12/10/2010

On November 1, an air revolution will take place in St. Petersburg - from now on, not only the Ministry of Emergency Situations, ambulances and the military, but also ordinary citizens, owners of family helicopters and airplanes will be able to fly in the skies over the city. At the same time, the issuance of flight permits will be simplified and accelerated.

Air defense gives the go-ahead

The dream of the legendary pilot Matthias Rust has come true: by making his flight now, he could do it completely legally and land, although not on the very Palace Square, but nearby. Closer to spring, the dream of another legendary pilot, Vadim Bazykin, will come true - 17 more helipads will appear in St. Petersburg.

It is too early to celebrate the victory, but the main thing has been done - the resistance of the military departments, in particular the air defense forces, who fought for the right to control the sky over the city, has been broken. Until now, permission to fly helicopters and airplanes over St. Petersburg was issued only by federal departments and the military - the FSB, the 6th Air Army, the Federal Air Transport Agency, and Air Traffic Control. Obtaining permission, as a rule, took at least 2 - 5 days. The pros, experienced in this matter - helicopter airlines Spark +, Baltic Airlines and the only travel agency in the city specializing in helicopter tourism, Exi-Tour, managed to get permission faster - by contacting them in the morning, no later than 9 o’clock, you could take off the same day or the next morning.

Such a complex procedure for issuing permits was due to the fact that the airspace over St. Petersburg had the status of a restricted zone. On November 1, an order from the Ministry of Transport comes into force, removing it from the list of prohibited zones and transferring it to the status of a restricted flight zone. Restriction, as is known, is a milder degree of prohibition. In this zone, and it will extend over the entire territory of St. Petersburg within the boundaries of the Ring Road, with the exception of the Kurortny and Petrodvortsovy districts, flight permissions will be given by the Committee on Transport and Transit Policy (KTTP). There is nothing personal in this story - as the KTTP assured us, none of the committee members and even members of the city government have either personal or official planes or helicopters. They have something else - an understanding of the international situation and the needs of citizens. During Dmitry Medvedev's recent visits to Barack Obama and other leaders, the international situation has become so peaceful that protecting the skies over St. Petersburg from enemy bombers no longer seems to be a priority - even the military realized this.

They didn’t particularly resist the decision,” says Ksenia Gorlevaya from the Committee on Transport and Transit Policy. - Our committee contacted the Ministry of Transport through the governor. The initiative was announced by all aviation departments. In particular, Pulkovo advocated removing the zone in order to create the opportunity to develop new maneuvering schemes, since the growth in passenger traffic caused an increase in the number of takeoffs and landings.

At the same time, the need of city residents for private aviation. The phenomenon is quite new for our country - only in 1997 a new Air Code of the Russian Federation was issued, which made it possible for individuals and companies to purchase and operate aircraft of foreign and Russian manufacture. Now many St. Petersburg residents have their own helicopters, for example, Igor Leitis, president of the Adamant holding. The director of the Elite Development company, Vladimir Lyubomirov, has his own seaplane. Dmitry Zarenkov, general director of the Etalon-LenSpetsSMU holding, is interested in piloting aircraft, but does not yet have his own (according to our data).
According to KTTP estimates, the park small aviation Petersburg (small helicopters and airplanes) has only about 30 units.

When the Rzhevka airfield, which specialized in small aircraft, was disbanded, we lost the opportunity to accurately evaluate the existing fleet, helicopters were stolen from gardens, every businessman has a helicopter, they fly without registration,” says Vadim Bazykin. - Only in “Spark +” I have 7 of my own cars and 4 more for rent, in “Baltic Airlines” - 4 helicopters, but the bulk are from private owners, there are at least 30 of them.

There is 1 helicopter at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region and 2 helicopters at the North-Western Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The ambulance does not have a single helicopter of its own. Total - 3 social helicopters per city. However, it is social objectives that explain the simplification of issuing flight permits.

