who want to receive the best education. Ulyanovsk VAU GA is one of the largest educational institutions in this category.

The school was founded in 1935. Initially it was a flight training course, which was based in different cities of Russia.

The Ulyanovsk VAU GA acquired its modern appearance in 1992 after the collapse of the USSR, and the new leadership of the country issued a decree on the creation of an aviation school of the highest category in Ulyanovsk on the basis of previously existing institutions.

Ulyanovsk VAU GA has three faculties and fourteen departments that train specialists in management and maintenance of various types.

Branches of Ulyanovsk VAU GA

Russian civil aviation flight schools are branches of other educational institutions. The largest branches of the institution indicated in the subtitle are located in Sasovo, Krasny Kut and Omsk.

In the city of Sasovo there is one of the civil aviation schools, which trains specialists in the flight operation of various aircraft. It also trains technical personnel for the repair and maintenance of flight equipment, flight and navigation systems, engines and electrified systems.

Krasnokutsk Flight School specializes in training civil aviation pilots. During its operation, it has produced many specialists, among whom are pilots awarded honorary state awards.

The Flight Technical College in Omsk is one of the few civil aviation flight schools in Russia that teach piloting MI-8 helicopters and train technical staff to maintain them. The school's teachers also train aviation mechanics and aviation and radio-electronic equipment specialists.

The remaining flight schools in Russia are presented as branches of other universities, but also train specialists in different areas.

civil aviation (St. Petersburg State Administration for Civil Aviation)

In the post-war years, the rapid development of air transport and the increase in air transportation turnover began. Existing training centers could not provide the required number of personnel. In 1955, the leadership of the USSR decided to create a new educational institution that would train pilots. University status was assigned to the educational institution in 2004 after successfully completing accreditation.

The St. Petersburg State Administration for Civil Aviation trains specialists in several areas: pilots, technical personnel, dispatchers. The university has several faculties. There is a separate dean's office for work with foreign students, which specializes in helping foreign citizens obtain an education.

Some flight schools in Russia are branches of the St. Petersburg State Administration for Civil Aviation. They have narrower specializations, but also allow you to get a technical education.

Branches of the St. Petersburg State Administration of Civil Aviation

The flight school in Buguruslan trains qualified pilots for civil aviation. Personnel training is carried out only in full-time education, which ensures a sufficient level of qualifications.

Civil flight schools of Russia on the basis of the St. Petersburg State Administration for Civil Aviation are located in several other cities of the country: Vyborg, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk, Yakutsk.

The Yakut branch of the St. Petersburg State Administration for Civil Aviation is called the Aviation Technical School and is interesting in that since 2012 it has been training personnel in the specialty “Piloting the MI-8 helicopter.” There are few such institutions in Russia, so the institution is popular. The school also trains technical personnel for various types of maintenance.

The Krasnoyarsk branch of the St. Petersburg State Administration for Civil Aviation provides training for specialists in flight control and airport operation. At the same time, the school operates an aviation training center, which provides retraining of specialists in other areas and advanced training.

Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation (Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation)

Higher flight schools in Russia are designed to provide the country with the required number of specialists in the aviation industry. One of such institutions is the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation.

It was founded in 1971 as a response to the demand of domestic aviation in Russia, and to this day it copes with its tasks perfectly.

This educational institution trains operational specialists. All major civil aviation flight schools have branches in other cities of Russia. Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation is no exception and has 2 branches and several colleges.

Branches of the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation

The branch of the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation in Irkutsk trains specialists in the field of maintenance of aviation systems, complexes and operation of aircraft. It includes the Center for Personnel Retraining.

The Rostov branch trains specialists in the technical operation of engines and aircraft, flight and navigation systems and aviation electrical systems, and transport radio equipment.

The Aviation Technical College in Yegoryevsk trains technical personnel for civil aviation. On the basis of the college, a department for foreign students of a preparatory direction has been founded, where they can master the Russian language and some general disciplines.

The Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation also includes aviation colleges in Rylsk, Irkutsk, Kirsanov and Troitsk.

Flight schools in Russia

There are few educational institutions in Russia that train military pilots.

Applicants who wish to enroll in Russian military flight schools should first consider how military aviation differs from civil aviation.

Civil aviation is intended for transport of population and goods and is of a commercial nature. Military aviation is state-owned and is used for defensive purposes or to carry out combat missions and transport troops and technical equipment. Flight schools train personnel for transport, fighter, bomber and attack aircraft.

Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots in Krasnodar (Krasnodar VVAUL)

Krasnodar VVAUL is currently a branch of the Air Force Academy named after. Professors N. E. Zhukovsky and Yu. A. Gagarin. It was founded in 1938 as a school for military aviation pilots.

In the modern Krasnodar VVAUL, three faculties are fully functioning, which train specialists in several areas of military aviation. During its existence as a flight school, the school graduated many personnel who subsequently achieved high ranks in the military sphere.

Almost all flight schools in Russia during the Great Patriotic War trained military pilots. But at the end of it, most of them were transferred to the reserve or retrained as civil aviation pilots. In addition to the Krasnodar VVAUL, another educational institution is currently training military aircraft pilots.

Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots in Syzran (Syzran VVAUL)

The uniqueness of the Syzran VVAUL is that it is the only military school that trains combat helicopter pilots. Currently, there is one helicopter regiment based at the school, based at the airfield in Syzran. Previously there were three. But the remaining regiments were disbanded.

Russian flight schools are popular among students from nearby countries. Foreign specialists who do not have the opportunity to train in their own state are also trained within the walls of the Syzran VVAUL.

Russian military flight schools, in their small numbers, currently meet the needs of the country’s military aviation and its closest neighbors. Over the years of their work, they have produced many specialists in their field.

At the beginning of the flight school course there were two stages. At the first stage, training took place at the Ulyanovsk Higher Aviation School in the specialty “Flight Operation of Aircraft.” We studied there for 1.5 years. In the second stage, training took place at the Aeroflot school itself on a contract basis for 6 months. If studying at the school was supposed to be free, then at school you had to pay for training, for this the company issued a targeted loan in the amount of the cost of studying. The contract with the student stipulated that after graduating from flight school he would work at Aeroflot for 5 years, and money would be deducted from his salary to repay the loan. But this program is not possible, since the airline failed to resolve the issue of budget funding from the state to pay for training at the first stage.

The average salary of a co-pilot at Aeroflot is 250,000 rubles. Therefore, paying off a targeted loan allocated for studying at a flight school will not be difficult.

In 2013, flight training at Aeroflot consisted of two parts. Initial training took place at an accredited flight center in Florida, USA and took approximately 4.5 months. The course cost $55 thousand, and this does not include the cost of flights, visas and meals. After training, students passed two exams - in flight training and in the theoretical program. After successfully passing the exams, the student received an American standard pilot's license. Training in the second part took place directly on the basis of the Aeroflot flight school. Here they taught the basics of piloting a specific A320 aircraft. The training took 6-7 months and cost about $30 thousand.

Admission to Aeroflot flight school