FUTURE PILOTS

Military-aviation institute after Armenak Khanperyants celebrates its 21st anniversary. On this occasion I decided to go and get acquainted with future pilots. But I was told that they have gone to the military airport. And I went after them.

Helicopters land and 20 year-old students come out. You can’t believe that they managed Mi-2 themselves. My surprise increased when the instructor told that this is the third day of their flying practice.

SARGIS

In Syrkin family pilots are Sargis’s father Armen, uncles Gevorg and Ashot, uncle’s wife Alla as well as cousin-brother Movses.

– I like very much helicopters, and I was waiting impatiently when we’ll come to the helipad. 1,5 year I waited for this day, I got prepared, read dozens of books, some of them I know by heart. The teachers said that if on the earth you know for “5”, in the sky you’ll hardly get “3”. During the first flight I was convinced of the veracity of of those words.

DAVID

David Jazdjyan says that helicopter maintenance is like playing a musical instrument – like a false note, each mistake you can feel immediately at the helm of helicopter.

– Helicopter is very sensitive. Probably this is the reason that in the aviation you’ll never meet bad-tempered people. The pilots and technicians, whom I know are very kind, balanced, tolerant, sociable, smiling people.
Before getting in helicopter David made many skydivings, got acquainted with the sky, felt the pleasure of the flight.

– My father is senior engineer of aviation technology, Colonel Sergey Yazdjyan. He always says that the sky is able to clarify man, eliminate the defects and deficiencies, sky is the symbol of bravery and strength.

LEVON

I saw a wooden device, in his hands, and he was trying to gently place a metallic ball in the centre of a disc. Levon explained that the movements should be calculated with millimeter accuracy.

– The same technique of movements uses the pilot when he is in the sky. If you a little decline, the helicopter will come out of control like this ball.

Levon tells that when in the Institute he was learning on a respective training machine he thought that he is already a pilot, however, when he was in the air he understood he was wrong.

– Before the flight I did all the preparation work, draw the route, specified all the circumstances. First I made a flight in my mind: I closed my eyes and imagined each building, degree of helicopter management, speed. However everything was different in the air – land’s geography, my feelings, even colour of the sky is different.

SHOUSHAN STEPANYAN
Photos by AREG VARDANYAN