Who needs it

“I’m just one of the co-authors of the project,” says Vadim Bazykin, chief consultant of the city’s helicopter traffic development program. - Everyone needs this, this is the European experience. We are now behind everyone else. Among the CIS countries, Kazakhstan was the first to adopt a simplified system. We have been working in Norway for more than 10 years. There, in order to take off, you need to send an application by fax 20 minutes in advance. In Moscow, the issue is resolved in 2 - 3 hours. In St. Petersburg - 5 days. It is absolutely necessary to agree with the administration of the village of Gadyukino that it does not object (Gadyukino is not an image in this case, but a real village with that name near ski resort near Korobitsyn, where they have been trying to establish regular helicopter flights for more than 3 years. - A.O.). The main issue now is the delivery of patients...

In the spring of 2006, Valentina Matvienko said that by May 1, 2006, five helipads would be built in St. Petersburg at medical institutions - Children's City Hospital No. 1, City Hospital No. 1, Research Institute of Emergency Medicine named after. Dzhanelidze, Alexander Hospital and Leningrad Regional Clinical Hospital. From this plan, only one project was implemented - in February 2007, a helipad opened at the Research Institute of Emergency Medicine.

Medicine accepted the innovation with enthusiasm, but restrained.
“First of all, this will help the aviation companies themselves, which earn money that is not comparable with our tariffs - for a helicopter they are now asking about 5 thousand euros per hour - 200 thousand rubles,” says Lev Averbakh, CEO and head physician of the private ambulance Coris . - There is a demand for the use of a helicopter for ambulance needs, but it is very limited and due to many factors - helicopters do not fly in frosty conditions, at night, in the cold. However, about once every 2 months there are people willing to pay that kind of money, and we rent a helicopter from Baltic Airlines or the American Medical Clinic.

At long distances, up to 1.5 hours of flight, at a speed of 250 km/h, a helicopter provides a noticeable advantage over a car, even taking into account the fact that you still need to get to the nearest helipad by car - we use helicopters to transport sick people, for example, from Karelia. Although it is believed that there are sites in the Leningrad Regional Hospital and in Dzhanelidze, I have not seen anyone fly there. We used the Petropavlovka site. With a 1.5 hour flight one way, the time it takes to obtain permission is quite critical. If you submit an application at 9 am, you can get permission by 11, and if in the afternoon - only the next morning. So, simplifying the system will, of course, also help us. It would be nice if more people became more obliging. Not everyone has the opportunity to pay right away. We step up and sometimes take risks. In June of this year, a man begged us to take him from Surgut by plane. The patient recovered a long time ago, I have been calling him for six months now and cannot get 100 thousand rubles. Since then we have been working only on prepayment basis.

This summer, we never flew by helicopter to visit patients, although the feasibility of such assistance was discussed 4-5 times,” says Efim Danilevich, general director of the American Medical Clinic. - In the summer of 2009, we were evacuated by helicopter two or three times. A current example is from an island in the Kizhi region. In such cases, we make a decision based on a combination of factors - the medical situation, whether it is possible to obtain approval from the insurance company (this is not always possible), whether the helicopter will give a gain in time, taking into account the situation on the roads. The speed of resolution is not the last, however, and not the first of the limiting factors. Of course, it would be great if our system was simplified too. However, even with the modern system, during our entire time only one flight failed - we didn’t make it before dark. And it’s good that they didn’t fly - as it turned out, the panic on the part of the patient’s relatives was inadequate - it turned out to be a broken arm, not a leg. A fracture is generally not a case when a helicopter is needed, but even if a person breaks a finger, but definitely wants to go on a helicopter, we do not refuse.
In general, it turns out that the use of helicopters for ambulance is still an exception rather than a daily practice.

Where to park

In March 2009, the autonomous non-profit organization (ANO) Alliance-Avia received from the city two land plots with an area of ​​more than 15 hectares in the area of ​​Vzletnaya Street, near Pulkovo. For survey work for the construction of a heliport. Sites for research are given for 11 months according to the regulations. So the deadline expired, and we called Alliance Avia to find out when to go to them with champagne.

We are conducting research,” said Igor, an employee of the company who wished to give his last name.
- So the deadline has expired.
- These are different researches, new ones. For now, we can say that building a heliport in this place is quite possible. Plot for rent. We are collecting documents and searching for an attracted investor.

