I did not knock alone about the crew. Afanasov A.I., The. pilot- inspector began to fly as ordinary commander and took me to him. Alexander was an intelligent man, and gave me a great pleasure to speak with him on the ground and in the air. We flew with him just beautiful. His only remark for me that I do not give him the opportunity to think. But well, he believed me, and I believed to him. And this trust, his confidence in me was so strong that I afraid to do something not correct.
The child of his brother was taught by my wife , who responded very respectful to Afanasov's brother.
The brother, of Alexander Ivanovich, like Nickolas (in chapter before), was obsessed with the idea to build a cross-country vehicle. Nick's vehicle, for example, was designed by him spare time, and even in the flight! The basis for this was the frame heels, or better to say the cameras from the Yak-40 which were written off . The camera surrounded by burlap and instead of drives were installed frying pans a certain diameter. Then he set on the frame and fastened motorcycle engine - everything had been done!
But Nick's frame was special with several degrees of freedom and he was also proud of a small load on the ground. (My version to use cameras, inflated with hydrogen, balancing the mass of this design, and to use the rope for pulling the vehicle himself in some cases, he rejected in principle).
As I have said, the written off cameras from the Yak-40 could be only in the habitat of this aircraft.
Yaks-40 were only in Kotlas where Tupolev-134 could not land due to small run way. But they were in Odessa, where we flew to. Naturally, the main task, besides the successful conduct of the flight was to take cameras for vehicle of Captain's brother.
We had to land back in Kiev, where the weather was at the limit, and therefore, the assignment for flight we had not signed. The Captain went in airfield maintenance
to look for cameras.
It was already less than 20 minutes before departure and assignment for flight was not signed and the Cap .had not yet returned. I had ran away and decided to take off, signed assignment. The passengers planted and cargo loaded. The time departure had come. (we had our 15 minutes, when there were no delay ).
At last, we saw Alexander who drag 4 cameras, but having seen that already time to start engines, added these cameras to side and run on the plane. The engines had already started and at this point, "Odessa-taxing" asked us to contact with "Transit".
"Transit" said: "Someone from your crew picked up cameras and threw it away. In Odessa we do not like this! "
We took off in time.
A terrible earthquake was in Spitac in the year 88 . We were, as all Soviet people, very worried. In the fund collects money from all of our people. We collected money to fund the victims of that earthquake flying to Leningrad. Suddenly started flights in Leninokan to assist .(without paying)
I was asked to fly there. And I was said in a squadron : "There were already two aircraft crashed, When you receive the first class we will speak about it!
( Yugoslavian plane crashed because instead QFE they set QNH, another one met with the hill )
There were already last, modified Tu-134A with ABSU(in Russian) in Arkhangelsk. ABSU can be translated as “Automated onboard control system”, which allowed to land with a minimum weather of 30 * 400 ceiling 30 and fog with visibility of 400 meters. In the USSR at that time there were only in Kiev, Leningrad, Mineral Waters, Moscow (Sheremetyevo) available airports to land in such conditions.
The aircraft must be equipped, the crew prepared and the airport is authorized for such a minimum. I was trained in 85, and it was called as trained to meteorological conditions of category 2.
To take off in the fog when visibility is 400 or if there were lights, increasing visibility on the run way, called as High Intensity Approach Lights Sistem (HIALS) 200.
And we were in Vilnius, preparing to take off, but the fog had been increased and the landing was not possible. But we need to take off.
- 65066 Vilnius taxing .Request start up
- Vilnius taxing, 65066, have you allowed HIALS?
-Yes, we have 65066.
- 65066, start up is approved
We had started and had been standing next to the Georgian aircraft and She also planning to fly away. That's what I had heard.
- Vilnius taxing, 65820, Request start up.
- Vilnius taxing to 65820, have you allowed HIALS?
- Wait for a minute.
Well, I think it is clear that the crew must know what tolerances it has, the more that the fog was already very strong. However, we had started up taxied but the Georgian crew did not open the secrets of permission.
-65820 Vilnius taxing .Request start up
- Vilnius taxing, 65820, have you allowed HIALS?
-listen, what is HIALS we are going to fly to Tbilisi!
