MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. Yakutia’s air companies are short of pilots, especially helicopter ones, even though their monthly wages may reach 310,000 rubles ($4,000). The reasons are the polar nights, thick fogs, routes to outlying mountainous areas and temperatures of minus 60 degrees. It’s a true challenge to find pilots, ready to work in such conditions. Hence, Yakutia's Polar Airlines, serving passenger and cargo flights, trains pilots for itself.
Social significance
For regions like Yakutia, Chukotka or Magadan, training pilots is not an industrial, but rather a social task, Yakutia’s First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mikhail Prisyazhny said.
"The shortage of pilots is observed in all regions, as old specialists are retiring, while training over recent decades has been slack," he said. "Another reason is the outdated equipment. <...> Training has been financed by the budget only. The Omsk Flight Technical College of Civil Aviation is the only institution, which trains pilots for Mil Mi-8 helicopters (NATO reporting name: Hip)."
In 2019, Russia’s budget provided for education of only 100 students nationwide. Future pilots practically at once receive contracts with big companies, like Utair, as well as with major oil producers, who employ teams of shift workers.
"Thus, teaching helicopter pilots is not an industrial task, but rather a social one, as quite often air transport is the only option in the region," the official said.
Involving youth in aviation
Polar Airlines’ Director General Semen Vinokurov pointed to a shortage of helicopter pilots. The company needs 37 specialists, including 20 pilots, 14 second pilots and three navigators.
Yakutia promotes the pilot profession. In 2018, the region’s Governor Aisen Nikolayev reported to the State Commission’s meeting the shortage of polar pilots, mostly those working on Mi-8 helicopters. The Russian government has supported the regional program, dubbed Youth to Aviation.
Schools offer a program promoting the profession of pilots for pupils of the last two years, and many pilot training institutions have increased quotas for students from Yakutia.
In 2020, Yakutia’s 19 school graduates entered the Omsk Flight Technical College of Civil Aviation to become pilots of Mi-8 helicopters. They will be employed by the Polar Airlines Company.
According to Semen Vinokurov, "major helicopter companies, like Utair, Yamal or Russian Helicopter Systems, report a shortage of pilots. In this situation, Yakutia’s 19 students, who account for a quarter of the enrollment, are a very good result."
The regional authorities have addressed Rosaviatsiya, the national air transport authority, to launch a program to retrain mechanics and technicians to become pilots.
First stage towards flying
In 2019, the Polar Airlines Company supported organization of a special class in the Khangalassky District, where students could meet pilots and veterans of aviation to learn more about their profession, equipment, requirements, training and work specifics.
"The purpose of that class is educational, and first of all we prepare students for the entrance exams - the psychology tests and physical skills. Nineteen students from the district’s eight schools have completed the course. They attended the classes at weekends and during holidays. The local airport <...> provides the ground for additional training. This year, due to the coronavirus, we had to cancel the training, but we shall continue this work in the future," the Head of the local Department of Education Elizaveta Martynova said.
The Polar Airlines signs contracts with students at the Omsk Flight Technical College of Civil Aviation, which stipulate a free trip home and back once a year during holidays, allowances (depending on year and academic progress - between 2,000 and 5.000 rubles, or $27-67), reimbursement of expenses for dormitory accommodation, optional extra payments, professional piloting practice at the company as well as guaranteed employment there.
Applicants with 'rather good academic performance'
This year, the college students that are enrolled have better school performance. In the past, some applicants could have Cs, while now only those with As and Bs are admitted.
"The Youth to Aviation project has attracted students, who have rather good academic performance," Mikhail Prisyazhny said. "Quite often students prefer to get technical education and then to come to us to learn to be pilots."
The region needs not only pilots but also mechanics, technicians and dispatchers, he continued. Thus, the educational project will only expand, he added.
Flying is my dream
Alexander Dolzhenkov comes from the world’s pole of cold, the well-known Oymyakon District in Yakutia’s north-east. His biggest dream has been to become a pilot.
"I am a second-year student at Omsk [Flight Technical College of Civil Aviation]," he said. "It was not difficult to enter the college. The Polar Airlines provided for the medical examination (including reimbursement of all the expenses) and the physical skills tests to be held in Yakutsk, due to which we did not have to travel to Omsk before the enrollment."
If you have a dream to acquire professional skills, then learning is not difficult, Alexander said. "Our teachers are great professionals, they explain everything clearly and are always ready to assist any student."
After graduation, every student is to work for the Polar Airlines for at least six years. "I will begin working there as the second pilot, and my plan, of course, is to become the captain," he said.
Mikhail Shaposhnikov is a second-year student. He had applied to five institutions, but as soon as the Omsk college enrolled him, he cancelled all other applications.
"Being a helicopter pilot has been my dream since childhood," Mikhail said. "I have seen many helicopters coming to our village to extinguish wildfires. For village kids, seeing a helicopter is always exciting. Back then I dreamed that I want to fly in the sky, too. Nowadays, I am happy I am on my way to the dream."
The students presently take classes in general subjects. They learn about helicopter structure, study electrical engineering and technical mechanics. No piloting yet, Mikhail said.
Pavel Ilyin graduated from the Larionov Physics and Technics School. Now he is a first-year student at the Omsk college.
"I have known for sure what interested me. My grandfather Gennady Ilyin was a navigator instructor of Antonov An-24, An-26, Yakovlev Yak 40; uncle Vladimir Ilyin was a squadron commander and an instructor in piloting Bombardier [a narrow-body regional jet - TASS]. My aunt Olga Ilyina used to be a dispatcher, a very important position in piloting."
Pavel’s father teaches emergency search and rescue, and the mother works at the Yakutsk International Airport.
"Practically all my family is engaged in aviation, and this is why I have chosen the Omsk College of Civil Aviation to continue this tradition. Why a helicopter? It is very interesting how it is built, how it flies and what it can do. And, clearly, I realize how important the profession of a helicopter pilot is for Yakutia, as in the future we shall carry not only cargo, but passengers from this region’s hard-to-reach places as well," the young man said.
Best helicopters
Semen Vinokurov at a meeting with first-year students told them about the prospects in store for them in case of successful graduation and work at the company.
The wages are a very important aspect. A helicopter pilot gets between 260 and 310 thousand rubles ($3,400 - 4,100), the second pilot gets between 180 and 225 thousand rubles ($2,400 - 3,000) and engineer - 160-190 thousand rubles ($2,130 - 2,530). A plane’s pilot may receive up to 260,000 rubles ($3,470), the second pilot - up to 140,000 rubles ($1,870) and an engineer - up to 150,000 ($2,000).
The air company has a big social support program for its personnel: reimbursed expenses of two trips a year, housing loans, a partial rental coverage and various monetary support options. Semen Vinokurov is adamant: the profession of a helicopter pilot will always be of high demand.
"Sanitary aviation, passenger and cargo flights to hard-to-reach settlements will be made by helicopters, thus our students very soon will become our colleagues," he said.
The company has upgraded its fleet. Now, it is buying a new Czech L 410 New Generation jet to make sanitary and long flights, like, for example, between Yakutsk and Chersky. The company plans to buy Ansat’s modernized version. Within a year, it will purchase the world’s best helicopter - Mi-8 MTB through leasing, Vinokurov said.