Thank God, helicopter owners have alternative options.
Recently, to 6 existing helipads - Pulkovo, Petropavlovka, Elagin Island, Peterhof, Tsarskoe Selo, the roof of the Ambassador hotel on the street. Rimsky-Korsakov added 7 more - Blagoveshchensky Bridge, Pargolovo, Moskovskoe Highway, 231, Utkina Zavod, Devyatkino, Fort Konstantin, Central Yacht Club. Total - 12 sites.

Now there is a seasonal demand for helicopters - in the summer they are rented for weddings. Theoretically, the price should fall, but now it seems that demand is growing faster than the fleet of small aircraft. Over 2.5 years, the price for renting an MI-8 with a capacity of 20 people jumped from 65 thousand rubles/hour to 85 - 95 thousand rubles/hour, while the cost remained approximately the same - about $1 - 1.2 thousand. , or 30 - 40 thousand rubles/hour.

The price may fall by 3 times with a significant increase in the aviation fleet, consoles Vadim Bazykin. - Besides, it is not necessary to rent an MI-8. An hour of flight on a 4-5-seater helicopter costs 40-45 thousand rubles, on a 2-seater helicopter - 17-18 thousand rubles. By the summer of 2011, at least 17 more helipads will appear in St. Petersburg. 11 have already been built, but not opened - it will take 2 - 3 months for approvals, 4 are still in the project. A site will appear before exiting the Vyborg highway from the ring road at the Mega-Parnas shopping center, in the area of ​​the branch on Kultury Ave., in Kronstadt...

How long to wait for takeoff

KTTP has not yet been very encouraging regarding the timing of issuing flight permits. The acceleration is kind of strange. Instead of 2 - 3 hours (only for doctors, FSB, police) up to 2 - 5 days, as now...

The draft administrative regulations provide for a period of up to 30 days, depending on the completeness of the submitted package of documents, the Committee on Transport and Transit Policy reported.

The main thing is that the upper limit is defined: if you are planning to fly with friends on an airplane, in a month you will definitely find out whether it will work out or not. Depending on the completeness of the package... How else? After all, now not only professionals, but everyone will rush into the sky.

Not quite so,” Ksenia Gorlevaya clarifies. - Flight permits individuals will be issued on the basis of their having a Private Pilot license, a document confirming their flying skills.

Skills will not be enough. The fact is that KTTP does not have any specific map with the route of air roads over the city. Everyone can try to draw it themselves, having a map of the city with the Neva, its tributaries and other rivers. But your idea of ​​the zones permitted for flight will be checked by the Federal Air Transport Agency and specially trained instructors. The control center at Pulkovo Airport will connect requests with each other and monitor whether they have deviated from the route.

Just to develop orientation skills in the city, you will need to undergo training for 3 days for 6 - 7 hours, study possible routes, entry points into the city in the north, in the south, says Vadim Bazykin.

Traffic is organized along routes over waterways and the ring road, the KTTP reported. - You cannot fly over buildings and structures. Thus, you cannot fly over the Hermitage, but you can fly over the Neva near the Hermitage.

The minimum flight altitude is defined as 3 km. It will be possible to land on the water only by seaplane. And not everywhere, but only at special hydro aerodromes, of which there are only 2 in the city - Bychiy Island and Hercules Hydro (the village of Lakhta). Unauthorized landings on aircraft without floats will be considered a crime and punished with all possible severity.

You need to remember that:

Notification procedure for use airspace

123. The notification procedure for the use of airspace means providing airspace users with the opportunity to carry out flights without obtaining dispatch permission.

124. Notification procedure use of airspace is established in class G airspace.Airspace users flying in Class G airspace notify the relevant air traffic services (flight control) authorities about their activities for the purpose of obtaining flight information services and emergency alerts.

125. When planning flights in Class G airspace, airspace users are required to have aeronautical and meteorological information.

126. When planning aircraft flights under visual flight rules involving the use of class G airspace with the intersection of aerodrome areas and local air lines of class C airspace, the submission of a flight plan is not required. In these cases, the intersection of airfield areas and local air lines is carried out in the presence of dispatch permission from the relevant air traffic services authority (flight control).