We approach on the second category in automatic mode and the main task of the navigator is to bring the aircraft so that there was no shortage of time. The main burden placed on the Commander, who should assess the situation and decide on the landing and land the plane. in a matter of seconds
That is, you are flying in thick fog, in a solid milk and suddenly appear the run way which fly only 7-8 seconds ...
The commander must be mentally prepared for it.
Despairing that I would ever taken in Leningrad, to my Motherland I will take an attempt, perhaps, N5 to get in Sheremetyevo and finally start flying across the Ocean.
The personnel department and was in front of the Airdrome Dispatcher Point Sheremetyevo 1.
It was very suitable landed and went. So I went there. There were two Ivanovitch, the old member of the CPSU . I came in and greeted and introduced myself. And they told me that the navigator on the Tu-134 is not needed.
And I said that on this type I do not torn, but IL-62 would be just right. They were stunned by my so great impudence and asked me if I knew English, and whether the members of the CPSU.
- As for the English, I studed on the second course and speaking about membership in the party you should understand yourself what things around it- I said.
- And what should we do? - Asked Ivanovitch.
- if you're shit, you need to clean the party, but if not, it means that we all will be ok.
After such a colorful dialogue I had not visited Ivanovitch 3 months.
The summer of 1989 was approaching . It was not very hot in April, that we had not even changed clothes to the cloaks. Once Alexander told me that it was decided to put me to the "young commander trainee" to enter him in the system.
Honestly, I was not very happy. Of course, they do not put anybody, but the first, I liked to fly with Alexander Ivanovich and secondly we had the line from the co-pilots, and Nikolai Andreyevich was even the commander of squadron in Naryan-Mar but he had no relation to the queue
We had to also take into account that the air smelled by changes and we had elected on the post the commander of Archangel enterprise Vasil Popel, former copilot of the AN-26.
We had to also take into account that the air smelled by changes and we had elected on the post the commander of Archangel enterprise Vasil Popel, former copilot of the AN-26.
In general, we started flying to enter Nicholas A.. Copilot became Alexander. Initially Vasily. M. was our mechanic. We have not good relationship with him from the outset and he was removed from the crew less than a month . Mikhailovich was taken whith whom we with love and friendship flew for a long time and maintained relations when I moved to St. Petersburg.
Mikhalych before Tu-134 was flying on the the IL-14 on the ice reconnaissance. Once upon they had to be based in Murmansk, and they took a few boxes of alcoholic products and probably overloaded the plane.
And after take off one engine died. The plane fall down after took off due to overloading Of course, the overload was not because of the alcohol, but the alcohol is forbiden to take and the first thing the crew did after the falling was to hid these boxes. Then these boxes found some foresters-pickers and probably very happy.
When we flew the entire program, the Alexander had gone, and his place was taken by Sasha Chernov - great guy! Before Tu-134 he flew on An-2 near Voronezh. He flew on the agricultural work or chemistry , landing on such a dirty and very small patch, which even thought could not take off and landed! They adapted the pipe slinging beside . On the run, they run into this pipe and bounced off the pipe like balls and gradually gaining speed, flew away.. When the squadron commander came to see how they flew there, then grabbed his head and shouting "I saw nothing," rushed away.
Also Sasha could strike the duck sitting on the surface of the water by the wheel of the main rack!
I always informed Sasha about it on the abeam of Blue Lyapigi It was pleasant for us because it was pleasant for Sasha.
In general, in this format, we started to fly. Sasha flew better than all of us. I flew the worse of all when we paired with Nikolai Andreyevich . That was because he needed time to think and assess the situation, and I initially did not give him such opportunity.
But it took less than a month, and my experience as well as Nicholay Andreevich began to grow, and we started to grow together.
In general, by this time, the autumn my flying experience was 5000 hours, and it was possible to take exams on the first class. Nikolai Andreyevich wrote me a good characteristic and I began to prepare.
There were a lot of flights and the new 90th year was approaching. We had to work on that New Year. I hate to work in the New Year! Let it at least three times harmful, but I did not want to work! I had not celebrated a New Year already twice because of work since 1981!
Do not drink, do not eat! However, with the booze had already strained started - vineyards had been chopped!
And we're going to Sverdlovsk - Novosibirsk. That was after December 20. We took off and the chassis were not cleaned.
