ASHULUK RANGE /Astrakhan Region/, May 28. /TASS/. The Russian Air Force is not experiencing a shortage of trained pilots and enrolment at military aviation schools is in full swing, Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Colonel-General Viktor Bondarev said on Thursday.
"There had been no enrolment at Air Force schools for several years and consequently we had no replenishment with young pilots. Now this issue has been resolved and enrolments are in full swing at all schools," the general said.
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The Russian Air Force chief mentioned the Krasnodar aviation, Syzran helicopter and Chelyabinsk navigation schools.
"We also train a large number of cadets in all technical specialties at the Voronezh Air Force Academy," the commander said.
Previously, there were 35 pilots for 24 planes in an aviation regiment, he said.
"Now the number of pilots in aviation units slightly exceeds the pool of planes, i.e. now there is actually one pilot for each combat-ready plane and helicopter," Bondarev said.
"In the near future, we’ll necessarily adjust this ratio towards increasing the number of pilots," the Russian Air Force chief said.