127. Responsibility for preventing collisions with aircraft and other material objects in the air, collisions with obstacles when flying in class G airspace rests with the aircraft commander.

Airspace classification

10. Airspace above the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as beyond its borders, where responsibility for organizing air traffic is assigned to Russian Federation, classified as follows:

class G - flights are permitted under instrument flight rules and visual flight rules. Aircraft separation is not produced. All flights Flight information services are provided upon request. Valid for all flights at altitudes below 3050 m speed limit not exceeding 450 km/h. Aircraft flying under instrument flight rules are required to have constant two-way radio communication with air traffic services (flight control). When flying aircraft under visual flight rules, the presence of constant two-way radio communication with the air traffic services authority (flight control) not required. All aircraft flights require permission to use airspace not required.

It is not for nothing that I bring all this here, since organizing flights is a matter for professionals and here any mistake can be costly. A professional will understand what I am writing about.

Although the professional knows this without me

The flight altitude can be any, except:

3.31. With the exception of cases in which it is necessary during takeoff, landing or specified in paragraph 3.32 of these Rules, it is prohibited to fly an aircraft:

a) over the territories of populated areas and over crowded places during public events - below the altitude allowed in case of engine failure emergency landing without creating undue danger to persons and property on the ground, and below an altitude of 300 m over the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 500 m around the aircraft;

b) in places not specified in subparagraph “a”, at a distance of less than 150 m from people, Vehicle or buildings.

If the distance to the nearest alternate aerodrome exceeds the tactical radius of the helicopter, flights in the area of ​​the aerodrome are permitted without the presence of an alternate aerodrome and at a minimum (under stable meteorological conditions). When performing such flights, a landing site with a control surface and the necessary set of radio lighting equipment for aircraft landing must be prepared and equipped in the area of ​​the airfield. The list of airfields at which flights are permitted without an alternate airfield is announced by order of the commander of the Air Force formation (commander of the aviation formation, commander of the aviation formation), responsible for organizing the use of airspace in the EU ATM zone in which the airfield is located.

Off-airfield flights and IFR flights into air traffic conditions are permitted if at least one alternate aerodrome is available.

474. Helicopter flights are carried out from airfields and landing sites.

475. Landing areas are divided into marked and unmarked.

Flights from the sites are permitted day and night under visual flight rules. If necessary, a RP is appointed at the designated site by decision of the commander organizing the flights. In this case, radio engineering and other flight support equipment may be allocated to the site.

The minimum dimensions (length and width) of landing pads for single helicopters must be at least two and a half diameters of the main rotor.

476. Designated sites are selected and equipped in advance, marked on the map and taken into account at the command post of the formation that controls the movement of aircraft in the area of ​​​​responsibility. The sites must have their own serial number. Information about sites must contain: short description, coordinates, lines, soil condition and density, dimensions, markings and basic approach courses.

Landing areas are marked and equipped depending on the nature and purpose of the flight.

477. Helicopter commanders must have appropriate clearance for flights with landing on a site independently selected from the air.

Flights at night with landing on a site independently selected from the air are carried out in helicopters equipped with additional search lights or night vision systems (devices).

478. The launch and testing of helicopter engines should be carried out by the full crew.

Before starting the helicopter engines, objects that can be lifted by the jet from the main rotor must be removed from the tips of the blades at a distance of at least one rotor diameter.

479. Taxiing of helicopters near obstacles and when the visibility of landmarks is less than one diameter of the main rotor is carried out with an accompanying person. By decision of the crew commander, one of the crew members who is not involved in taxiing the aircraft may be appointed for this purpose.

480. When hovering, moving at a height of up to 10 m, taking off and landing, the distance from the end of the main rotor blades must be at least:

For aircraft - two main rotor diameters;

To other obstacles - half the diameter of the main rotor, but not less than 10 m;

To obstacles above the decks of sea (river) vessels, elevated platforms and other special areas - in accordance with the markings of these areas and the flight manual of the helicopter of the corresponding type.

481. A control hover will be performed before departure to check alignment and determine the take-off method, as well as, if necessary, test the helicopter systems and check its operation power plant and management.

