Amateur Aviation Meetings

The 1980s ALS forerunner is considered glider rallies held in Koktebel , on Mount Uzun-Syrt (Mount Klementyeva), in 1923 - 1924 . Among them were Ilyushin , Antonov , Yakovlev , Korolev , as well as test pilots who later brought glory to Soviet aviation: K. K. Arceulov and L. A. Jungmeister ^[2] . After 60 years, the first ALS competition was held in this place ^[1] .

Been held since 1983 at the regional and all-Union level.

“The average age of the participants is about 30 years, the source of funding is the family budget,” said the film “Reflections on the theme of ALS”, shot after the rally in Kiev. - And since the subject of financing is complex, the budget has a hard time. What do they want? They feel like flying. But offer them a technique created by someone, they will proudly refuse. It’s boring for them ” ^[4] .

Inheriting the traditions of gliding

1983 , September 1-10. The first All-Union show-competition of improvised aircraft (ALS). Held under the auspices of the MAP on the initiative of a group of its employees, the Hang Gliding Federation and OKB them. OK. Antonov in Planersky in the Crimea, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of glider sports in the USSR. 19 designs from 10 cities of the country were presented at the show: 3 aircraft, 1 motor glider , 4 motor hang glider and 8 hang gliders.

1984 , September 5-15 . The Second All-Union ALS Review Competition was held in 2 stages. At the first, in absentia, 68 projects were sent to Moscow, 42 were admitted to the full-time show in the Crimea, including a seaplane and an amphibious aircraft . 32 flights were allowed to fly.

1985 , September 1-12 . The third All-Union ALS review contest was held on the basis of the Chaika training and sports complex of the Central Committee of DOSAAF of the Ukrainian SSR in Kiev . The Komsomol Central Committee and DOSAAF joined his organization. Not only airplanes (60), but also engines (12) were presented at the competition. They were selected from 95 applications from 47 cities of the USSR . Peter Vasilievich Balabuev ^[4] , General Designer of Design Bureau named after O.K. Antonova.

131 flights were performed at the competition, there were 4 breakdowns and 4 prerequisites for the flight accident. The devices were tested by 11 MAP test pilots, including the inspector pilot of the ministry Vladimir Gorbunov , LII test pilots Viktor Zabolotsky , Viktor Kirsanov , Felix Vorobyov , pilots of the Design Bureau named after Antonov, Yakovlev, Mil, Sukhoi ^[1] .

The rally was shown the legendary Grigorovich Boat - a seaplane, produced from 1919 to 1924. A total of 500 such cars were produced, weighing 1.5 tons, with a maximum speed of 130 km per hour. A copy was built by students of the Kharkov Aviation Institute , commissioned by the Odessa Film Studio . The seaplane took off, but with unsuccessful splashdown, a hole formed in its bottom, and he began to sink, but he was rescued along with the crew by the rescuers who arrived in time.

Three amateur constructions following the results of the competition were sent to conduct flight research work at TsAGI and LII.

Moscow, Tushino. Record of participation

1987 , August 19-30 . The fourth, the largest amphibious rally in Moscow, at the Tushino airfield. The organizers expected about 200 people, and gathered at a show of 1000 participants, who represented 107 of their own designs, of which 60 flew. At this stage, the School of Test Pilot LII named after M. M. Gromova.

Aviation scientific and technical creativity - the mass involvement of young people in activities that 50-60 years ago was the destiny of single people, was considered by MAP. Applications for the contest were sent from all regions of the country - from Arkhangelsk to Tashkent , from Lithuania to the Primorsky Territory . In addition to airplanes, gliders and trikes, for the first time a paraglider was demonstrated at the show.

Test flights were preceded by the work of the technical commission, which carried out inspection, weighing of apparatuses, determined the center of mass. For the first time, static strength tests of structures were applied ^[1] .

The competition was supervised by Deputy Minister of Aviation Industry, aircraft designer Ivan Pavlovich Bratukhin . The organizing committee of the show was headed by the head of the LII Konstantin Konstantinovich Vasilchenko . The chief of the flight test center of the LII Shatalov was responsible for conducting flight tests.

Riga. Capacity Record

1989 , July 17-29 . The fifth ALS rally was organized in Riga on the initiative of graduates of the Riga Red Banner Institute of Civil Aviation Engineers Yu.Pribylsky and V. Yagniuk . In 1974 the RCIIGA built and successfully tested the first flying student seaplane designed by Farukh Mukhamedov , who received the VDNKh medal and all-Union fame, the student design bureau and a strong moto-glider section functioned. The idea of ​​Riga was supported by the USSR Federation of Aviation Fans of the USSR, created in 1988 ^[1] , which brought together designers and amateur pilots.