No, it was removed, but green lights were on! (It told us that the wheels were down)! . We circled over Talagi and flew away.
The air traffic controllars asked us how we were along the airway And what may be we flew - all right!When we approached, had not even control flight. The chassis were down after compressing and we landed safely This valuable experience helped me,when in St. Petersburg was a similar situation .
We waited for our technical staff from Minsk where the plane was repaired and was on the guarantee.. The plane was hung and checked its hydraulic system to eliminate defects. We were siting and waiting. We spoke all conversations went around aviagorodok, all the films in the cinema had been watched, visited Ipatiev House, where the entire tsar family was killed, sleep it off, but the plane did not ready. Incidentally, there were no Ipatiev's House. Future president of Russia,it was said it was ruined. Then he was a first secretary of the Sverdlovsk Regional Party Committee.
In short, we are tired of this Sverdlovsk! But, but on the New Year we had not flew because we had returned back from Sverdlovsk only 30! We with Luda and Olga immediately flew to Leningrad and I was happy!
We go to take pistols with Nikolai Andreyevich. My mood as always, when we go to take pistols - what mood can be, if you get into extra pounds and 10 pounds of additional responsibility? Nikolai Andreyevich, as always, the latest materials of the plenums recalls Yegor Kuzmich Legacheva scolds his stupidity. And I was tired to listen him, so I say:
- And let's ask to Politburo that our crew would be carry the name after Yegor Kuzmich Legachev with entering his name forever in of our crew.
Nikolai Andreyevich laughed and a joke liked him. I liked it too and I said to our girls
-Do you know how you would report to the passengers?
- As usual.
- That after as usual, you have to say that our glorious crew for outstanding performance in socialist competition and perform a number of five-year plans in a number of years, was awarded the honorary title "Yegor Kuzmich Legacheva" and entering an honorary fifth member of our glorious crew.
Girls confused Legacheva to Likhachev told. We laughed for a long time ...
We flew to Moscow again and I again went to the personnel department. Personnel department with Ivanovitch moved closer to the main building of Aeroflot When they heard from me that I will soon pass the exams on the first class that I had been studing English in corespondent courses they wrote down my details and offered to bring them to the first papers. The right was here in aviation was serfdom. To entrance price was one ruble and to exit was already 2 . To move to another city, the squad, at a constant shortage of flight specialists was almost impossible, of course, if you do not have Big and Hairy Paws.
Unfortunately, there was no Paw for me and I went to Vasil Popiel (i wrote before. The second pilot became the manage of Arhagelsk enterprise) until he was not spoiled by the power.
Overall, Vasil gave me a chance to work on approximation of my dream and
the work to approach my dream had boiled.
The personnel department associated with dragon's an insatiable maw. How many papers you gave it was not enough . I passed the medical exams in the Civil Aviation Highest Medical Expert Commission one day only! Everything had started after that.
The resolution on reusable flights to abroad and that was approved by the caucus to writing specifications on me and intimate conversations with experts from navigation to the chiefs by the modes. It had to collect 25-30 signatures. I had to fly to Moscow sometimes just for the sake of conversation with one chief I left the conversation with the political officer the very last. The conscience would not let me to join for a purpose in this Party. My grandfather was a true Communist and not a party member.
In general, I read all the party hierarchy and went to him. He looked sadly at me and asked me how I attitude to Yeltsin.
I almost jumped from a sincere delight. And he said to me
- Oh, you will cry if this populist put on the top of power.
I will always remember his words!
All papers were signed. The credentials committee only remained
My friend Jane flew in Balkan aircompany, Bulgaria that time. He came back and I surprised him. We will together now!
Credentials Committee. The pilots of the First-class . I'm in front of them.
- Too young and probably not married ! - They looked incredulously at me.
- I am married and even have a child, and to the age with time I promise to correct! - I answered,
Immediately, I was given the translation, signed by the Chief of International Flights Nacharov. I save it before now!
When I had flown to Leningrad , always called home from the navigator's room and spoke with my grandmother . That lasted from year to year, so that even the navigator on duty always asked "How is your Grandma?"
She had gone in the country sand hills in February,..We had stayed at home before 9 days, and I called to the squadron, that the next day I can fly. I was put in the reserve.