A helicopter hovers above the water surface at a height of at least one diameter of the main rotor (except for helicopters equipped for landing on the water surface).

482. Movements and approaches at low altitude are permitted for training purposes, during production special works, as well as in cases where the ground condition does not allow taxiing.

The height and speed of movement or approach are determined by the crew commander, depending on the presence of obstacles, taking into account the restrictions determined by the flight manual of a helicopter of this type.

483. Take-off and landing on a helicopter is usually carried out against the wind.

484. Take-off of a helicopter from a parking area and landing on it is permitted (if determined by the IPP) in cases where:

The design of the helicopter does not allow taxiing;

There is no interference with takeoff and landing of other aircraft.

485. Take-off, hovering and landing in a dusty (snow) cloud in the absence of visibility of ground landmarks is prohibited.

486. When climbing and landing, it is permitted to fly over obstacles with an elevation of at least 10 m above them, and over aircraft on the ground - at a height of at least two diameters of the helicopter rotor.

487. Take-off and landing on sites selected from the air in difficult terrain or in conditions of possible formation of a snow (dust) whirlwind are carried out with a flight weight that ensures the helicopter hangs outside the zone of influence of the ground.

488. Landing on a site selected from the air, the condition of the surface of which is unknown, is carried out after its ground inspection by one of the crew members in order to determine the strength of the surface and its suitability for landing. The crew commander is responsible for safety when landing on a site selected from the air and taking off from it.

489. When encountering dangerous weather phenomena (if you bypass them, it is not possible to turn around on the return route) or when you lose orientation, when it is not possible to restore it by all means, and the remaining fuel is limited, the helicopter crew commander (group chief) is allowed to forced landing to a site selected from the air.

Takeoff from this site is permitted under weather conditions that meet the helicopter pilot's minimum. If possible, he informs the flight control authority that controls the flight of the helicopter about his actions.

490. Landing of a helicopter at an airfield at night is carried out with or without the use of landing spotlights and landing (taxiing) lights in accordance with the flight mission.

Landing of helicopters at night in groups is allowed on sites marked with lighting equipment (light guidelines).

Car enthusiasts have a good life: they drive along highways with road signs and indicators hanging above them. There are no road signs in the sky, just like the roads themselves. Does this mean that a helicopter pilot can fly in any direction? Let's figure it out.

Traffic rules on the ground. What about in the air?

Air traffic is also carried out according to the rules. But first things first. To fly a helicopter, you must take a pilot course and receive a certificate. The training lasts several months. During your studies you will undergo theoretical training. To obtain admission to the exams at Rosaviatsia, you must have 42 hours of flight time.

During the training you will learn the regulations governing the movement of aircraft. Pilots of private and business helicopters must study the following documents:

• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 138 of March 11, 2010. These are the rules for the use of airspace - an analogue of traffic rules.
• Overview maps of local air lines (ALL). They are necessary for planning and executing flights in zones C and G airspace. International air traffic route maps are issued for each territorial zone defined by the Unified Air Traffic Management System of the Russian Federation (EU ATM). For example, you can purchase an international international travel card for the Moscow zone. The maps are compiled by the Aeronautical Information Center (FSUE "CAI").
• Radio navigation charts for planning and implementing visual flights on international routes. They can be purchased in paper form. On the website of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "CAI" maps are available free of charge in electronic version.

Helpful advice: Load maps into a navigation program such as SAS.Planet. This will allow you to use modern electronic devices during the flight rather than paper maps. To download, use mapping software such as Global Mapper. You can also purchase an aeronautical tablet from the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "TsAI" with software necessary for planning and executing flights.

Where can you fly by helicopter?

Almost everywhere. By Resolution No. 138 of March 11, 2010, the Government of the Russian Federation allocated the following airspace zones:

• Zone A. It is intended for flights controlled by controllers and controlled by instruments. In short, zone A is where passenger aircraft and other large aircraft fly.
• Zone C. This is the airspace near airports. Here you can fly helicopters. The pilot is required to notify the controller of entering Zone C.
• Zone G. Small aircraft fly here, including private helicopters. Flights in zone G do not require additional notification to air traffic control services.

