For a long time Anatoly did not enter into the commanders. He was from the little city near Ryazan. He worked in Sasovo as instructor on the Yak-18 and gave the way to the air to several dozen of pilots. When he was a co-pilot, we flew with him somewhere in Siberia and I paid attention on his pilot stile. I liked it and when we slowly sipped coffee with him, after the flight and we were in one room , I saw in front of me is not just a good pilot, but also a wonderful person who loves aviation. We became friends.
I had still flown with Pavlov and Anatoly,at last began to introduce in commanders. As I had said, he did not enter in commanders for a long time, and it was hard for Anatoly experienced. He very worried.
In the year 93 rd, he was finally introduced. And now he was commander.
Once they flew to Tyumen. Navigator was Alexander K., and he was offered to take the "hares"on the board and Alexander took them. Anatoly was against it, but Alexander is very much like to earn additional income for all. After they took off,only in an hour of the flight Alexander told to Anatoly about it!
You should understand that it was very hard period for country. No money, no salary.
We forced to get money by any ways(That goverment had no opportunity to think about ordinary people)
Anatoly was angry, but nowhere to go and Alexander was told that the flight in that format will be the last. Among the passengers were terrorists and they refused to land in Pulkovo they wanted to fly to Israel.
They had to land in Tallinn,where even a dashing Estonian guys could not tie terrorists. They refueled and persuaded the terrorists to fly to Stockholm, where after 7-8 hours Swedes tied them.
The investigation began, after the landing in Pulkovo.The following a medical examination Aleksander did not pass and was written off - heart failed him, and he died soon .
Anatoly's crew was disbanded, and then I asked him to take me. Anatoly immediately took me to him.
He was in the doghouse, I was in the doghouse. We calmly flew with Anatoly but did not take the "hares" , and there were no extra income There were certainly a places where we looked different, but it was a little and we had been friends and decided controversies peacefully.
We flew once in Kaliningrad, through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This is like as an international flight and communication in English and radio operator with us. In general, on the way back, when we circling over Pulkovo, in front of us was British Airways and my English sounded very decent. Anatoly said that he could not understand in which one of us was Englishman.
Everybody were talking about us in the squadron. In general, in the spring Anatoly was sent for retraining on the International Air Lines, and I was left without a comander. But it will be in the spring.
Even before this event in the fall, overseas began to introduce almost everybody and I came back from vacation. I find that to everyone except me prepared the passport, which cost about 20 dollars. It was very expensive.
In general, I went to the Visa Office and hoping that all my expenses for passport will be returned as they were returned to my friend Igor A.. I came in our foreign department and showed my passport. In the foreign department began to check my name in the list, and there was not my name! That is, it was written by pencil, but then erased!
I was very indignant, and then I went to the commander of the detachment. The detachment commander listened me carefully and then said: "I remember that breaking the chain of command you came to me ten times! "
I said to him, "If you have such a good memory you must remember that saying that to introduce me to the International airlines after M, and so I'm on the list at number 6, now introduced the fifth, so, I'll be the next. "
At this very moment in the office of the commander of the detachment came the deputy commander of of the detachment who heard my memories and was very surprised and perhaps even resented and said to me :
- Maybe he mean to be a "six" for us?
-
The sleng in the prisons. Mean lowest class among that kind of people.
The commander of the detachment even made a remark to deputy commander of the detachment.
Now I was very surprised and had to inform them that "six" I have never been and will hardly ever be.
In general, in that ofice I was no longer the next 7-8 years.
It was in the fall of 94, and while I have been flying serenely.
That same fall, I was "found" for Edwin, my friend from Amsterdam, with whom we are not corresponded with, but who continued to be stunned by our reception and flight to Arkhangelsk.
It was reported to our mutual friend, and I called in Amsterdam. Edwin invited me. I have not never been in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, and I agreed on the trip and decided that better to admire by Amsterdam on the Christmas .
Christmas Day occurs on December 25. On the 24th we had to fly to Mineral Waters. I still can not understand why the city so named. I would call this city Mineral Mud! There, in Mineral Waters I flew when had worked in Arkhangelsk and if the weather was wet, the dirt had to scrape down the whole week! The dirt was surprisingly oily and corrosive. But the best seeds of gjlcjkye in the Soviet Union were there! But the seeds - it's a dirt . While they were there, in the hygienic package, they are not to fall behind, so I have them later just did not buy.
Once when a clear and sunny weather we were at 10100 meters over Elista or 255 kilometers to the north from Mineral Waters. I saw a cloud triangular in shape and color of sugar. I was very surprised! The cloud was Elbrus, located from Mineral Waters another 100 kilometers!
I also remember the 30 April 85 th, we were flying with the change , but decided to celebrate May Day at home and then flew back as the passengers in the luggage compartment and all 4:00 hours of flight celebrated this wonderful holiday!
But the most valuable in the Min. Waters was my wonderful friend Harris - Zhorik with which we retrained in Ulyanovsk and who drank fruit drinks instead of brandy, do you remember?
When I had flown,he almost never worked, because I had flown.
We had climbed on all the mountains and saw all the sights!
Once we had climbed on the mountain, above the clouds, sat and drank brandy compote, and below us, was flying corncob An-2(Colt)! Now my friend Zhorik -
Harris is pensioner. He bought a very old jeep and calling me to him, to drink compote. Probably I will go to him soon.
My FRIEND Zhorik - Harris died in 2007.
Well, then, I had to fly to Mineral Water from the reserve, and we had a snowstorm and fog in the Mineral Waters and tomorrow I still had to fly to Amsterdam! That was the situation! I called the squadron and to report the situation. The weather was so bad everywhere, that many flights were delayed from yesterday and crews lacked. I was asked to fly or to Murmansk, or somewhere else, anywhere, just to fly. And having considered the situation I flew with my crew in Mineral Waters.
We flew there and landed in St. Petersburg the weather improved, and I even managed to get on the evening of Christmas to Miss Young!
The next morning I flew to Amsterdam to Edwin and met on Christmas Day with his entire family.
Now I know what this Christmas in Europe! We saw all the major museums of Amsterdam, we were cycling, saw the house of Peter the Greet, drank some vodka and a lot of beer (I, by the way, the first time in my life drinking beer - in Amsterdam)
And I always say - and have you ever fed crocodiles in the center of Amsterdam? Just there is a monument with creatures looks like crocodiles and Edwin photographed me as if I feed them. But here was no the inflatable rubber women about which had been written in Komsomolskaya Pravda as well as in "Red lights district". Edwin even said that I show him in St. Petersburg only the best and make him dragged into this awful places. Edwin and Elsa were very surprised that I quoted some moments from Tilla Eulenspiegel. Amsterdam is the good city ! Will be an opportunity look it yourself!