It was windy on the 20 th of February , 1990. The wind blew from the North, across the run way. A lot of passengersIn were in Murmansk and we were sent there.
n Murmansk there was An-24 which was waiting for the weather in Arhangelsk with pilot instructor on board, who could not land in Arhangelsk because of strong wind. Tupolev has the largest crosswind component of all our aircraft and dry run way it is equal to 20 meters per second! (about 40 knots)
So, this pilot instructor left Murmansk and the crew in which he had to check, and sat on the seat, co-pilot of our Sasha, had flown with us.
We were descending, taking into account this strong under 120-130 kilometers per hour winds in the tail . At 3000 meters, when we allowed to have a speed of 500 kilometers per hour, we find ourselves in strong turbulence and icing. My estimated 10 meters per second on the decline, òî maintain speed of 500, we can not support and we have a large height. The pilot instructor offered turn to the right, but I stubbornly insist withstand this course as if we walked with Lenin’s course.
We reduced speed to 400 kilometers per hour, which is the maximum-allowable speed for landing gear down and the speed is not increased. Even here the tailwind component was 80 kilometers per hour, the height was1200 meters . I decided that in this situation it was better to released flaps and turning base (4 turn), than turning base and released flaps moving against the wind to landing course.
We completed the base (fourth), we were higher than 150 meters and on the left of the course about 1000 meters. We were before entering the glide path of 3-4 kilometers. (not landing position) Nikolai Andreyevich wanted to make a 360 Degrees turn, but the pilot èíñòðóñòîð was holding wheel strong and we almost simultaneously released flaps from 0 to 38 degrees.
We were on landing course almost immediately , the drift was 25 degrees, the turbulence was strong, sometimes even showing vario up and down to 10 meters per second. The alarm went off "dangerous ground" but we had seen the run way and we were on course and glidepath. The drift had already reduced to 18 degrees. We landed ...
I operated badly, commanders have not gone round again... the pilot- instructor had no right to fly with us and had to take full responsibility for that events.
The documents on the first class were ready, but was l I failed all and informed squadron the next day.
I suffered most of all.The Pilot inspector was not remembered never, and I was removed from the exams on the first class on one year
One year later, I asked Alexander Ivanovich, former pilot-control inspector, how bad or not bad the pilot who never made a mistake before and made mistake later.
- He is not bad if that mistake was one, but its price may be too high. And in 1992, it became known as the “human factor.”
The briefing was going . The flight navigator Petrov late on the flight . He woke up, drank a cup of coffee, lit a cigarette and ...
And ... fell asleep again.
During the break, Vladimir S. invites me and Andrew R. to drink a cup of coffee and to see his collection of model airplanes. I love airplanes and he did not wait for me for a long time. He lived on the second floor above the detachment, in a hostel for married.
And this difference, a very simple life and these almost magical planes! Andrei and Volodya knew about the planes and the pilots so much !
The door had opened and Volodya brought us on a trolley steaming aromatic coffee. The coffee was unsweetened. In the course had been popular expression if you wash your hands with soap then tea without sugar! Volodya was very surprised my taste perversion and asked, can you give more condensed milk, but sugar is brought. Then I bought them all models and they give them to me, and dragged me into the collecting.
When you pass a medical examination , the soul holiday. You get the " bread-ticket " !
Then happy you was going to the commander and on the basis of medical examination and put into TS ( a training squad ) , you put a stamp in the license and you fly without any problems a whole year . I remember we had a detachment commander Yury Bykov Before , as a navigator Petrov drank the fatal cup of coffee, Bykov when renewing a certificate always asked us about alarm clocks, he was always worried that we would come in time for flights . We, however, never late, but personally I had always 2 alarm cloaks. (primary and backup)
One was an electronic alarm clock , and a second one was mechanics . ( Main and reserve) . And just after this terrible event with navigator Petrov Luda bought me a third alarm, and as always , having passed a medical examination , I went to Yuriy Mickhalovich Bykov which asked me about the number of alarms, and I answered with pride and said him that I had three ! YM jumps up from his seat and passionately a few minutes shaking my hand , saying at the same time : Well , Aleksey, well done , well , Aleksey , well done!
And on the briffing he recalled the terrible case of Petrov and said that me had 3 and he never late ! I have to say that on flights, it was not in my plans ever!