The tests took place at the airfield of the Spilve agricultural aviation . They were attended by pilot-cosmonaut I.P. Volk, test pilots Yuri Sheffer , Victor Zabolotsky , and Leading Flight Test Engineer Alexander Yunkert ^[5] . At this show, for the first time, competitions were held among amateur pilots, as a result of which 80 participants were assigned the appropriate qualification ^[3] .

“How nice to recall a story to which both your hands and heart are attached,” wrote Andrei Sizy, a participant in several meetings, a graduate of the Kharkov Aviation Institute. - And at a rally in Riga, I got the testimonies of an amateur pilot in the class of SLA, I don’t know how it got through, this is really a huge merit of the federation! To pass the exam and get a crust, then it was the turn of those who wanted to. Passed on PO-2, the exact copy of that glorious hard worker! Take off, circle, landing! Following! And we flew away from Riga for the record! Kharkov aircraft plant allocated An-26. Loaded all the equipment. And a couple of hours later we were in Kharkov ” ^[6] .

This was the last SLA rally under the auspices of the MAP.

46 amateur constructions were admitted to the show, another 50 vehicles arrived and arrived in Spilva without prior request.

The main prize of the MAP and the prize of 10 thousand rubles in 1989 was received by the designer of the Aushra (Zarya) agricultural plane, Vladas Kyansgaila from Panevezys . He flew to Riga on his own, spending 2 hours on this ^[5] . A professional pilot, Kiansgail made the largest amateur aircraft ever created in the Soviet Union, with a maximum take-off weight of 2200 kg, a target load of 800 kg, which was dictated by the needs of the customer - the collective farm of the same name, who needed an airplane for agricultural work. At a rally in Riga, he set a record for lifting capacity! ^[7]

The second prize, 5 thousand rubles, was awarded to N. Masterov from Kuibyshev (now Samara ) for the Phoenix 5M aircraft.

The third prize went to Riga Ore from Riga for the successful design of a motor hang glider.

The prize of the Central Committee of the aviation industry union in the amount of 3 thousand rubles was received by Voronezh designer V. Pivovarov for the Debut aircraft, which also flew to Riga on its own.

The largest design bureaus of the USSR established special prizes for work on the development of aviation technical creativity.

OKB Antonov Design Bureau awarded its prize (5,000 rubles) to the Federation of Aviation Creativity of the Lithuanian SSR (Chairman - Cheslav Balchyunas ).

OKB them. A. S. Yakovleva awarded the Lithuanian designer A. Kushubu.

OKB them. Mila was awarded the prize of the creator of the DAS-2M gyroplane V. Danilov from Tula .

At the rally in 1989, the task was to formulate airworthiness requirements for ultralight aircraft and select promising designers for the development of small aircraft within the aviation industry. The need for such a technique was and remains obvious for Russia with its open spaces, with northern inaccessible areas, however, during the growing chaos in the USSR economy, these plans were not realized, and then the USSR Ministry of Aviation Industry itself was eliminated.

The rallies of 1991 and 1993 were already organized and financed without his participation.

Recent Meetings

1991 , August 10-18. Sixth All-Union show-competition of improvised aircraft. Chernihiv , the airfield " Kolychevka ". The rally was supported by the self-government of the city, which celebrated its 1300th anniversary, and by the Federation of Aviation Fans of the USSR .

1993 , June 25 - July 5 . Seventh amateur competition show, Sivoritsy airdrome, Gatchina . 32 aircraft were presented, on which 303 flights were completed. ^[3] .

The SLA movement in the Soviet Union was supervised by the legendary test pilot, the first pilot of the Soviet Buran reusable ship Igor Petrovich Volk . He believed that large aviation has a need for home-made products, if only because almost ready-made specialists gather at rallies. However, the designs they created still need to be finished up, tested; for light aviation, engines are needed that are not produced in the USSR. “Light aviation is needed - to control areas of forest, peat, lakes, fish stocks, agricultural work,” stated I.P. Volk, and cited the United States as an example, where the fleet of light aircraft totaled 250 thousand in the late 1980s ^{[ 8]} .

Since 2006, aviation enthusiasts rally in Russia every year, inspired by the Russian Experimental Aviation Association ^[2] .

• Chronicle of the history of the Defense Organization of the Fatherland (Russian) (inaccessible link) . The official site . DOSAAF of Russia. Date of treatment May 10, 2017. Archived on May 8, 2017.