There are several hundred registered helipads in the Moscow EU ATM zone. You may fly from site A to site B without notifying air traffic control (ATC) if the sites are in Zone G airspace.

In addition to airspace zoning, there are international air routes marked on maps. To use the local airline route, you must notify ATC no later than two hours before the flight. Notification is carried out by telephone or via the Internet.

Where you can't fly

You cannot fly a private helicopter over restricted areas that are marked on maps. For example, you will not be able to move over Moscow. The boundaries of the restricted zone coincide with the Moscow Ring Road. Departmental aircraft receive permission to fly in prohibited areas in a special manner.

Except for restricted areas, you cannot live without special permission fly in the border zone. It includes the entire territory at a distance of 25 km from the state border of the Russian Federation. To obtain permission to fly in the border zone, it is necessary to coordinate the flight plan with the ATC authorities. In this case, the pilot is required to maintain constant communication with the dispatch service.

What do you need to go fishing?

Of course, you will need a helicopter and a pilot's license. If you have not yet completed the training, please contact HeliCo Group. If your helipad and the site next to your favorite river or lake are in zone G, you do not need to notify anyone. If near a fishing spot helipad Haven't registered yet, don't worry. It is sufficient to notify the ATC authorities by telephone no later than 2 hours before the flight. And you can land almost anywhere, even on the ground. Yes, and don’t forget your fishing rods at home.

Is it possible to resuscitate a person in the air, how do they extinguish fires in high-rise buildings and do pilots believe in omens, experts from a unique helicopter unit in Russia said.

Helicopters with orange and blue stripes regularly take off into the skies over Shcherbinka. The Moscow Aviation Center (MAC) is based here, an institution that works where other rescue services cannot go - in the skies above the capital. On the occasion of the Day civil aviation the site met with doctors and pilots and learned about the features of saving people in the air.

First things first - helicopters

The Ostafyevo airfield in TiNAO is the place where the helicopter unit, created on May 13, 2003 by order of the Moscow Government, operates - the Moscow Aviation Center.

10 helicopters, pilots, doctors - anesthesiologists-resuscitators, technical specialists and an average of four to seven sorties per duty. Complex fires, accidents, medical emergencies, cases where minutes count - all this is their work.

“Our main task is to guard the city. Any complex emergency situations are within our competence. We must arrive at the scene, evacuate the victims, take them to hospitals, and if there is a fire, put them out. The tasks are urgent,” says Oleg Katalshev, Deputy Director for Flight Operations at the Moscow Aviation Center.

The pilots say that their job is like everyone else’s. Whether they are lying or not, it’s hard to say: those who ply the Moscow sky have not only hundreds of saved lives, but also a huge amount of flying experience even before joining the IAC.

“The flight crew has serious training. As a rule, pilots are very experienced, former military, and have experience not only in flying, but also in combat. Over the 15 years of our existence, we have understood many of the subtleties of this work that could not be learned anywhere else. Because no one has done this before us,” adds Oleg Katalshev.

Flying over the city is, as they say here, a magnificent task. The capital's sky is lined up by meters: here is a closed area, there are wires, high-rise buildings and air flows.

“Flying over Moscow is a big responsibility. Apart from us, other aircraft fly over Moscow, and we must strictly maintain flight parameters: speed, distance. Keeping a helicopter at a given point, on a given path - this, of course, requires concentration,” notes the aircraft commander, Ilya Ivashchenko.

Heavenly ambulance

The Moscow Aviation Center also has five ambulance helicopters. These are light modern VK117S-2, two of which are painted red and white with a red cross on the side, the rest are white with an orange and blue stripe. Every day there are three sanitary aircraft on duty. Ambulance with screws. They can land on any surface; the minimum dimensions of the site for normal landing are 15 by 15 meters. One of these helicopters flies at one o’clock in the afternoon towards the city clinical hospital No. 15 named after O.M. Filatov on combat watch.

After arriving at the hospital helipad, he will be the first to respond to a call from the operational duty officer in the event of an emergency in the city. In order to get ready and take to the air, the crew, according to regulations, needs 10 minutes. In reality, pilots say, everything turns out twice as fast. To be on the spot - no more than 10. Here doctors carry out the first resuscitation work and stabilize the victim, after which they take him to the hospital.

Inside, the VK117S-2 helicopter has ventilators, a vital signs monitor, two infusion pumps (a machine that delivers drugs with microgram precision) and a defibrillator. With such tools, doctors can resuscitate a patient in flight.

“In general, this equipment is exactly the same as in the intensive care unit. If a patient is blocked in a car, we provide assistance to him on the spot, we can even climb into this car and perform certain manipulations (the status of a rescuer allows these doctors to work in an emergency zone. - Notemos. ru). If the victim’s condition is stable, all this can be done on board,” says IAC anesthesiologist-resuscitator Anatoly Ponomarev.

He is the youngest doctor among the center’s medical workers, he is 29 years old. Before joining the institution, he worked in an ambulance. He says that an ambulance and a medical helicopter are similar, but they have their own nuances.

“There is vibration, noise, we fly with a headset. If there is some kind of manipulation, for example, it is necessary to insert a catheter into the neck, we warn the pilots, and they try to slow down as much as possible so that there is less shaking,” the doctor continues.

In general, nothing unusual. True, it is still difficult to imagine how a team of three people fits and works in the cabin of a helicopter: there seems to be less space there than in a gazelle. And the VK117S-2 can lift either one or two victims. Since the beginning of 2018 alone, air ambulances have delivered more than 40 people to hospitals. And in 2017, help came from heaven 897 times.

Getting out of the helicopter cabin, where we spoke with a young doctor, is not easy: you are afraid of breaking or breaking complex equipment. “The main thing is don’t break your head,” warns Anatoly Ponomarev. This is professional humor.

How to extinguish fires from the air

After talking with the pilots and doctors of the VK117 ambulances, we go to the northern parking lot of the airfield, to the fire crews. Firefighting helicopters guard the safety of Muscovites around the clock.

The Ka-32A, a universal working helicopter capable of dropping five tons of water on a fire at a time, is awaiting a call here. The pilots have three such helicopters at their disposal. One of them is equipped with the only lateral, vertical and horizontal fire extinguishing system in Russia (cannon), which allows extinguishing high-rise buildings from close range.

A little in the distance is the giant MI-26, the largest helicopter in the world, or in aviator parlance, an “airship”. It can lift 15 tons of water into the sky.

In the recreation room in the northern parking lot there are sofas, a TV, a tiny model of a helicopter on a string hanging on the wall and a map of Moscow with blue dots - reservoirs from which the Ka-32A and MI-26 can draw water. The main helicopter watering hole is the Moscow River. In winter it does not freeze, and you can get to it from almost anywhere in the city. But in general, crews have the right to fill spillway devices (those huge canvas “buckets”) from any available reservoir.

Without “last” flights and the number 13

The pilots talk little about their work, but they talk about signs with great animation. As it turned out, they are very superstitious and do not hide it. The chorus breaks off when the word “last” is heard: in aviation it is not favored and is replaced with “extreme”. They also do not tolerate the number 13 (there is not even such a serial number), they do not fill out flight books with a black pen and do not take photographs near helicopters before departure.

“But this is so... It’s not serious,” the attendants add. Belief in omens does not prevent them from fulfilling their duty and sometimes working almost without rest. This happened, for example, in the summer of 2010 during forest fires near Moscow and in 2012 during a fire on the 67th floor of the Vostok tower in the Moscow City business center.

Then the pilots carried out a unique operation. And so successful that later colleagues from abroad applied for experience in working in such difficult conditions. “At such altitudes, it’s generally difficult for a helicopter to hover and stay, plus it was at night. And “Moscow City” is built in such a way that between the buildings you can’t guess when the next gust of wind will happen,” explains the aircraft’s commander, Andrei Mikhalevich.

Always on duty

Between flights, both pilots and doctors train—they must not lose their qualifications. For such flights, even an “airship” is lifted into the sky every week. Oleg Katalshev, Deputy Director for Flight Organization at the Moscow Aviation Center, adds that training takes place both during the day and at night, which is necessary to prepare for the World Cup.